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claudinei-de-jesus · 3 years

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When Elisa Lam was found dead in the water tank of a hotel in Los Angeles, USA, in 2013, the circumstances of her story were so bizarre that they seemed to be taken from a script for a horror movie.

There were all the ingredients there: a video that went viral, anonymous citizens investigating her death and making comments online, an internet mystery.

Now, a documentary shown by the Netflix streaming platform proposes to tell the story of Elisa Lam, but this time in a different way.

Elisa was a 21-year-old Canadian student who disappeared in 2013 from the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles during a trip to the United States.

A video of Elisa, shot in the elevator before she disappeared, went viral when it was posted by Los Angeles police during the investigation.

The elevator doors did not close. She seemed to be talking to someone who wasn't seen. Her movements were strange. She got in and out of the elevator. Then she disappeared.

Elisa's body was found inside the water tank on the roof of the hotel 19 days after she was reported missing.

Some people claimed the video was evidence of supernatural activity and conspiracy theories still exist about the young woman's disappearance.

And that's one of the reasons why director Joe Berlinger wanted to do this series.

"This story has been told before, but I think it was done in a very irresponsible way," he says in an interview with the BBC.

"For the average viewer, it's another curious story that you see and then move on to the next. But for anyone who has gone through it, it's the worst moment of their life. It's a real tragedy for that person and their family."

With the help of the hotel's cameras, an attempt was made to track Lam's last steps in solving her disappearance — Photo: Netflix via BBC

Evidence about the circumstances of Elisa Lam's case fueled different conspiracy theories.

In addition to the video, there are the similarities to the plot of the horror film Dark Water and even the suggested links to a tuberculosis test called Lam-Elisa.

"We definitely need to talk about ghost stories and put them in context," says Berlinger.

"It's also not something that can be avoided, because it's a big part of the story."

These ghost stories were fueled, in part, by the discoveries of "internet detectives" who were working to try to understand Elisa's last moments in parallel with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Several appear in this series, showing people's "limited view" by focusing only on coincidences and conspiracies.

Berlinger says these virtual investigators can sometimes do "wonderful things" but, in Elisa's case, "their actions were a little bit wrong."

Before Elisa's death, the hotel had a history of suicides and overdoses and, in addition, several serial killers had stayed there — Photo: Netflix via BBC

Elisa's family doesn't appear in the documentary, except in the new archive footage, but they knew Berlinger was telling the story.

"I think they just wanted to move on," he says.

"If you look at the other accounts of the story, you'll see that Elisa is portrayed as the victim of a horrible, evil presence that has taken hold of her."

"These kinds of narratives, it seems to me, are incredibly disrespectful and that's probably why the family didn't want to face another program that would exaggerate the circumstances of the tragedy."

However, Los Angeles Police, Coroner and Hotel Cecil-era manager speak for the first time about what happened. ... Quando Elisa Lam foi encontrada morta na caixa d'água de um hotel em Los Angeles, nos Estados Unidos, em 2013, as circunstâncias de sua história eram tão bizarras que pareciam tiradas de um roteiro de filme de terror.

Havia ali todos os ingredientes: um vídeo que viralizou, cidadãos anônimos investigando sua morte e tecendo comentários online, um mistério na internet.

Agora, um documentário aplica pela plataforma de streaming Netflix se analisa a contar a história de Elisa Lam, mas desta vez de uma forma diferente.

Elisa era uma estudante canadense de 21 anos que desapareceu em 2013 do Cecil Hotel, no centro de Los Angeles, durante uma viagem aos Estados Unidos.

Um vídeo de Elisa, gravado no elevador antes de ela desaparecer, viralizou quando foi postado pela polícia de Los Angeles durante uma investigação.

As portas do elevador não fecharam. Ela parecia estar falando com alguém que não foi visto. Seus movimentos eram estranhos. Ela entrava e saía do elevador. Então, desapareceu.

O corpo de Elisa foi encontrado dentro da caixa d'água na cobertura do hotel 19 dias após a denúncia de seu desaparecimento.

Algumas pessoas afirmaram que o vídeo era prova de atividade sobrenatural e teorias de conspiração ainda existem sobre o desaparecimento da jovem.

