But the rainforest where the plants grow is in danger.

It's the dry season in Belize: 40-degree heat, not a drop of rain for weeks, the rainforest is thirsty. Maria Garcia, a woman in a white traditional costume with her hair tied in a topknot, swings a smoking bowl through the trees in the rainforest, calling on the rain god in the language of her ancestors. She cultivates her indigenous culture. 

A few hundred kilometers further south, Mayan farmer Marcelino Teul is worried about his maize harvest. Just like his ancestors, maize is the basis of his life: the main food and income source for him and his wife Dominga. They live far away in the forest. How will they make ends meet?

23-year-old Frank Tzib is on the verge of a major upheaval. He dreams of researching the almost forgotten Mayan script, sharing his knowledge of it and one day becoming a professor. A phone call from the US brings him a lot closer to fulfilling this dream. 

Frank, Maria, Dominga and Marcelino: they are all Maya in Belize. And against all odds, they’re determined to preserve the legacy of their ancestors.
 

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

WED 10.09.2025 – 01:15 UTC
WED 10.09.2025 – 04:15 UTC
THU 11.09.2025 – 09:15 UTC
THU 11.09.2025 – 16:15 UTC
THU 11.09.2025 – 21:15 UTC
FRI 12.09.2025 – 12:15 UTC
SAT 13.09.2025 – 02:15 UTC
SUN 14.09.2025 – 08:15 UTC

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