Giants Don't Exist
(Los gigantes no existen)
Chema Rodríguez | Drama, Fiction
2017 | 82 minutes | Guatemala
Based on the true story of Guatemalan activist Jesús Tecú, Chema Rodríguez’s second feature is a harrowing and powerful drama about survival and hope. Teco was one of the few survivors of the 1982 Río Negro massacre against indigenous populations, in which 177 women and children died.
Synopsis
Guatemala in the 1980s, at the height of the ruthless civil war against the country’s indigenous communities. Andrés is 9 years old. He lives with Pedro González, one of the men who massacred all the women and children in his village. Andrés has survived, but he’s scared. Pedro’s wife, María, is also scared, scared to go out, scared to lose Andrés, whom she considers as "her new son". Even Pedro is scared, scared of himself and what the Army bounds him to do. Andrés would like to run away but he also wants to stay with this new family... The unexpected arrival of his biological sister will change everything.
Based on the true story of Guatemalan activist Jesús Tecú, Chema Rodríguez’s second feature is a harrowing and powerful drama about survival and hope. Teco was one of the few survivors of the Río Negro massacre in 1982, in which 177 women and children died.
Reviews
"Highly Recommended. Giants Don't Exist is based on the true story of Guatemalan activist Jesus Tecu who was one of the few survivors of the Rio Negro Massacre in 1982 in which 177 women and children died by Guatemalan soldiers." — LaRoi Lawton, Library & Learning Resources Department, Bronx Community College of the City University of New York, EMRO
"Expressive, silent and implacable work on fear." — Toni Vall, Cinemanía
Citation
Main credits
Rodríguez, Chema (film director)
Rojas, Rafael (actor)
Orantes, Patricia (actor)
Martínez, Jose Javier (actor)
Vargas Quevedo, Francisco (screenwriter)
Siminiani, León (screenwriter)
Other credits
Cinematography, Álvaro Rodríguez Sánchez; editor, José M.G. Moyano; music, Pablo Borgués.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Central America
Criminal Justice
Family
Fascism + Repression
History
Human Rights
Indigenous Peoples
Latin American Studies
Youth
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Roma Film Festival - Alice Nella Città Official Competition
Seville European Film Festival - Special Screening
Icaro Festival Guatemala - Opening Night Film
Guadalajara International Film Festival
Chicago Latino Film Festival
DIRECTOR: Chema Rodríguez
NATIONALITY: Guatemala
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Drama, Fiction
LANGUAGE: Spanish; Indigenous languages
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
At the Gates of Hell, Ep. 01 - Broken Children - Colombia
Niños rotos - Colombia
Helen
Tesoros
A World for Julius
Un mundo para Julius
The Kid Who Lies
El chico que miente
Hero Steps
Pasos de héroe
El Amparo
El amparo
Estación catorce
The Metal Stork
La cigüeña metálica
Fidel, Brave Child
Fidel, niño valente
Guerrilla Voices: Humanizing War
Voces de guerrilla
I Will be Murdered
Los Lobos
Los lobos
Between the Americas, Ep. 3: The Silence of Guatemala
The Delights
Las Delicias
In Havana
Everybody Leaves
Todos se van
Bad Hair
Pelo malo
My Brothers Dream Awake
Mis hermanos sueñan despiertos
Fearless
Sin miedo
Bad Influence
Mala junta
Latin Wars
América armada
Related Collections
Fiction Films
A compelling glimpse into Spain and Latin America's rich storytelling traditions, showcasing a blend of established directors and emerging voices. Each film highlights the depth and creativity of the region.
Number of titles: 266
SEE COLLECTION >Social Justice
A thought-provoking collection of films centered on social justice, each narrative a powerful exploration of human rights, equality, and the pursuit of a more just society.
Number of titles: 85
SEE COLLECTION >Indigenous Languages
Promote the linguistic and cultural diversity of Latin America by exploring these indigenous languages!
Number of titles: 39
SEE COLLECTION >Spanish Language Films
A cinematic highlight of the magic and diversity of the Spanish language.
Number of titles: 440
SEE COLLECTION >Criminal Justice
A riveting selection of films that provoke conversations on topics such as wrongful convictions, systemic issues, life in prison, and the human stories behind crime and punishment.
Number of titles: 128
SEE COLLECTION >High School Collection
Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.
Number of titles: 509
SEE COLLECTION >Indigenous Peoples
A valuable insight into the cultural and historical heritage of different indigenous communities.
Number of titles: 52
SEE COLLECTION >Repression and Resistance
An exploration of Spain and Latin America’s authoritarian regimes and the movements that fought against them.
Number of titles: 91
SEE COLLECTION >The Pragda Complete Film Collection
The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.
Number of titles: 637
SEE COLLECTION >Our Essential 100 Titles
A hand-picked selection of our must-have films showcasing the very best of Spanish, Latin American and Latinx cinema.
Number of titles: 100
SEE COLLECTION >