Y Tu Mama Tambien blog posting by Renee Williams

Aggggghhh where to start? Culture shock or shock value?

I don't really believe this film has any leg to stand on to be considered a film for culture in the Spanish -Speaking World college class, let alone considered a social storytelling film. American culture also has the same issues of teenagers when faced with boredom and no parental guidance. I don't see how I could use this film as an example in my final paper to articulate the differences between American and Spanish Culture. Yes, their were interludes of a narrator giving description of the economic and political issues. And we all witnessed the political demonstration in the streets.......but that was it.

I feel that this film was based more on running away from reality peppered with sex, drugs and immaturity rather than a coming of age film.

Where were the parents? They were involved in their own lives rather than their children's. When Tenoch, Julio, and Luisa were at the bar in the state of inebriation the comment was made "Y Tu Mama Tambien?" (And you mother, too). Was it meant in a playful way or was this the director/writer's way of explaining where and how their parental guidance begins.

El Viaje de Carol discussion blog by Renee Williams

This film is shadowed by the 1936 civil war. It is a story about a little girl Carol who moves from New York to a Spanish Village with her mother fighting against the conventionalism's found in this new culture. Carols religion interfered with her efforts to adapt to the new culture in Spain. She was seen as an enemy in school because she did not want to convert to Catholicism from Protestant.

I found this film hard to enjoy not fully understanding the dialog. Yes, you can read body language and hear emotional tones but words are part of a language for a reason...communication of a message and then how the message was interpreted. I felt pretty lost in the plot.

Volver Discussion by Renee Williams

Volver in translation to English literally means "to return". Who was returning? Well, I believe that would include all the major female characters of this film but also, it evolves around sisters who live in Madrid (Raimunda and Sole) and "the return" of their mother, Irene. Secrets become revealed and old emotional wounds are opened...... but before the film is over, the healing process has begun for all the women. You could say ghosts/superstition helped them survive and become strong.

This film slowly unfolds pasts full of pain for Raimunda and her mother Irene. Raimunda was molested and became pregnant from her father. After Irene found out from her sister, Aunt Paula, that her husband molested their daughter Raimunda. Irene went to confront him but found her husband and Augistina's mother (neighbor) in bed with each other...She murdered both of them by burning down the hut they were in. Nothing was left but ashes. After the murders, Irene vanished from the small village of La Mancha and became a ghosts to family and friends. This tragic past had left many questions, especially for Augistina. Her mother disappeared the day Raimunda's parents were killed in the burning hut. Augistina knew of the affairs and struggled with the question of her mother's disappearance/death. Even when she was diagnosed with cancer Augistina could not let go until she knew what happened to her mother. Sole (short for soledad, loneliness) was abandoned by her husband who left her. She was able to make a living by becoming a hairdresser. She was able to transform her apartment into a beauty shop so she could survive. Paula (Raimunda's daughter) was strong enough to stand up to her step-father who was attempting to rape her. Circumstances unforeseen....Paula was holding a knife at the time of the attack for protection and threat. Her father/step-father came after her and ran into the blade. When Raimunda came home from working Paula showed her the body and they worked together to get rid of him. From all these tragic happenings you can see that this film was is a tribute to women and their resilience in the face of life's most outrageous tribulations.

Once again death is a strong aspect of this cultures life. In the beginning of this film you can see that death is celebrated and treasured by witnessing all the women of the village cleaning and tending to all the grave sites. At the wake of Aunt Paula, you can see the tension between the superstitious beliefs and the real life aspects when Agustina tells the story of how she was alerted of Aunt Paula's death. Also at the end of this film when Agustina is diagnosed with cancer she is home alone to take care of herself. Irene shows herself to help and care for her. Agustina immediately believes that Irene is a ghost and accepts her help without question.

Volver~~~by Renee Williams

WOW!!!!!! What a great movie!! What a challenging and impressive way to tell a story that ends so tragically. God Bless magical realism/superstition. Did anyone notice Raimunda's mom was the same person from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, (Pepa) Carmen Maura? Wow make up and time was not kind!

Guantanamera discussion posting byRenee Williams

Music, religion, family, the male macho culture, superstitions and love are just the few strong aspects of the Hispanic culture that are represented vividly in this film.

