I know I’ve posted videos before of the Giant Kite Festival in Sumpango, Guatemala for Day of the Dead. But witnessing it some years ago made such a huge impression on me: the intricacy of the kites, the feeling of comradery among the builders, the gorgeous lush valley where the festival takes place. I set one of the scenes in my novel “Mother Mother” at the kite festival. The memory was so vivid I knew I had to incorporate it somehow. Here’s the video again in case you missed it.
Teams of locals spend months designing and planning their kites’ themes and designs. The frames are constructed from bamboo, and covered with colorful pieces of tissue paper, cut and glued.
Afterwards, we visited a cemetery, which was filled to overflowing with families eating, drinking, arranging flowers, listening to music, and in at least one case, dancing to marimba.
This video is narrated by one of the kite builders. I love the behind the scenes insights.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crxz9X_J8CQ
