Stories of Migration in the Threads of Todos Santos Cuchumatán
About the Project
Interwoven is an experimental and collaborative documentary
It was born in Todos Santos Cuchumatán, a Maya Mam community found in western Guatemala, where traditional weaving preserves collective memory.
Through participatory processes, community workshops, and close collaboration with weaving families; the project explores how migration transforms identities and leaves new symbolic traces in local textiles.
Textiles become living archives where personal stories, collective memory, and contemporary changes in cultural intertwine.
Synopsis
Todos Santos Cuchumatán is one of the Guatemalan communities with the highest migration rates to the United States. At the same time, it is a place where traditional clothing and textile practices remain deeply preserved.
Today, new symbols are appearing in textiles and are reflecting journeys, absences, and cultural transformations.
Our documentary follows the families and community members who weave these textiles, called ¨Guipils,¨ in order to explore how migration stories become woven into the threads that continue narrating their identity.
Methodology / Community Process
A Documentary with a Collective Voice
The film is built alongside the community through participatory processes that include:
• Collective memory and mapping workshops
• Sound explorations and community storytelling
• Creation of a collaborative art installation
• Ethnographic accompaniment of migrant weaving families
• Collaborative audiovisual production
The aim is for the community, not only to appear in the film, but to actively co-create its narrative.
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