THE GRINGO IN MAQANALAND
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"A masterpiece of editing and political analysis, back to back."
-Jane Gaines Duke University
"An effective & enlightening blend of documentary & drama."
-Edward S. Herman University of Pennsylvania
"The best documentary of the year. All gringos should see it!"
-Erik Barnouw Columbia University, ProfessorEmeritus
In a meticulous compilation of excerpts from hundreds of films, The
Gringo in Mananaland shows the relationship between media and
history: how images of Latin America shaped and were shaped by
U.S. foreign policy. Thirteen years in the making, this project grew
from a data base of over 7000 films: Hollywood dramas, industrial
films, home movies and educational "documentaries". In the
tradition of archival compilations, such as the work of Esther Shub in
the early days of the Soviet Union or the classic compilation about
nuclear war, The Atomic Cafe, it distills the underlying ideology of
the U.S. media to point out the cultural imperialism at work by
juxtaposition and irony rather than heavy handed didactic narrative.
THE STORY
This film uses hundreds of videoclips to create an over-arching
narrative of the basic stereotypic trajectory from films about Latin
America. This basic story is quite obvious in the fiction films, but the
ideology is apparent in the "factual" films as well. The story line is
something like this:
*The brave gringo explorer discovers a rich and exotic land.
*He eliminates the jungle and builds a "Garden of Eden" where
natives toil happily in the fields.
*There are some problems with the white women in this paradise.They
obviously don't belong here and are persuaded to leave with offers of
tickets and money.
*The native women are friendly and adoring.
*The native men, however, are a big problem. They don't like the
fruit company and are unruly.
*Bandits and foreign influences stir them into rebellion which is put
down by brave US Marines, with the help of technological developments
such as airplanes.
*The bandits are safe in jail, where things are not so bad because they
can still sing.
*Everyone is grateful for US aid.
*We are all good neighbors.
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FEATURED AT THE FOLLOWING FESTIVALS: Whitney Biennial, Robert
Flaherty Film Seminar, Venice Film Festival, London Film Festival,
Dallas Video Festval, Jerusalem Film Festival, Trieste Festival of
Latin American Film, Cuban International Festival of Latin American
Film.
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PRICE: $295 FOR INSTITUTIONS $35 COMMUNITY GROUPS
Available from:
DEEDEE HALLECK
VIEWING HABITS
BOX 89
WILLOW, NY 12495
email:deepdish@igc.apc.org
fax: 914-679-7535
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