Join us for a screening of “WAAKI” (Sanctuary), a new film by filmmaker/photographer Victor Masayesva, Jr. This event is part of UC San Diego’s first edition of the Otherwise Film Festival taking place November 13-16, 2024.
- 6:00 p.m. Film Screening
- Film Synopsis: Looking at how the Creation stories of the Hopi, Nahua and Maya give them a special connection to maize/corn, synthesized in the statement, “We are corn.” There are many songs, displays and ceremonial practices that affirm this connection. Waaki looks deeper into the world community and how it is connected to maize/corn – what are the interrelationships that exist and celebrates the human capacity for tolerance and compassion in a time when people are becoming more intolerant of difference.
- 7:00 p.m. Live Q&A with filmmaker Victor Masayesva, Jr. led by Professor Ignacio Carvajal, UC San Diego Department of Literature
- 7:30 p.m. Reception with UC San Diego’s RAZA Resource Centro, Intertribal Resource Center and Latin American Studies communities; beverages and esquites (Mexican corn in a cup) will be served
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
About the Film
Renowned Hopi filmmaker Victor Masayesva, Jr. explores the centrality of corn for the Hopi, Nahua, and Maya, tracing the role of corn from creation stories to today’s struggles against climate change. The film presents complex interrelationships between humans, plants, food systems, animals, birds, ceremonies and the cycles of the earth, sun and moon within the universe from a Hopi, Maya, and Nahua perspective. By tracing the lineage and mysterious origins of corn, we gain a deeper understanding of the ancestry of communities that transcend borders.
About the Filmmaker
Victor Masayesva, Jr. (born 1951) is a Hopi filmmaker, video-artist, and photographer. Born on the Hopi Reservation of Arizona, and growing up in Hotevilla, Masayesva’s artistic career reflects his active participation with the Hopi community, his body of work promoting Hopi culture and worldview. Scholar Martin Padget considers Masayesva “one of the most influential Indigenous filmmakers and photographers of his generation.” Masayesva’s films and photographs are diverse and complex in nature, often employing diverse visual language, and an experimental approach towards media. The majority of his films are in Hopi language and are destined for his community, especially to pass-on traditional teachings to youth. Masayesva has also been personally involved in promoting indigenous media, both in the United States and Internationally.
Contact:
Sarah Buck Kachaluba
sbuckkachaluba@ucsd.edu
Registration:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-are-corn-waaki-sanctuary-tickets-1038410322227