Based on her research project - Cards for health - Dr Varela-Silva was able to share her findings from working in partnership with Maya indigenous communities in Mexico to disseminate key health messages on nutrition, hygiene, physical activity and early sensory stimulation.
Mundo Maya was released in September and has already won the award Exceptional Merit at the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival (Summer 2023).
It has also been included on the Yale University’s EDI strategies initiative with a screening on 21 October.
In the documentary the Maya are presented in their villages, contemplating the changes that may result from the Tren Maya, a luxury tourist train that the Mexican government is building to bring tourists and their money to the area.
It shows the challenges the group face in Mexico, but also the hardships of migrated Yucatec Maya in the San Francisco Bay area, with the film guiding the viewer to appreciate and respect indigenous people everywhere.
Following the success of the documentary, Dr Varela-Silva will return to Yucatan in March to conduct preliminary interviews to start getting a notion of how the Tren Maya will impact health and living conditions in the surrounding communities.
Dr Varela-Silva said: “There is a very high probability that this documentary constitutes a starting point for a new branch of research focused on health and wellbeing of indigenous communities.
“This will be associated with other societal aspects such as systemic oppression, racism and globalisation, among others that affect the lives of indigenous groups.”
The documentary was produced by Elm City Films, a non-profit documentary filmmaking collective that is dedicated to making community-building documentaries to educate, inform and inspire people to make the world a better place.
Bookings for screenings and post-show Q&A with Dr Varela-Silva and the Documentary Director are available. Please contact Dr Varela-Silva for further details.