From Landscape to Lawful Rights

Y Tu Mama Tambien I have wanted to watch Y Tu Mamá También for a long time now but never find time to sit down and watch an entire movie. When this assignment came along I realized how perfect of an excuse it would be, even though the movie takes place in Mexico, not Argentina. But still, there are many cultural and physical similarities between the various Latin American countries. The most obvious similarity is the use of the Spanish language even though accents and slang vary amongst countries. It was exciting for me to listen to the language that I hope to become fluent in and catch on to what I could with the help of the subtitles. I think Spanish is a beautiful language and every time I hear it I become more attracted and intrigued.
I also imagine most of Latin America as having the same general landscape. Of course there are differences between the city and the countryside but respectively, they will look the same. This movie travels from a town (not an industrial city) to the countryside. The town is full of small brightly colored buildings just like pictures I have seen of Argentine suburbs. The difference between this image and how I imagine Buenos Aires is simply that BA will be more like NYC, with tall buildings and extensive roads/streets. But the countryside should look the same: vast amounts of space with unpaved roads that seem to stretch forever. In the movie the characters take a trip to what they think is a non-existent beach. Tara Kolton would see the beach as the travelers’ “clear ‘mission’” in the movie. Everything they go through and discuss are part of their experience. It is hard to say whether Kolton would consider these characters as travelers or tourists. She says, “tourism necessarily includes some kind of distance or removal from the ordinary activity of the location begin visited: tourism includes the promise and expectations of an experience.” The second half seems to apply here but these characters never really leave their own culture. One could argue that because they are not fisherman they are traveling to a new and different location but the people seem to still share the same values. Because of this, I think my interaction with native people will be much different than the experience these characters go through.
There are political statements scattered throughout the movie that apply to collective struggles Latin American countries have endured. As we drive along the road with the three main characters we see many people pulled over by the police. These cars are being searched and the people seem to be getting aggressively interrogated. There is also one point where the police jump out of a truck with large weapons and surround working peasants and even though our main characters continue to drive the viewer is left with the impression that the peasants are being treated unfairly. This struggle between classes is reinforced early on in the movie when one of the main characters searches for his sister who is partaking in a protest for freedom and liberty. I think it will be very important to remember where I am while abroad and remember I cannot take the rights I am given at home, such as the right of free speech and right to assemble, for granted.