A New Depiction

Two semesters ago, for my Latin Communities course, the professor decided to screen the independent film “Entre Nos.” While watching it, I found myself holding back tears. I didn’t want to bawl in front of my class in the middle of the afternoon. The film truly touched me (then again I am easily touched by any Latin-American immigrant story), but what I appreciated most was the way in which the main character was portrayed.

The film was written and co-directed by Paola Mendoza, who also plays the protagonist. The story is based on her mother’s experience of immigrating to the United States. In the movie, Mariana moves to New York from Colombia with her two children, 10-year-old Gabriel and 6-year-old Andrea. She moves to reunite with her husband, who then deserts them. Mariana is forced to find ways to keep her family afloat, without money, the help of relatives, or the grasp of the English language.

What I like most about Paola Mendoza, is not only is she a woman, but she is Latin-American as well. She broke through two barriers. According to Wikipedia, the film has been screened at more than 14 film festivals (including the Tribeca Film Festival), has won numerous awards, and has been given mostly positive reviews. I know I for one liked the film.

Mendoza’s independent film is a good example of alternative media because it depicts women, mothers, Latin immigrants, and more specifically Colombians, in a different light.

When Mariana first realizes she’s going to have to make ends meet, she immediately tries to live off her skills of making empanadas. Unfortunately, the restaurant she goes to does not accept her service, and not many people buy them from her off the street. What I liked throughout this whole film is that Mariana doesn’t once degrade herself to survive. As a woman, she could have easily used her body to get money but she does not reduce to this. The restaurant owner even implies she go on a date with him before he thinks about hiring her but she refuses the proposal. Also, in another foreign Colombian film I saw, with the same concept of immigrants moving to New York, one female character immediately became a stripper in order to make money. I was glad Mariana’s character was not depicted in this way.

Mariana was also, for the most part, conveyed as a hard-working mother. Yes, there were a couple of instances in the film where she acted irresponsibly (like leaving her children alone in the house while she went to work), but she only made these choices because there was nothing else for her to do. She needed money to give her children food and shelter. It was the only means to an end.

The film also depicts the hardships immigrants go through. After being declined jobs, not speaking the English language, and needing fast money, Mariana was forced to collect aluminum cans from the garbage. She sets out with her children to collect cans, making about $20-$50 a day, only enough to live day by day. Sometimes immigrants have to take up these undesirable jobs, especially when the lack of the English becomes an obstacle to success.

 Most importantly to me, what I loved about Mendoza’s film “Entre Nos” was more specifically the Colombian Female portrayal. Finally we have a movie where breast implants aren’t involved, females aren’t sexualized, and drugs are nowhere in sight. J J J Media is known to portray Colombians in all those ways.

Paola Mendoza also claims one of the reasons she wanted to make the film, wasn’t only to promote her mother’s story but also because it is a story of struggle we can all in some way relate too, even if you’re not of Latin-American decent.

 Something I found interesting in Bell Hooks’ article “From Reel to Real” is the idea that we go to movies not necessarily for entertainment, but instead for knowledge. If that is the case, I am glad “Entre Nos” was produced because it can now shed a slit of light to those who don’t know about the struggle.

 

 

These are interviews with director Paola Mendoza:

 

 

 

If you would like to watch the full movie on YouTube, start here: