Sastun   |   Documentary
Directed by:  Guido Verweyen
2002   |   20m   |   Belize / USA   |   www.der.org/films/sastun.html

Sastun tells the story of American herbalist Rosita Arvigo, whose quest to explore the healing powers of plants led her to the rain forest of Belize where she befriended one of the last remaining Maya shamans, Don Elijio Panti. While learning his secrets during her apprenticeship she unearthed her lifes work: to preserve Don Elijio's ancient healing knowledge and to bridge the gap between science and traditional healer's wisdom. Funded by the National Cancer Institute in New York, Rosita Arvigo is in a race against time, scouring the tropical rain-forests of Central America in search of cures for many deadly diseases like AIDS and Cancer, before they are wiped out by deforestation.

Screening Times: Victory Firehouse
Wednesday, 7:15 pm / Friday, 9:00 pm

About the Director: Born in the US and raised in Germany, Guido Verweyen started his film career as a cameraman for German Television, documenting events like the conflict in Yugoslavia. He was then awarded two scholarships from the German Government to study at the American Film Institute. Upon graduation, Guido worked as Director of Photography on many commercials, music videos, and features, including the Academy Award™ nominated documentary The Man On Lincoln’s Nose. His commercial directing efforts earned him numerous awards and eventually led to his co-founding and creating content for Studio M, a new competitor to MTV.