The Long Road Home; Return Of The Maya

The plight of Guatemalan refugees is the focal point of two new documentaries. Over the past decade the repressive Guatemalan army has destroyed over 400 villages. 115,000-140,000 people have been killed or have disappeared. Some 100,000-200,000 have fled the country, primarily to Mexico and the United States. Although estimates vary widely, there's no question that the numbers--even on the low end--are quite large. The Long Road Home, produced by Andrea E. Leland, tells the story of one individual, a young high school graduate named Ricardo Hernandez. A Guatemelan exile who went to school in Chicago, Hernandez went back to his former refugee camp at the Mexico-Guatemala border to visit with family and friends. Although the people there desperately want to return to their homeland, it is dangerous for them to do so. In the interim, the camp refugees are working hard toward creating a self-sustaining society--a weaving circle, meat and corn cooperative, makeshift medical clinic, etc. These necessities are even more important in light of the United Nations announcement to discontinue aid to the refugee camps. A good introduction to the subject.Return of the Maya also looks at a group of Guatemalan refugees living in Mexico. After a brief introduction to the Guatemalan refugee problem, the program tells the interesting story of how Guatemalan refugees are working in conjunction with Mexican archaeologists to excavate the Mayan city of Edzna. Not only are the workers making enough money to continue living in their spartan camps while awaiting the day they can return home, these people, descendants of the Maya, are discovering their ancient heritage. As one of the refugees says: "It fills me with emotion to see these beautiful buildings because what we have now isn't like this." Both The Long Road Home and Return of the Maya outline the terrible situation of the Guatemalan refugees in understandable human terms. Both are recommended. (The Long Road Home is available from: Andrea E. Leland, 1122 North Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60622; (312) 278-2948.) (See COYOTELAND for availability of Return of the Maya.)