POV's Documentary Blog

Critical Acclaim for '500 Years'

Irma Alicia Velasquez Nimatuj is the lead protagonist in 500 YEARS. She is a social anthropologist, journalist, author and is Maya K'iche'. Photo credit: Melle van Essen / skylight.is.

Ms. Yates’s zeal is heartfelt, and the optimism of her interviewees is uplifting.” — Ken Jaworowski, The New York Times

“The overriding message is one that reverberates loud and clear in our own backyard: Resistance is seldom futile.” — Michael Rechtshaffen, Los Angeles Times

“Yates’s films, like the world itself, have no template — they’re messy, rich with feeling, liberated from simple theatrical structures, always honest about what is possible.” — Alan Scherstuhl, The Village Voice

“Finally more convincing in its outrage and inspiring in its show of what the people’s will can do as long as the masses protest and demand to be heard.” — Boyd Van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter

“The protests that lead to the overthrow of a president carry hard-to-avoid echoes of recent demonstrations in the U.S.” — John Hartl, Seattle Times

“Valuable and frequently moving overview…of cross-cultural coalitions…clear and accessible in presenting struggles and points of view of Guatemala’s indigenous peoples.” — Nora Lee Mandel, Film-Forward.com