The Train and the Peninsula

The Train and the Peninsula is an intimate portrait of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, in the midst of the construction of the controversial mega project encircling the peninsula, known as the “Mayan Train.” A promise of economic prosperity through western ideologies of development is in conflict with the local population. For half a million Mayan speaking people still inhabiting the region, this promised development has implications far greater than economic advancement, with their language and identity at risk of foreign investment. This cinematic journey along the projected rails takes us on an immersive voyage across the affected landscapes, weaving a collective narrative through the incisive testimonies and untold history. Across the surreal natural wonders of the peninsula, a human landscape full of vitality and wisdom is revealed, exposing the clash between different ways of imagining humanity’s progress. An urgent film, revealing the hidden world behind the touristy paradise that everyone incorrectly calls, the Mayan Riviera. A beautiful reflection into the ideological and territorial battles unfolding in the ancestral land of the modern Maya people.

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