Private Project

Chaac and Yum

Inspired by the sacred and ancient relationship between Chaac, the Mayan deity of Rain, and Yum, the Mayan deity of corn, this short erotic drama tells a story about two queer, Mayan-descended Two Spirits who meet at a queer San Francisco bar. Upon touching and dancing with one another they realize their connection is ancient. Starring performance artists Xav S-F and Daniel Arizmendi/Snowflake Calvert (Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Yaqui), this film examines the queer, de-colonial, ancestral rituals in our contemporary QTPOC love, dating, and kink practices.

  • Roberto Fatal
    Director
    Class Order Family Tribe, Fluids, Fluid Bound
  • XAV S-F
    Director
  • Xav S-F
    Writer
  • Daniel Arizmendi Snowflake Calvert
    Writer
  • Roberto Fatal
    Producer
    Class Order Family Tribe, Fluids, Fluid Bound
  • Xav S-F
    Producer
  • Daneil Arizmendi Snowflake Calvert
    Producer
  • Xav S-F
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Arizmendi Snowflake Calvert
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    drama, erotic, indigenous, native american, latinx, latino
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 11 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    HDV
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Roberto Fatal, XAV S-F

Producer/writer Snowflake Arizmendi Snowflake Calvert (she/her) is a Two-Spirit performance artist of Tzotzil, Yaqui, and Raramuri heritage. As a professional dancer, drag performer/event host, and entrepreneur she produces LGBTQ+ events as platforms for political, social, and cultural activism. Currently she’s co-producing a Queer dance project of her collaborative work called, "Seeds and Sequins"; a dance collaborator of The TRY Project; and is on the steering committee for The Queering Dance Festival.
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Producer/Director Roberto Fatal [they/them/ellos] is a Two-Spirit, Non-binary filmmaker from Raramuri, Tewa Pueblo, and Spanish heritage. Their debut feature script, Electric Homies, was selected for the 2022 GLAAD x Black List best unproduced scripts list. They are a Sundance Indigenous Film Lab album and a current Imagine Native Feature film directors lab fellow.
...
Co-Director Xav S-F [she/her] (Piru & Tigua heritage from El Paso, Texas) serves Indigenous communities of the San Francisco Bay, with the BAAIT-S Two-Spirits Powwow. As a House Artist at Counterpulse SF, she co-presented Weaving Spirits Two-Spirit Performance Festival, the first festival of its kind, and co-authored the two grants that supported it (Rainin New Works, and SF Arts Commission OPG)

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Director Statement

Thank you for viewing Chaac and Yum. This film is a collaborative, Indigenous, Two-Spirit work telling a reimagined contemporary romantic narrative of Chaac, the Mayan deity of Rain, and Yum, the Mayan deity of corn. This ancient legend is retold as a QTPOC narrative that connects contemporary queer love and sexuality, to our ancient, Indigenous origins.

-Ni’bo’olal, Matetera ba, gracias, thank you.-
-Producer, Writer, director, star Snowflake Arizmendi