Extra Credit Film Assignment

1) “Coco” was produced by the Pixar Animation Studio in Emeryville, California, USA.

● This film was co-directed by Adrian Molina and Lee Unkrich. The main cast

members include: Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel, Gael García Bernal as Héctor,

Alanna Ubach as Mamá Imelda, Ana Ofelia Murguía as Mamá Coco, Benjamin

Bratt as Ernesto de la Cruz, and Renée Victor as Abuelita.

● The plot entails to: Miguel, as an aspiring guitar player, fortifying his future to the

likes of his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. However, his family maintains an ancestral

ban on music as established by Mama Imelda- as it brought her loneliness and

suffering. Desperate to make his dreams a reality, Miguel seizes the guitar of de la

Cruz on El Día de los Muertos and is transported to the Land of the Dead. There,

he conspires with the trickster Hector, until he realizes the truth of his family’s

past. De la Cruz is convicted of plagiarism of Hector’s songs, notably “Remeber

Me”, and is revealed to have murdered him in his past life. Miguel restores the

significance and love of music to his family as he melodies “Remember Me” to

Coco and descending generations.

● Spanish words I recognized from “Coco” are: mijo (my son), mija (my daughter),

chancla (sandal), and vamanos (let’s go).

I learned the definition of the subsequent words from the context of the movie:

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead- a Latin American holiday observed on

November 1-2 honoring and remembering deceased relatives and public figures),

Ofrenda (shrine with food, marigolds, and pictures depicting passed loved ones),

Alebrijes (spirit animal guides), and calaveras (skulls- used as decoration or candy

during El Día de los Muertos).

● Celebration of El Día de los Muertos and the importance of family in “Coco”:

The Rivera family, in honor of their Mexican heritage and culture, celebrate the

Day of the Dead by serving food, decorating with Madrigal and displaying their

deceased loved ones on the Ofrenda for them to ‘be able to find their way home’.
Their community hosts a vivid celebration in the cemetery and town square in

remembrance of their families and the beloved de la Cruz. Family is a central

theme in this movie as it is an undying force connecting the members to a

common ancestry which guides them in providing for each other- whether it be

emotionally or supportively.

2) “Encanto” was composed by Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, USA.

● It was co-directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush. The prominent characters

are played by: Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal, John Leguizamo as Bruno

Madrigal, Diane Guerrero as Isabel Madrigal, Carolina Gaitán as Pepa Madrigal,

María Cecilia Botero as Abuela Alma Madrigal, Jessica Darrow as Luisa

Madrigal, Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo Madrigal, Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Antonio

Madrigal, Angélica María Cepeda as Julieta Madrigal, and Adassa as Dolores

Madrigal.

● The plot of this movie is: After seeking refuge in the rural mountains of Columbia

from a raid on her village, a young Alma Madrigal loses her husband Pedro to the

raiders. Despite this, Alma saves their triplet children Pepa, Bruno, and Julieta.

She forges a new life for them as her prayer and unconditional love enchants her

marriage candle and creates the magical Casita. Alma’s children and

grandchildren are gifted with superhuman abilities, in exception to Mirabel. Her

tio Bruno has been maligned by the family for the conflicts caused by his

prophetic power, thus Abuela Alma feels resentment towards Mirabel as she

could precipitate the same fate. During her cousin Antonio’s gifting ceremony,

Mirabel notices cracks in the casita and later becomes aware of her family’s

weakening powers. Mirabel searches for answers in Bruno’s room and unearths a

prophecy of her destroying the casita. Mirabel later discovers her long-lost tio in

the rafters of the house, as Bruno could not abandon the family he loves. Later,

Mirabel reconciles with Isabel to prevent the end of the magic; however, Abuela
interprets the decline of the powers to be sourced from Mirabel. After Mirabel

confesses to Abuela that her expectations are tearing the family apart, the candle

extinguishes, casita crumbles, and Mirabel flees to the river where the miracle

first formed. Abuela discovers Mirabel there, apologizes for her faults, and

welcomes Bruno home as they rebuild the Casita with the village.

● Notable Spanish words included in “Encanto” are: la familia (the family), abuela

(grandma), tía (aunt), tío (uncle), mi vida (my life), amor (love), papi (dad), casita

(house), and bailar (to dance).

