Guantanamera
The first aspect of the Cuban culture that we see in the film is the music. It is a fun song with a salsa beat, easy to dance to. The way that they use the song to tell the story throughout the film is great.
The next glimpse of the Cuban culture we experience is family. I wrote my essay about being part of a Hispanic family and this film show the family and the bonds that they have. The relationship between Gina and her aunt is more like a mother and daughter, in the Hispanic culture family is family it really does not matter whether you are an aunt, uncle, mother, or father. You are all very close and take care of each other. Even if you look at the relationship between Gina and Adolfo she takes his abuse for such a long time because the husband is considered the head of the household.
Next we experience the way the culture deals with the death of loved ones. It is not the usual custom in the United States but it seems to be the custom in Cuba that you are buried in the area from where you were born. We see how family members are treated, needing tickets to get food after a loved one dies. In the United States it is pretty normal to have a full spread of food for family and friends after the services are held. It was actually sad to see that the families were so desperate for food that they tried for several days to get food after the death of their loved one.
We also see the foods of the culture. Bananas seem to be very abundant and are used to help smuggle illegal contraband to Havana. Coffee is also very popular. In the United States it is also popular but I do not think that it is as popular as it is in Cuba. In some cafes it is the only drink served besides water.
I enjoyed this film and seeing the Cuban culture through the journey to get Yoyita, Gina’s aunt, back to Havana for a proper burial. It was also great to see Gina come out of her shell and become a strong women and finally find true love. I am a sucker for happy endings!
Y Tu Mama Tambien
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Y Tu Mama Tambien
This was a very interesting film for me because I have a 17 year old son. I
cannot even imagine him behaving in such a way or his friends ...
15 years ago
Sherri, I agree with you about the strong family bonds. I also wrote about that on my blog. Gina and Yoyita did seem like mother and daughter. It doesn't seem to matter in the Hispanic culture who you are, if you are blood, you are blood and accepted!
ReplyDeleteThe food situation amplifies the poverty of most families of Cuba, it was very sad to me as well. The desperation of receiving food days after the loved one had passed is not heard of here. In the U.S. there is an abundance of food, and families will even bring food to your home so you don't have to cook. Why do we ask the question of why Hispanics want to come to the U.S.?
Coffee is definitely not as popular as in Cuba. I mean we have our Starbucks, but a coffee in Starbucks cost a pretty penny. This is because we are spoiled and cannot drink just black coffee or espresso, our drinks have many different concoctions. This is what we love.
I thought it was funny that I actually brought a banana to snack on during class, and it gave me a whole new meaning of banana.
I could not wait for Gina to break free of Aldolfo. Mariano happened to be ready for a change as much as Gina did at the time. I am a sucker for happy endings as well. Great movie.