E essa é uma das razões pelas quais o diretor Joe Berlinger quis fazer essa série.

"Essa história já foi contada antes, mas acho que foi feita de uma forma muito irresponsável", diz ele, em entrevista à BBC.

"Para o espectador comum, é outra história curiosa que você vê e depois passa para a próxima. Mas, para quem passou por isso, é o pior momento de sua vida. É uma verdadeira tragédia para aquela pessoa e sua família."

Com a ajuda das câmeras do hotel, foi feita uma tentativa de rastrear os últimos passos de Lam para solucionar seu desaparecimento - Foto: Netflix via BBC

As evidências sobre as circunstâncias do caso de Elisa Lam alimentaram diferentes teorias conspiratórias.

Além do vídeo, há como semelhanças com o enredo do filme de terror Dark Water e até os vínculos sugeridos para um teste de tuberculose chamado Lam-Elisa.

"Definitivamente precisamos falar sobre histórias de fantasmas e contextualizá-las", diz Berlinger.

"Também não é algo que pode ser evitado, porque é uma grande parte da história."

Essas histórias de fantasmas foram alimentadas, em parte, pelas descobertas de "detetives da internet" que estavam trabalhando para tentar entender os últimos momentos de Elisa em paralelo ao Departamento de Polícia de Los Angeles.

Vários aparecem nesta série, mostrando uma "visão limitada" das pessoas ao se focarem apenas em coincidências e conspirações.

Berlinger diz que esses investigadores virtuais às vezes podem fazer "coisas maravilhosas", mas, no caso de Elisa, "suas ações foram um pouco erradas".

Antes da morte de Elisa, o hotel já tinha um histórico de suicídios e overdoses e, além, vários serial killers presentes se sempre ali - Foto: Netflix via BBC

A família de Elisa não aparece no documentário, exceto nas novas imagens de arquivo, mas eles sabiam que Berlinger estava contando a história.

"Acho que eles só queriam seguir em frente", diz ele.

"Se você olhar os outros relatos da história, verá que Elisa é retratada como a vítima de uma presença horrível e maligna que se apoderou dela".

"Esses tipos de narrativas, me parece, são incrivelmente desrespeitosas e provavelmente é por isso que a família não queria enfrentar outro programa que iria exagerar como circunstâncias da tragédia."

No entanto, a polícia de Los Angeles, o legista e o gerente da era do Hotel Cecil falam pela primeira vez sobre o que aconteceu.

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thebowerypresents · 4 years

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POSITIVE SPINS: NEW ARTISTS, NEW ALBUMS, AND NEW LIVE STREAMS THAT PUT OUR 2020 ON A BETTER TRACK

2020 proved to be one of the hardest years we have collectively gone through. While we didn’t have live music to lean on when times got tough, these are the albums, artists and livestreams that got us through the rough patches and will carry us into a brighter 2021.

Listen to our playlist of Positive Spins!

BEST NEW ARTISTS OF 2020 (in no particular order)

THICK

“Brooklyn-based pop-punk three-piece, THICK, are not afraid to say (or sing) what’s on everyone’s mind - with a fierceness and confidence I can only aspire to assume. Sticking it to the establishment is the name of their game - take “Mainsplain,” for instance - and they manage to do so with catchy chord progressions and an uplifting vigor. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the trio, and who else they’ll put in check.” - S. D.

Ela Minus

“Brooklyn-based techno-pop artist Ela Minus broke onto the scene this year with her debut album “ acts of rebellion.” The Colombian-born musician has a background in emo bands, is a trained jazz drummer, and she wrote, produced, engineered, and recorded the album on her own. “acts of rebellion” is moody and sultry, while still making you want to grab your friends and dance.” - K. C.

Arlo Parks

“Without even having released her debut album yet, Arlo Parks has made a name for herself this year. Singles released throughout the year, paired with 2019’s EP ‘Sophie’ and her slot as support on Hayley Williams’ (cancelled) tour have boosted Arlo to a new level this year, that we can only assume will continue to rise in 2021 when her debut album drops.” - K. C.

