Baktun: Mexican Soap Breaks Cultural Boundaries David Agren - Macleans.ca
go to original October 8, 2013

Baktún, the world’s first Maya language telenovela, is a great achievement for indigenous communities, according to filmmaker Bruno Cárcamo. (mediam9)

Steamy soap operas, known as telenovelas, are small-screen staples in Mexico, serving up scandal, sex and escapism for millions enthralled by the sappy storylines. The telenovela Baktún takes the tawdry form of television to the Mayan languages, but with a twist: no kissing or displays of public affection. “A big issue [for us] has been the absence of kisses,” says director Bruno Cárcamo. “It’s what sells in all of Latin America.”

The move is an attempt at accommodating the cultural sensibilities of the Maya, who still populate traditional pueblos across Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and parts of Central America. The show is also part of a broader effort to keep the culture alive, particularly as many Maya move to bigger cities such as Cancún for tourism jobs.

The Mayan culture has been misrepresented and misunderstood - most recently by the end of the long-count calendar last Dec. 21, erroneously interpreted as the end of the world. But the misinterpretation brought an awareness of the Maya and provided the pretext for the producers to finally find funding for a 21-episode series on public TV in Quintana Roo state.

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