July Latina Flick Picks

July Flick Pick: Sister Outsider Entertainment
Theme: La Vendida

By Elisha Miranda & Sofia Quintero
Luminarias

This underappreciated 2000 film about four Chicana friends in East Los Angeles began as a stage play written by its lead actress Evelina Fernández and directed by her husband José Luis Valenzuela. While it focuses mostly on the quest for romantic love, this Latina twist on Waiting to Exhale touches on this month’s theme – betrayal – from various angles. Fernandez’s Andrea not only suffers a philandering husband, she also grapples with her desire to stay true to her Chicana roots and her working-class client (played by Seidy López) when she finds herself falling for her opposing counsel who is Jewish (Scott Bakula.) Then there is Sofía (Marta DuBois), a bottle-blonde therapist, who left the ‘hood and never looked back. That is, until she becomes the object of desire by a charming, immigrant who works as a server (sometimes derogatorily referred to by other characters as un mojado.) Artist Lilly (Ángela Moya) finally breaks her pattern o f dating unavailable men when she meets Lu who is a Korean-American, but will his parents love her the way he does? Having given up sex for Lent, fashion designer Irene struggles to keep her word to la Virgen as well as accept her brother’s homosexuality.

While not without its flaws, Luminarias possesses a courage and earnestness in the way it refuses to shy away from the way that the issues of race, identity, culture, and even religion often trigger questions of betrayal. In many instances, the film’s heroines grapple with the feeling that in order to realize one desire, they must sell out another. For example, does Irene accept Carlos as Carmela even when that contradicts her religious beliefs? Will Sofía allow herself to love Pablo even though he represents everything she has worked so hard to escape? Even the minor character of Andrea’s client Cindy must choose between wanting to keep her family intact when her husband Tony is abusive toward her and their son. Luminarias offers much to discuss so break out your media journal, watch the movie, reflect on these questions, and share your experiences with each other on the Powerful Latinas blog.

Questions:

1. There are various occurrences of betrayal in Luminarias. Some are explicit and other subtle or implied. List them. Who betrays who? What is the act of betrayal? What did the character hope to gain or keep by committing this act? Did s/he achieve what s/he wanted, and if so, what was the cost, if any? Have you ever done the same thing or have it done to you? How were the consequences similar or different? What did the experience teach you?

2. The film raises but does not always resolve a variety of stereotypes. What are some of these stereotypes and what role do they play in each of the character’s definition of betrayal and/or selling out? What cultural beliefs are at the core of your definitions of success, betrayal and loyalty? Imagine that these beliefs were false. How would that alter the way you define success, loyalty and betrayal? In what ways, if any, would you live your life differently if you discovered that some of the ideas that shape your views were actually just stereotypes?

3. About thirty-seven minutes into the film, Andrea and Sofía have a major fight about dating and race. Have you had similar - maybe even multiple - arguments like this with good friends? When was the first time you had this argument? When was the last time? Was there any difference over time in the way that argument unfolded, and if so, to what do you attribute that?

4. Toward the end of the film, Andy tells her son, “We Latinos have a lot of stuff going on inside. We love who we are and we love being who we are. And some of us have this rage, and it’s a rage that comes from way back. Don’t ever let the rage take over. Don’t let the rage get in the way of love.” Journal and/or discuss how hearing her say this made you feel. In what ways does the rage of which Andy speaks is a result of betrayal? In what ways, does the rage protect us from betrayal? And finally, in what ways can that rage itself be a form of betrayal? At what times in your own life has your rage been loyal? In what times has it sold you out?