Conquistador:

An animated film in the style of Waking Life

Synopsis

There was once a poor man who left his wife and child to sail across the ocean and serve the King of Spain.
One year into his service while sailing from Panama to Cuba his ship was wrecked in a violent storm.
Though Cuba was a mile away he couldn’t see it and he and his 7 surviving crewmates took a 15 mile trek to the mainland.

When they dragged themselves onto the sands of the Yucatan Peninsula they were greeted by a king who saw them as strangers fit for the Gods as a human sacrifice.

That very night two of the sailors who were the highest ranking requested to meet with the local leader. They were instantly made human sacrifices. The remaining men hear the ceremony and all but one decide to make an escape. The dissenting man argues that these natives would have killed them all at once if they were going to do that. They just wanted to remove their leaders and then they would be safe. He is convinced they’ll be killed if they try to escape or they’ll die of starvation having nowhere to go if they leave. Their captors will eventually find them again and then they’ll exact revenge. He convinces one other man to stay. When the 4 leave, one is killed in the escape by a guard who sees them and gives them chase. The other 3 turn back and kill the guard. They make it away.

Two days later they are still wandering. They are starving. One begins arguing that perhaps the two who stayed behind were right. Maybe they will starve. He begins eating berries. Brother Argila warns them not to do so. One obeys him. The other ignores him. The next morning they wake to continue, and find the one who ate the berries is dead. Another day of wandering.

The last two were kindly taken prisoner by the king of a gentler Mayan Kingdom. Held prisoner, they feared for their lives. One man panicked the other gave over his life to God’s hands.
They meet the king and he finds the men fascinating he is an older man (65). His wife has died. His daughter is beautiful, but has rejected dozens of suitors and at the age of 17 is worrying the old man he won’t have an heir.

He had 2, but they were killed in battle with a neighboring kingdom.

He must marry his daughter or his legacy dies. His kingdom becomes leaderless and is taken over by his neighbors. So he tries to marry her to the son of an enemy, though he hates his enemy and his daughter hates this suitor. The suitor arrives there at the same time as the Spaniards. He doesn’t like being set up on this marriage until he sees her and he’s instantly in love.

There is a beggar child who takes a liking to Gomez while he’s still caged up. The kid is fearless. He teaches Gomez Mayan. This amazes the king. They go from prisoners to slaves. To not just free men, but sitting at the court’s delight.

The old king chooses to abandon his political designs when he sees how much his daughter likes Gomez. He announces Gomez as his daughter’s choice. The suitor challenges him to a duel for the girl. Gomez declines and then he declines to marry the king’s daughter. He’s imprisoned again for this AND he’s forced to fight to the death. Gomez fights the other guy and kills him. The reason he’s declined we find out is that he has a wife and child in Spain. He confesses this to the kid who taught him Mayan because the kid is sad and confused. Gomez doesn’t want to be a bigamist. He’s torn though. Brother comes and visits him in jail and takes his confession. He finally decides to tell the truth. The King dissolves his previous marriage after arguing he will never again return to the other world and must start a new family. Brother is furious and tells him he’s going to hell. This goes against the heart of Christ. Will you renounce his very baptism. I wasn’t baptized til I was 16. 1492? You’re a Jew. I converted after they killed my parents and two older sisters. In my cowardice I chose to live. I let them baptize me and I set to sea as soon as possible. I’m happy never setting foot on Spanish land again.

When news gets back to the other kingdom that their prince has been murdered by the new prince. A war begins between the two nations.

He gets tattooed and goes through the wedding ceremony. Everyone is happy except Brother.

Eight years later, Cortez arrives on the Yuc. He hears there are Spainards inland who speak the language. He sends for them. The Brother believes his prayers have been answered and he goes to the new Prince and tells him salvation has arrived and it’s time to leave. Gomez say he cannot and never will go back. Though again he is torn. Brother curses him and Prince goes to pray for guidance. At the advice of the King he takes a shroom trip and sees the coyote? Gets guidance to stay.

The king dies. Pox. Gomez recognizes it. No one else knows what it is, but they blame him? Or the curse from the Brother. They all say the Brother must die.

Cortez announces he will take their kingdom. Lay down their arms. The Prince fights and wins a small battle after sustaining terrible losses. They celebrate, but we know they will all die. We see the Spanish army regrouping and furious. We see the people of the village dying. And the Gods cry and weep as the Prince and his people celebrate for the last time.