Kuxlejal means Life in the Tsotsil language and lifeand how to feel alive in order not to die, is the themeof this documentary. It deals with high suicide ratesamong young native people and reflects the feelingsand conflicts leading to the thought that ‘life is worthnothing’. At the centre is the youths’ search for identitybetween their ancestral roots and their desire andneed to be part of the globalised modern society.The accelerated modernisation has created a severegap of communication and the transmission of ancientknowledge and traditions has been widely interrupted.This has provoked an identity crisis. Young indigenouspeople are often outsiders in their own communitiesas well as facing the competitive and discriminatingworld outside. With easy access to drugs and alcoholand limited prospects, suicide seems ‘a way out’. As aMedia for Change project, our objective is that suicideis recognised as a severe problem, as well as fosteringresilience among young people. We want to generateimpact on community level, so that parents andauthorities listen to and understand the reality of youngindigenous people, taking their needs into account andto save lives.
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