December Latina Flick Picks

MALDEAMORES

Maybe it’s because Latino culture values its elderly or perhaps because our ancianos tend to be youthful. For whatever reason, we did not find any shortage of older Latina characters to serve as the focus of this month’s flick pick. (We were hard pressed, however, to find a vehicle that placed una anciana at the center of the story.)  We found Flora of MALDEAMORES to be the most compelling of these characters (although Doña Genoveva of HOW THE GARCIA GIRLS SPENT THEIR SUMMER and Sister Peter Marie – played by the unstoppable Rita Moreno – on HBO series OZ were strong contenders.)

Set in Puerto Rico, MALDEAMORES consists of three distinct stories about lovesickness, and we found the most compelling of these to be Flora’s story. At the age of 72, Flora finds herself living with her two ex-husbands who vie for attention.  It is both a funny and poignant depiction of time’s inability to squelch desire, and Flora models many of the ways we can respond to desire no matter our age.

1.    When asked her age at her birthday party, Flora responds that she has lived seventy-two springs. Why do you think she chose to reveal her age in that way?

2.    Make a list of all the various moments when other characters attempt to make Flora bend to their will. What tactics do they use?  How does she respond?  Journal about how you relate to these attempts and what you learned from Flora’s responses.

3.    Flora is no stranger to getting her way either.  It can be argued that this is precisely what makes her so desirable to both Pellín and Cirilo. List the moments in which Flora gets her way, how she goes about getting what she wants, and why she is effective.

4.    When Flora tells Cirilo that she loves and needs him, do you think she was telling him what he wanted to hear or that she truly meant it? Regardless of her motivation, what role do you believe her age played in her decision to respond to his question in that way?

5.    Journal about the ways in which you would like to be like Flora when you are seventy-two.  Which of these qualities do you already possess and which do you think you may have to cultivate over time? Are there any qualities that you believe can only be achieved through the process of aging i.e. just living life, accumulating experiences and learning the lessons they bring? How, if at all, does experiencing Flora’s story enable you to (re)imagine what kind of anciana you would like be?