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Orozco the Embalmer: Finding Hope in the Bleakest places

*Spoilers & TW: Dead bodies & gore*

Directed by Kiyotaka Tsurisaki and filmed between 1996 to 2000. The film documents El Cartucho, Bogotá; a crime ridden and impoverished part of Colombia where dead bodies are commonly found on the streets. We follow Froilan Orozco and some of his acquaintances and citizens around the area as they live their lives in this area. We mainly focus on the embalming process and how these bodies ended up in this situation from first seeing them laying on the streets and being taken off it, to them being cleaned, clothed, stuffed, and prettied up for their funeral; Orozco is the cheapest embalmer in the area with his work fluctuating from 10,000 to 50,000 pesos ( $10 to $50 US Dollars) compared to the standard which is 400,000 pesos. He embalmed about 50,000 bodies before he passed away.

Orozco was never embalmed nor given a grave and was thrown in a hole full of bodybags, to some extent the film itself while not directly said to the audience is dedicated to Orozco and the people who have passed on the streets. You see alot of shots depicting the city as destroyed and decrepit but Tsurisaki shows us that it isn’t a doomed existence to be in this situation, in fact he shows us that theirs still glimmers of hope, optimism, and humanity in such a place. For instance, theirs shots of a crippled old man given spare change from someone, a guy shares his water to help wash another’s hands, theirs a dog with broken hind legs that seems to be taken care of due to not being frail and having their legs cover in some cast of sorts to keep it from moving its broken legs. These examples help show that even when you’re in such a crime and drugged filled area theirs still people out there with hearts. Most normal people I assume would be too shocked to notice or appreciate those small moments due to the showing of real bodies even if they’re not horribly deformed from injuries.

I feel that the embalming scenes would be too much for some to handle, even when I was watching it my neck and organs were moving and squirming abit when watching them cut up and take out organs from the bodies, it made me realize that we’re essentially squishy dolls that walk along with feeling a sense of gratefulness that theirs someone who is taking care of you even after you pass even if they’re didn’t know you some people like Orozco actually try to be someway respectful to your mortal shell. You see all of the cutting and putting stuff out and back in again to the bodies with all the noises of the flesh being pulled and dropping too. The most shocking scene in my eyes was a woman’s body being glued together and shut in certain parts of the face and later pulling the back of her head up exposing her skull to then stuff newspaper inside it. It looks like she’s wearing a mask. Theirs also a baby that gets embalmed but Orozco only stuffs cotton into its nose and mouth, no opening up.

In conclusion Orozco the Embalmer is the closest to a shockumentary that doesn’t feel exploitative unlike a lot of other well known films like the traces of death series, faces of death, mondo cane, etc. and in my eyes should be experienced by documentary enthusiasts, true crime fans, and nihilists who need to see some hope in more depressing environments. My only issue would be its hard to read the English subtitles due to going by too fast and or not existing in certain conversations and speaking which made me feel like we were missing some context. Regardless, I recommend this film if you’re not squeamish.

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I stand alone

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Art-Block Pride: Bill & Joey

(Last one of the year, might make more next Pride month)

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I reread Marvel’s Ruins recently and I feel that I can see my outlook on life in comic book form, granted it’s less fantastical and alittle less bleak but theirs bits and pieces I see in our reality, I feel a lot of the more grounded things that happen in the book are things that do happen but we never hear about. A prostitute shot for no reason with no one to morn them nor never to be heard about, prisons filled with abused inmates (not as bad as having their limbs cut off but still beaten and treated like animals), people left in camps to die or be tortured slowly, soldiers having to resort to horrible crimes just to survive, and progressive associations being locked up for being too radical. It’s made me think that the things I see and hear are just the surface of the dirt of unseen horrors that happened in the past or in the present yet we live and pretend none of this is happening.

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Hey guys, sorry I haven’t been doing much on Art-Block no.1 been mainly working on the Pride art while at work aswell as I’ve been taking breaks from my art when I’m home since it’s more grueling to do my art at home where I’m comfortable but I am working on it today for bit so don’t you worry.

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severely disabled intersex trans person needs help saving up for rent

hello there, i am a severely disabled intersex trans person who deals with crohn's disease, arthritis, hypermobile ehlers danlos syndrome, schizophrenia, and other health problems. i have been getting sicker and sicker due to my crohn's disease, it has been very difficult if not impossible to eat most days. i'm struggling with unintended weight loss, nausea, dehydration, vomiting, diahrrea, constipation, cramping and severe pain in my intestines and stomach, and other GI issues daily, which make it very difficult to function. i'm also dealing with severe fatigue due to this- a lot of my days i end up sleeping all day, and i've been bed bound for a few months now.

i cannot work a traditional job due to these issues, so i have an online shop where i make ends meet. i'm offering illustration and painting commissions, as well as jewelry, accessories, and zines i have written. if you're interested in commissions, feel free to reach out, i'm very flexible with pricing.

$0/$211

if you're interested in helping, you can do so in the following ways:

pay pal: glittergraphicnightmare @ gmail. com cash app: $glitterGraphix venmo: $Equinoxian chime: $Equinoxian

thank you to everyone who reads, shares and supports. you are awesome for taking the time to help out someone in need <3

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Art-Block Pride: Millious + Ally tattoo

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Art-Block Pride: Elise

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Sometimes I wonder if I creep people out just by being me. I know me can speak oddly that may come off as assertive or rude but It’s never on purpose, I’m just not good with my wording unless I can take my time to think. Maybe that’s why I’m alone.

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Sketch from work I did of Chico the main member of the Violated Angels

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Vanilla bitch

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Art-Block Pride: Zam & Shibb

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not gay not bisexual but developing a new sinister sexuality where im looney toons level obsessed with a single guy and put him into contraptions

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June 6, 2025 - Clashes have erupted in downtown Los Angeles as riot police confronted demonstrators attempting to stop a wave of ICE immigration raids across the city.

ICE agents carried out coordinated operations on June 6th, reportedly detaining dozens of individuals in areas including a Home Depot and a garment factory. Antifascist locals gathered in response, attacking ICE units, forcing them to retreat inside a building.

LAPD officers in riot gear were deployed to come rescue embattled ICE agents, and deployed tear gas, flashbangs, and made arrests after declaring the demonstration an unlawful assembly. [video]/[video]

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Went to pridefest, walked the streets with everyone. I felt alone, I felt like a ghost.

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Angry bi-man makes a announcement