For years, Guatemala’s most prominent filmmaker, Jayro Bustamante (“La Llorona,” “Ixcanul”), has fought to grow a local film industry. Now, it finally looks as if it might be happening, with Argot Prods. boasting four films in production.
Founded in 2022, the Guatemalan-based shingle has been focusing on emerging screenwriters and directors from Guatemala and Central America.
It currently has one feature film in post, “Se’ K’o,” a co-production between Guatemala and Spain, and three feature projects in production: “Bi’tzma,” a co-production between Guatemala, Honduras and Panama; “See You in November” and “Salt Mountain,” a co-production between Guatemala, Mexico and Argentina.
In addition, Argot is developing four projects—two docus and two fiction features—further bolstering its commitment to diverse, locally-grounded cinema.
This year, it’s participating in the media lab of the Costa Rica Media Market (CRMM) with “April’s Tales” (“Cuentos de Abril”).
To be directed by Honduran experimental artist-filmmaker Darwin Andino, “April’s Tales” is described as an auteur documentary which follows Andino and his six-year-old daughter, Abril, as they return to Honduras for a holiday, which triggers memories of the hardships they have endured.
It was awarded a production grant from the Honduran Film Institute to support part of the project’s production. However, due to the current political situation in the country, these funds have not yet been disbursed.
Early this year, the Honduran government moved to cut administrative costs by folding the country’s General Directorate of Cinematography of Honduras (DGCINE) into the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage and dismissing its staff.
The Honduran Filmmakers Association raised concerns over the government’s actions, declaring that this move creates legal and institutional uncertainty for the country’s expanding film industry.
Filming of Abril’s journey to Honduras will take place from July 6 to 24, with the collaboration of cinematographer Gabriel Serra Argüello, according to Argot .
“’April’s Tales’ offers an intimate and sensitive exploration of masculinity and fatherhood, moving beyond the conventional narratives of Central American cinema,” said Argot producer Ever Rodas who added: “It will be shot primarily on iPhone 11 devices in Germany and Honduras, using natural light and lavalier microphones to preserve the authenticity of the footage.”
“Selected sequences will be filmed with cinema cameras and a theatrical mise-en-scène to evoke the protagonists’ memories and emotional journey. This combination of visual approaches seeks to enhance the film’s intimacy, sense of memory and poetic dimension.”
CRMM runs over July 14-15.
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