Program Note
The grand mansion of Guatemala. It appears glamorous, but exudes a dark atmosphere. In front of the house belonging to retired General Enrique, who led a massacre of civilians, the protests of the victims’ families persist. As a new maid, Alma, arrives from Mexico, the uneasy family witnesses strange events unfolding in the house. The legend of La Llorona, the most well-known horror folklore in Central America, has undergone various adaptations, from folk songs to films. The haunting cries of a woman who leads to death, intersect with the oppressive regime and civilian massacres of Guatemala’s contemporary history in Jayro Bustamante’s La Llorona which spectacularly emerged onto the global film scene with Ixcanul (2015). It aligns the original folklore with modern societal issues, offering a combination of perspectives and reflecting the recent trend in folk horror to explore new angles. (Jin PARK)