The director relied on a change of locale to inspire him to write "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream". For "The Fountain", Aronofsky was inspired by a research trip he took to Guatemala with Handel to learn about Mayan history and philosophy. The script for "The Fountain" was influenced by the accounts of Uruguayan journalist Eduardo Galeano, who wrote examples of myth from an indigenous perspective, particularly Galeano's "Genesis" trilogy. The film "Once Upon a Time in America" also served as an influence on the script. Aronofsky, influenced by Bernal Díaz del Castillo's "The Conquest of New Spain", applied the narrative in writing the film's conquistador scenes.