LA BODA

 

53 minutes

Director: Hannah Weyer

Country: Mexico/USA

Year: 2000

Language: Spanish/English (English subtitles when necessary)

 

 

Overview:

You are invited to the wedding of Elizabeth and Artemio in Nuevo León, Mexico. The video introduces a young couple whose lives and community have roots in Mexico while they encounter the challenges of migrant life in the United States.

Previewing Activities

  • Do you think it is acceptable for children to quit school and go to work in order to help their families financially?
  • Have you ever attended the wedding of someone who is from a different culture than you?  If so, what was the wedding like?
  • If someone from your family were to get married, what kind of preparations would be made for the big day?
  • What do you think is the most important aspect of a wedding?

 

Post-viewing Activities

  • When she was younger, why did Elizabeth have to miss school often?  Is this a sacrifice you would be willing to make?
  • Why do you think it was so important to Elizabeth that Artemio was from Nuevo León, Mexico? Why do you think they got married there instead of in the United States?
  • What did Elizabeth’s mom say about the importance of helping each other out when it comes time for a wedding?  Who all was involved in the preparation for the wedding?
  • What new struggles do you think Elizabeth will face now that she is a wife?
  • Even though he loves Mexico, why did Artemio say that they would need to live in the United States?

 

Class Projects

  •  Conduct some research about weddings that take place in the United States.  Then find information about weddings that take place in Mexico.  Write a short paper comparing and contrasting your findings. 
  • Interview someone who is about to get married or who has recently gotten married.  Ask this person questions about preparation, ceremonies, life after the wedding, etc.  Then write a report that compares and contrasts your findings with Elizabeth and Artemio’s wedding.
  • Make a collage with pictures from weddings in America and Latin America.
  • Make a menu of the types of foods you think would be served at a traditional Mexican wedding reception.

 

How to Borrow this Video:

The videos owned by the UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies are housed in the Outreach Office of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  They are lent free of charge.  For information on films and reservations, please visit http://isa.unc.edu/film/films_main.asp.

 

Suggested Readings:

 

  • Van Laan, Nancy. La Boda: A Mexican Wedding Ceremony. New York: Little Brown & Co. 1995. 
  • Munoz Ryan, Pam. Esperanza Rising. New York: Blue Sky Press. 2002.
  • Suarez-Orozco, Carola. Immigrant Families in Contemporary Society. New York: Guilford Press. 2007.
  • Flores, Ralph. The Horse in the Kitchen: Stories of a Mexican-American Family. New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press. 2004