Vocabulary I comprehended from the context is: encanto (charm or enchantment)

and arepa con queso (a Colombian dish with cornmeal-based bread and cheese).

● The message of family in “Encanto” is that the unconditional love between them

allows their personality and unique attributes to flourish- which, in turn, can

benefit a community as a whole.

3) “Guatemala: Heart of the Mayan World” was directed under Trailer Films in Guatemala.

● This movie was co-directed by Luis Ara and Ignacio Juansolo. The narrator is

Christian Morales.

● Plot of this documentary: An overview of the history and political, economic, and

technological achievements of the Mayans is followed by the natural wonder of

the Monumento Natural Semuc Champey. Another phenomenon, el Parque

Nacional Tikal is exhibited as the ‘epicenter’ of the Mayans with 3,000 structures.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Antigua Guatemala is featured as the

previous capital of the nation, a blend of new culture and customs, and was nearly

decimated by three earthquakes. The present-day capital is Ciudad de Guatemala,

which hosts numerous Holy Week celebrations and the seat of government. The

flora and fauna in this country includes: orchids, iguanas, reptiles, rattle snakes,

Halodermas, monkeys, and birds such as the Guatemalan quetzal. Jade is a

precious stone found in Guatemala that links the present generation to the ancient
Mayans- alongside continued rituals, holidays, and foods from generational farms.

Its geographical location with the Caribbean to the east and the Pacific to the west

promotes tourism and a thriving aquatic sports scene. The heart of the Mayan

world still beats on as the local populace celebrates its heritage and intertwines it

with new customs.

● I understood the definition of these words: lagos (lakes), lagunas (ponds),

montañas (mountains), Parque Nacional (National Park), la ciudad (the city), river

(río), tiene (it has), volcán (volcano), and monumento (monument).

● The words from Quiche and Nan I learned from the film’s context are: Semuc

Champey, Tikal, Guatemala (many trees), and Nim Po't (big blouse).

4) “Cuba Libre”- Episode 1 “Breaking Chains” was produced by LOOKSfilm in Germany

with film material from Cuba.

● This series was directed by: Gunnar Dedio, Grégory Schnebelen, and Igor

Prokopenko. It is narrated by Ken Eaken. Miguel Barnet and Fernando Martínez

Heredia provide historical insight as historians to the origin of modern Cuba.

● The plot: Cuba is internationally renowned for its rum, cigars, colonial beauty,

and other attributes. Its exposition as an asset begins in 1492 when Columbus

breached its shores and captured its natives to be enslaved. Cuba is the

cornerstone of the Spanish empire until its loyalties begin to crumble with the rise

of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. He gathers a 12,000 strong revolutionary militia

of his freed slaves and allies to combat the Spanish merchants and government in

the west of the country. Due to Spain’s division tactic of Cuba, independence was

not secured until 1898, twenty years after the peace treaty of this uprising. Jose

Marti becomes the national hero of Cuba as he advocates for its freedom in the

USA through poetry. After forced resettlement efforts by Spain, photos are

smuggled to the American press to spread the Cuban cause. President McKinely

sends the U.S.S. Maine to Cuba, which explodes in Cuban waters for

controversial reasons. Cuba is granted independence through American

amendment.

● Spanish words featured in the film are: el maestro (the teacher), la tierra (land),

guerra (warfare), tabaco (tobacco), azúcar (sugar), los nativos (the natives),

buques (ships), and batalla (battle).

● Five facts I learned from the liberation of Cuba are:

(1) Jose Marti was known as El Maestro as he wrote for the independence of

Cuba through his poetry- which inspired the song “Guantanamera”.

(2) The intervention of the American government in 1898 was prompted by a

propaganda battle the rebel Cubans won.

(3) Though the Battle of San Juan Hill, in 1898, was not as brutal as other

historical battles, it ultimately decided the fate of the war for Cuban independence

as the Spanish fleet was decimated.

(4) The U.S. maintains the base of Guantanamo on lease from the Cuban

government for $4,085 annually (since 1974) for influence in the Caribbean and

military projects.

(5) The first president elected in Cuba was Tomás Estrada Palma in 1901- he was

a Cuban refugee that relocated to America and aided with the revolutionary war

remotely by sending arms and resources.