Change, a simple word yet a very hard concept to put into practice; at least for the film industry. Over at the Museum of Moving Image, their series, “changing the picture,” takes a look at artists (present and past) working to help bring a voice to those seldom heard. When I found out “Latinos Beyond Reel,” a documentary by Miguel Picker and Chyng Sun, was being screened I was interested in attending. To be honest, not so much for the film itself, but mainly the town hall talkback afterwards with a panel of great speakers. I figured this may prove to be something different: watch a movie AND an open panel to talk about serious issues? This should be fun … right?
Let me start off by saying that “Latinos Beyond Reel” hits every point on the head. Like a construction worker hammering away on a hot summer day; building the frame of a home, each nail was hit spot on. The problem is, nobody buys a frame, we want the whole house. And this, in essence, is the film’s strongest and weakest point.
As soon as the screen went black I was angry. I was frustrated. I wanted to run out of the museum, hop on the first flight to LA, and scream and yell and turn into Pancho Villa and bring revolution to my people! It felt like I was told something I always knew inside but never had someone to tell. It was a very nostalgic and educational walk down memory lane as classic films showed how Latinos were depicted: as crooks, prostitutes, hot lovers, drunks; you know the drill. Also noted was how normal it was for white actors to play leading Latin characters such as Emiliano Zapata being played by Marlon Brando or Natalie Wood as Maria in West Side Story. An interesting point I never thought about before was the correlation between how Latinos were portrayed in the media during the Mexican-American war and how those views have evolved into today’s mainstream media.
What hit me the most was how a group of Latino kids reacted when shown YouTube videos of kids playing “Kill the Beaner” or “Border Patrol” pretending it was some sort of fun version of “tag.” Honestly, I don’t know why in the hell 10 year-olds are playing and uploading these videos and we haven’t talked about it. Seriously, if the situation were reversed you know Fox would spend all day talking about “violent gang games.”
To me, that was the most shocking; seeing how racism has evolved with technology. From film to cartoons, to games, news, it’s as if we manage to find new ways to keep imposing those old ideals used to vilify our culture even when we are a growing majority of this country’s culture. Like I said before, we were shown the framework of something larger. There was no solutions, just observations of the complex structure of the media machine. I was left with a feeling of … so now what? And so began the town hall.
After the film, moderator Warrington Hudlin began the town hall style talkback with the panel. Director-cinematographer, Miguel Picker, actress/producer, Julia Ahumada Grob, NALIP chair, Maria Agui Carter, actress, Liza Colon-Zayas and cinematographer-producer, Edwin Pagan, all talked about their interpretations of the film and took part in a very lively discussion. Seeing as how the film offered no solutions, the talkback focused on finding ways in which we can change things today. A few audience members spoke about how other cultures feel the same pressures as Latinos. Others about the lack of legal action in the industry to include minorities in the workplace (seriously though, can’t we sue for anything in this country?). I thought we would discuss actual solutions, suggestions for things we can teach our kids and each other, but I was thinking too narrow.
A gentleman came up to the mic, he thanked everyone and said:
“I just want to take a moment to acknowledge how great it is that we all just watched this film together and are now talking to each other about it right in the very same room. It is a refreshing way of sharing this visual experience with you all.”
… Damn! Here I was sitting down thinking about changing the world and fixing things with all these people, little did I pay attention to the details. The notion that these filmmakers were open to share their project in a more personal way, bringing the issues out of the screen and into the room with all of us. Maybe this is a step in bringing change, making a connection with those around us in ways not thought about before. Perhaps it’s not about changing others. Maybe it’s how we pay attention to ourselves and our connections with those around us. All in all, I’d say it’s about finding ways to take ourselves “beyond” where to. Who knows, but we might as well try.