Yo valgo, yo puedo, yo voy a perder el miedo

This film tells the story of Mayan women artisans in Guatemala who survived the ethnic cleansing of the 1980s under the dictatorship of General Rios Montt. These women organised themselves into groups and turned their timeless cloth-weaving skills into a trade. Their newfound purpose enabled them to overcome their isolation and exclusion as women and indigenous peoples in a racist, sexist country. By encouraging solidarity and mutual aid with other women who had fallen victim to the regime’s violence, the artisans set up Aj Quen, a not-for-profit association that promoted Guatemalan handmade fabrics in the fair-trade industry. This move enabled them to ensure a future for their children, to strengthen their own identity and to rid themselves of unscrupulous local intermediaries.

By using the humorous style that made RAI3’s travel guide Turisti per Caso so successful, this documentary follows the life of a cotton thread, from the raw material to the finished product. By doing so, it also affords an insight into the history of the Mayan people from before the Conquest to the modern day; it describes their blend of nature and culture, their beliefs about the origins of the universe, and portrays fabric production as a symbol of ethnic identity and belonging.

Syusy Blady takes us on a journey from Mexico to Guatemala on a quest for lost ancient civilisations in a light-hearted look through the eyes of the stereotypical tourist. She visits the descendents of the Lacandon, an ancient Maya people that live in harmony with nature and pray to their gods as the world changes rapidly around them. Blady, however, also tries to see the world from a fresh perspective as she looks beyond the stereotypical eternal spring of the tourist brochures. This film was produced by Mandacarù – Altromercato, a cooperative that promotes fair trade by importing and distributing the artisan products made by the Aj Quen association.

Maurizia Giusti (Syusy Blady)
Maurizia Giusti, also known as Syusy Blady, is a television presenter, actress, journalist and writer. She has almost always worked alongside actor Patrizio Roversi. Her work includes Gran Pavese Varietà (1984), Lupo Solitario (1987), Velisti per caso (2002–2003) and Turisti per caso (1991–2007). She graduated in Pedagogy from the University of Bologna. On her own or teaming up with Patrizio Roversi, she has worked with a range of Italian magazines and newspapers, including Cuore, Satyricon, Salvagente, Comix, L’Unità, and La Repubblica.