To start off, this film is vividly narrated in each change of scene by a woman singing. (It kind of reminds me of the film "Something about Mary")

The "T" in the title of the film is super imposed as a cross. Religion is peppered throughout the film because it is based on a drive from Guantamamera to Havana for a funeral. The funeral is for Georgiano Traveso Garcia. Gerogiana is Gina's (the main character) aunt. While in town from Havana to visit her niece, Georgiana goes to visit her long lost love of 50 years, Candido. As they reminisce of their love and fantasize about being young, Georgiana passes away at Candido's side.

The strength for her family helps Gina, endure this long ride with her overbearing, insensitive, and power hungry husband, Aldolfo. Aldolfo is only along for the ride for the power of glory to succeed at his job. He is in charge of transporting the dead to their final destination at a cost effective rate by any means. As they were traveling through a town Aldofo witnessed locals bowing and praising a statue it the town square. Aldolfo imagined that this adored figure was him. This dream will eventually end Aldolfo's relationship with his wife and also his life.

Aldolfo clearly represents the male macho culture when he brutally slaps Gina around for wearing a dress that he deems inappropriate and scolds her for deciding to take on the career she has always dreamed about. I feel that Aldolfo also represents the direct and cold climate by always being in a hurry to get the job done.....he went as far as wanting to leave a woman on the road that was is labor so he could achieve his delivery time schedule.

Many superstitions/ witch craft examples were shown in this film. Purchasing the garlic to ward off bad spirits. Spitting, blowing smoke, and using a bush branch to brush the wheels and dash board of a truck for good luck and safe travel were just a few.

And last but not least LOVE. The power of love prevails in this film as in many others that were previously viewed in this class. This is my most favorite aspect of the Hispanic culture. Gina finally meets up with Mariano (a former student) that had professed his love to her by a love letter from 30 years ago, the last time they saw each other. They keep bumping into each other through out the film while both discovering that what they have is not what they want. They want more....each other.

The Official Story discussion blog by Renee Williams

This film has many triggers to pull your emotions in every direction. There is a fine line of hope and hopelessness when the main character Alicia Ibanez is faced with a difficult and painful decision to finding the truth of her adopted daughters horrifying past.

This story takes place in a time in Argentina when the culture has started to find some sanity after the militia take over by a dictatorship during the period of 1976 through 1983. Many painful secrets are revealed to Alicia from the media through the demonstrations of mothers that have lost their children (children disappeared) through a violent and merciless war.Being a well educated teacher and strong woman, Alicia is torn between fact and emotion.

After questioning her husband Roberto (an officer of the miltary) who and where their daughter, Gabby, was adopted from Alicia realized that her husband's answers were courupt from his dirty past. Since Roberto did not give her one clear answer Alicia was faced with the horrible duty to get the official story. She was torn between hope and hoplessness that her and husband could be part of, and her daughter a product of, this nightmare that she had just learned about and opened her eyes to.

I think Gabby's future is going to be a tough road to travel. There is a sense of hope because of the strength in the women she will have in her life, Alicia and Sarah. Together, these Argentine women can help recliam Gabby's past and ensure love and protection in her future......there will be hope for Gabby. "The truth will set you free"

Like Water for Chocolate- Magical Realism by Renee Williams

This film was a true example of magical realism. In definition alone, "Magical realism is characterized by two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as prosaic reality".

This film was peppered with examples, such as the first; the exaggeration of tears of joy overflowing the house when Dona Elena gave birth to Tita. Then it was said that the sun dried up this flood and the salt from the tears were used to cook with all their meals.

I enjoyed how the creator of this film correlated Tita's passion of emotion she poured into her cooking with the experience of whom ever consumes the food. When everyone at the wedding ate the cake that Tita cried into the reaction was unremarkably poetic to how she felt when she was crying~Yearning for their true love and sad for their loss.

I think the most extravagant and most memorable scene was the expression of passion from the quail with rose petal sauce that Tita made. This was another emotion filled meal made after Pedro gave Tita roses and her mother demanded for them to be thrown away. In protest to her mother and her heated love and passion for Pedro she cooks with them only to have everyone that consumes the meal to feel the heat and passion the Tita and Pedro have for each other. And who could forget the scene with Gertrudis' response to the meal...she was past the boiling point when she set the shower house on fire from her desire and passion of her consumption.

I enjoyed this film for the magical realism that encircled a beautiful love story. To be able to enjoy a story/film is to understand what the character is feeling. Yes, it was extravagant but you knew exactly what emotion guided each character down their chosen path. It WAS magical, poetic and beautiful.