When a Border is Not Just a Line: Crossing People, Objects and Feelings in Mexican-American Cinema about Migrations

• Autores: Tijana Cupic
• Localización: Estudios del Observatorio, ISSN 2688-2957, ISSN-e 2688-2930, Nº. 72 (New Perspectives on Hispanic Cultures: Hispanism and Spanish in the U.S. over the Last 30 Years, Obs), 2021, págs. 87-97
• Idioma: español
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• Resumen

  • This paper aims to discuss the border between Mexico and the United States through the analysis of three films: Sin nombre [Without Name] (2009), La jaula de oro [Golden Dream] (2013) and partially Ya no estoy aquí [I am no Longer Here] (2019). The main argument is that the border is not just a line between two countries, and it is defined and redefined through various elements. These elements are people (drug traffickers, gangs, and the police), objects (The Beast) and feelings (loneliness) that migrants encounter on their way from Mexico or Central America to the United States. All these aspects shape the border crossing scenery, and they can be found almost anywhere on the migrants’ path. An important element of this border interpretation is violence towards the migrants as it is shown in audiovisual format. This paper uses the ideas and concepts on violence and photography by Susan Sontag, and applies them to the film analysis in order to discuss the potential power of film in recognizing and noticing social issues such as migration.