La Charada Teatro - Puppeteers in Guatemala

Maximón: Devil or Saint

MAXIMÓN - Devil or Saint is a documentary about the controversial Maya deity, also known as San Simon or the drinking and smoking saint of Guatemala. He is a mixture of ancient Maya beliefs and Christianity. The movie concentrates on the people who surround Maximón with their strong personalities, opinions and faith. The documentary gives us a rare view into the rituals and fiestas honoring Maximón. The cult of Maximón is flourishing because he performs miracles. He is also feared and despised because he is used to cast curses that can result in death. Ultimately, Maximón transcends the duality of good and evil, reflecting the Maya cosmovision in which everything in the universe co-exists.

31 Minutes: One Hot Christmas

Puppeton, the town of 31 Minutes, faces such an infernally hot Christmas that Santa Claus cancels his visit! Bodoque the rabbit heroically volunteers to rescue the presents from the North Pole, while his friends improvise a disastrous Christmas show. But what they don't expect is Bodoque giving in to some irresistible temptations along the way.

Herbie Goes Bananas

The adorable little VW helps its owners break up a counterfeiting ring in Mexico.

The Galaxy Britain Built: The British Force Behind Star Wars

Superfan David Whiteley celebrates the unsung British heroes behind the first film in the Star Wars’ franchise, 1977’s eponymously titled Star Wars. The Star Wars saga ends with the release of The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. This documentary celebrates where it all began. It includes previously unheard stories from the people who made one of the most successful movies of all time, with additional interviews and previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage. The presenter, Star Wars superfan David Whiteley, who has his own connection to the original film (he was born on May the 4th), tracks down the often modest British talent who brought the galaxy to life. David explores the contribution of the London Symphony Orchestra and meets Ann Skinner, who was in charge of continuity. As well as seeing her original stills from the set, Ann reveals how she helped Sir Alec Guinness with one of the most famous speeches in Star Wars.

The Present

Father

Puppeteer Chen Hsi-huang establishes his own troupe and moves out from under the shadow of his father, the legendary Li Tien-lu.

Miguelito - Canto a Borinquen

In 1973, eleven year old Miguelito was discovered singing in the San Juan airport by the legendary New York record producer Harvey Averne. Within the year, he went from the slums of Manuel A Perez, to recording an album with some of the finest salsa musicians of the time to finally performing with Eddie Palmieri at Madison Square Garden in front of 20,000 people. Throughout Latin America his songs ‘Payaso’ and ‘Canto a Borinquen’ had become cult hits. And then he simply disappeared...

The Three Caballeros

For Donald's birthday he receives a box with three gifts inside. The gifts, a movie projector, a pop-up book, and a pinata, each take Donald on wild adventures through Mexico and South America.

The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson

While the Muppets prepare a tribute to the late Jim Henson, they learn about the life and career of the renowned puppeteer/film maker.

Xejuyup más que un club de fútbol

The Perechú family is afraid that the ancestral costume of their ancestors will disappear, but they see soccer as an opportunity to keep their culture and legacy alive.

El Father Plays Himself

A young film director returns to Venezuela, inspired to make a film based on his father's life in the Amazon jungle (La Fortaleza, Jorge Thielen Armand). He casts Father to play himself. What starts as an act of love and ambition — filmmaking to more deeply understand the self, and the other — spirals into a process which confronts Father’s struggles with addiction and his life devoid of his son. EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF holds a steady lens to the way the act of cinema unearths, binds, heals and destroys.

Burden of Peace

Claudia Paz y Paz is the head of the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor’s Office. We follow her during her four-year mandate as the Attorney General of one of the world’s most dangerous countries. This documentary closely observes her attempts to break the downward spiral of a society where drug cartels, corruption and violence have become part of daily life. She manages to improve the country’s safety and justice issues but is met with much resistance. Her commitment to the rule of law is her strength as well as her destiny. At what price do four years of service as the Attorney General of Guatemala’s murder paradise come?

Narco Wars: Queenpins

In the drug world, most stories revolve around men. But this one is about women. Some caught in the middle, some in the mix. And one, a true queenpin.

Fish Out Of Water

Anxious about a new school and his relationship to his brother, a boy with Cerebral Palsy meets an alien who helps him cope with his fears.

It Was Hot That Day: A Jandiman Story

Enduring 28 days of relentless construction labor, Frank struggles to prep a house for painting amidst Phoenix's scorching pandemic summer.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

For more than thirty years, and through his television program, Fred Rogers (1928-2003), host, producer, writer and pianist, accompanied by his puppets and his many friends, spoke directly to young children about some of life's most important issues.

Compañero Fernando

This documentary is a portrait made in Mexico by a group of Argentine exiles, directed by the painter Nicolás Amoroso.

Cook With the Book

This TV series collects the basic premises to cook and eat better through the teaching of techniques, tips and secrets of cooking and nutrition within other hints to better living. A culinary trip through South America guided by some of the best chefs of the world. A space to learn, know and discover new food, ways of preparation, culture and tradition. Cooking classes that go beyond A, B, C of how to cook and look forward to the basic knowledge of what to cook, and why. Following the step by step of simple recipes we will be knitting a story involving our way of eating, social trends and personal habits. A long lasting learning experience with new acknowledgement that can be applied every day introducing new habits that will affect our health in a positive way.