Today in class, we watched  Chile, The Obstinate Memory, which explored themes like memory, history, and the preservation of both. I like how the documentary showed how people in Chile are still dealing with the painful memories of the dictatorship under Pinochet, especially the violence and disappearances that occurred during that time. The film shows how some people want to forget the past, while others believe it’s important to remember to seek justice and avoid repeating the same mistakes. The film did a great job at highlighting how memory can be a powerful tool for healing and understanding, even when the truth is difficult to face.

I found the film “The Battle of Chile: Part 1” interesting in how it explored several important themes like the tension between democracy and dictatorship. I like how it portrays President Salvador Allende’s attempt to create a peaceful socialist government and the challenges he faced by the wealthy elite, the military, and foreign powers like the United States. Another prevalent theme is the class struggle between the working class who supports the Allende reforms and the upper class fears of losing power. This film also highlights media manipulation and political polarization, showing how deeply divided the country became. 

I found Terra em Transe by Glauber Rocha interesting in how it critiques Brazil’s politics and the struggles of revolution. Throughout the film, we follow a frustrated poet caught between different political forces, showing how the left and right are corrupt. I found the movie intense and emotional, utilizing fast cuts, dramatic acting, and shaky camera work to create a dreamlike but unsettling feeling. Rocha uses this style to show the confusion and frustration of a country searching for change but stuck in a cycle of betrayal and false hope.

I found that Black God White Devil by Glauber Rocha perfectly embodied the revolutionary spirit of the Cinema Novo movement. The film explored themes of violence, mysticism, and social injustice through Manoel and Rosa’s journey to seek salvation in that harsh and oppressive land. Throughout the film Manoel and Rosa are torn between two forms of messianism: Sebastiao symbolizes spiritual transcendence while Corisco represents the immanent revolution. I like how Rocha depicted these two ideologies and explored manoels internal struggle to choose one. Visually the movie was stunning, especially the shots that played with shadows and the close-up shots. I like the experimental style of the movie, seen in the editing and cinematography. I later found out that the film was based on a real-life massacre that occurred in 1838 and how this historical episode has come to symbolize the nation’s tendency toward destructive purification.

I found De Cierta Manera one of Sara Gomez’s most thoughtful movies, from the cinematography, editing, and the overall message of misogyny and masculinity in post-revolutionary Cuba. The film follows Yolanda and Mario as they tackle everyday life in post-revolutionary Cuba, for Yolanda it’s teaching in a school that she tries to improve by demanding a lot from the mothers of the kids, and for Mario, it’s working at a factory while keeping a good relationship with his friends by staying by “the code”. Yolanda is of mixed race and is considered a Mulata in Cuba, which brings up the “colorism” discussion in this film. Yolanda is a college graduate and an independent woman, which can’t be said for the other women around her. I found her character contradictory because she wants to do well for her students, but doesn’t see things from the other mothers’ perspective. Mario’s character development throughout the film is interesting because even though he has this built-in masculinity, he’s challenged to go against it throughout the film. This “code” that he follows is a prison of his own making and until he leaves, he’ll never be free to think for himself. I enjoyed every scene with Guillermo Diaz. the ex-boxer/ musician, and what he had to say to Mario. His story was sad and appealing and his songs were also nice to listen to. Overall I thought the film had a good timeless message that could still be discussed in today’s society.

I found Agnès Varda’s Salut les Cubains to be an inspiring documentary, filled with Afro-Cuban pride, art, and history. Agnes Varda’s use of photos to create a stock motion dance sequence with Cuban music was a great touch, editing pictures and music to give the viewer a better sense of the culture on screen. This is highlighted in the opening stock motion sequence and the pictures of Cuban women in their dresses. This documentary introduced me to Sara Gomez, the first black woman to direct movies in Cuba, which I found fascinating. Sara Gomez’s emphasis on social change and revolutionary ideology through her films is amazing and truly inspiring to any filmmaker. It was heartwarming to see her friends and family look back and reminisce about their time with Sara. It helped connect the past to the present, especially seeing the actors then and now. I like that her work highlights black culture in Cuba and the discrimination of black Cubans.  I found it fitting that Agnes Vardas also did a black panther documentary, connecting the civil rights movement and the Cuban revolution in ways that they both fought for a change in the system.