Beabadoobee

“Beabadoobee’s interesting name is only matched by her sound - bedroom-pop fused with nineties indie-rock, tinged with a tender, DIY aesthetic. Her track “If You Want To” will have you singing along, while her single “She Plays Bass” will take you back to your hormonal, vulnerable, teenage years met with sublime nostalgia. She’s without a doubt a silver lining in 2020.” - S. D.

BENEE

“I first saw Auckland’s BENEE at Rough Trade in October of last year - her sincere, to-the-point lyrics and quirky hooks instantly hooked me. You may know her track, “Supalonely,” which found popularity on TikTok during the height of lockdown, but BENEE’s sound isn’t limited to the confines of one social media trend. In her debut album released this year, BENEE displays an uncanny ability to tackle alt-rock, hip-hop and electro-pop all at the same time, in an unbothered, endearing way - making her a “one to watch” in 2020 and beyond.” - S. D.

Christian Lee Hutson

There isn’t a lack of acoustic singer-songwriters out there, but Christian Lee Hutson is an important new voice. Hutson first full length album, “Beginners,” released this year, has a warm and honest quality to it. The production is subtle (thanks to producer Phoebe Bridgers), and so perfectly complements a simple, acoustic narrative. The result is a soulful, beautiful, and special work of music. - S. D.

Do Nothing

“2020 newcomers out of Nottingham, UK, Do Nothing have already made a big splash in the post-punk world. Releasing their first EP, Zero Dollar Bill, earlier this year, the band have been compared to Idles and are setting out on a similar path of success. Upon first hearing their earlier single Lebron James, countless fans are sure to be sucked into the world of Do Nothing.” - K. C.

Kate Bollinger

“I first listened to Kate Bollinger when she released I Don’t Wanna Lose in 2019. I played the track Candy on repeat all year long. It has been so lovely to watch her grow into the artist she is today. This year she released an EP called A word becomes a sound, which quickly became one of my favorite releases of 2020. Her voice is so comforting. Whenever I listen, I feel like I am being coddled in a fluffy blanket with a cup of herbal tea and nothing could go wrong at that moment. I can’t wait to see what Kate has planned for 2021 and beyond!” - L. S.

SAULT

“After a year of intense racial unrest in the United States, SAULT’s importance is more significant now than ever. With themes focusing around the Black Lives matter movement, this mystery soul-funk group has become more than buzzy in the music scene, and has earned a spot on tons of year end lists.” - K. C.

Sorry

“London-based genre-defying band Sorry released their debut album ‘925’ this year, produced by James Dring (Gorillaz, Jamie T) which is already reason enough to pique the interest of most. The album certainly does not disappoint, with each song giving you a different taste of the many interesting sides of this up-and-coming group.” - K. C.

Honorable Mentions:

Gracie Abrams Remi Wolf Hailey Whitters KennyHoopla Jade Hairpins Jockstrap Model/Actriz Mild Orange Your Smith Neal Francis

BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2020 (in no particular order)

Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters

“Fiona Apple is fearless in this album. The song structures and sounds take you on a listening experience I can only describe as emotional in the best way. Eight years of waiting was totally worth it.“ - S. D.

Fleet Foxes – Shore

“This album had been bright spot in a difficult year. St. Ann’s Church was the perfect location for their Colbert performance of Can I Believe You and the live stream will be the perfect holiday present. Ready to feel all the feels!” - K. A.

Khruangbin - Mordechai

“Khruangbin is one of my go-to bands, and “Mordechai” has been heavy in my rotation in 2020. It’s really a great album – I play it cover-to-cover and pairs well with a cocktail and cooking at home, infusing some needed spice and energy in what could otherwise be ‘just another night’ during a long, monotonous several months.” - C.M.

Moses Sumney - Græ

“The highly anticipated second album from Moses Sumney, shows us more of the highly personal, raw and emotionally moving music we have some to expect from him. The cluster of emotions that Moses works through with his beautifully unique voice in this 20 song album give us a look into the complicated mind of one of the most interesting artists of the last 5 years.” - K. C.

Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

“*Bill Hader’s Stefan voice* this album has everything! From the heavy and distorted bass on “Describe” to the melodic harp stringing of “Leave,” to the dance ballad (is that a thing?) “On The Floor,” Perfume Genius’ album Set My Heart on Fire Immediately really does have it all. Each song feels vastly different from the next in tone, instrumentation, and influence – yet they all come together so perfectly to make this stunning album, all while showcasing his vocal depth and range. There’s a reason he’s called Perfume *Genius*, and that is because Mike Hadreas can take familiar feelings and turn them into unconventional pop ballads that feel both relatable, but new and exciting at the same time.” - R. E.

Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

“How does Phoebe do it? (a question I ask myself daily). I remember waking up on June 18 as if it was my birthday. Punisher is everything I hoped for and then some more. The last song on the album, “I know The End” concludes with a scream which is the perfect cherry on top to this masterpiece. This album is a rollercoaster of Phoebe’s emotions and I feel blessed to be along for the ride. It is relatable, heartfelt and honest. Thank you to Phoebe for this gift. The world will never be the same after this.” - L. S.

Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA

“SAWAYAMA is the early 2000s pop resurgence we didn’t know we needed, mixed with all the best parts of nu-metal. Rina Sawayama uses catchy pop hooks reminiscent of early Britney Spears, and pairs them with heavy guitar riffs to give us arguably the most fun album of 2020 that we cannot wait to experience live.” - K. C.

Tame Impala – The Slow Rush

Thundercat - It Is What It Is

“I love how this album embraces the darkness while managing to find the light in despair - it seems to acutely reflect the times we are in yet is simultaneously so personal to Bruner. The lyrics are set against a backdrop of funk, electronica, jazz, and soul, so there’s a little something for everybody.” - S. D.

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud

“This album was released early in quarantine, and was the perfect musical escape during some of the toughest days. The imagery and reflection of the lyrics are why Saint Cloud tops my list of albums of 2020.” - J. F.

Honorable Mentions: The Beths – Jump Rope Gazers Fontaines DC - A Heros Dream Kevin Morby – Sundowner Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Reunions My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II CHIKA - Industry Games Megan Thee Stallion - Suga Christian Lee Hutson- Beginners Idles- Ultra Mono Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin Grass Pup - This Place Sucks Ass Futurebirds- Teamwork Adrianne Lenker – Songs / Instrumentals Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music + the bonus tracks EP Some Kind Of Peace – Olafur Arnalds Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown - Pressure Josh Ritter - See Here, I Have Built You a Mansion Sahara Moon - Worthy Local H - Lifers Deep Purple - Whoosh! Indigo Girls Look Long Taylor Swift - folklore Against All Logic – 2017-2019

TOP TEN LIVESTREAMS 2020 (in no particular order)

Christine & The Queens (Live on KEXP at Home)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bavZe47um4

“Live on KEXP at Home” was home to some of my favorite quarantine livestreams, and this one did anything but disappoint. Not only does Chris, aka Christine & The Queens, perform, but interviews are woven throughout the livestream. The drama of her performances, juxtaposed with her witty and humorous banter with the interviewer was such a breath of fresh air. If you’re a fan of Chris, this is a must watch.“ - S. D.

Courtney Barnett and Lucius & Friends: Live From Our Lounge Rooms with Sheryl Crow, 3/25/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfRbw3o1jU

“This was a gift that kept on giving. The stream started off with Courtney Barnett and Lucius in matching pajamas. I truly thought it could not get any better but I was in for a treat! The stream included performances by Nathaniel Rateliff, Sheryl Crow, Sharon Van Etten, Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby and more. I can safely say this was my favorite live stream I watched in 2020.” - L. S.

Julien Baker, Themfest Instagram Livestream, 4/16/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tINSbY4wRjs

“Recorded for Themfest during the early days of quarantine, Julien Baker’s in-home livestream was a welcome respite from the Cuomo briefings and general despair of mid April. Just kidding, Julien Baker is the queen of Sad Shit and I certainly didn’t tune into this livestream expecting a mood boost. But if you subscribe to the “sad songs make me feel better” aesthetic purveyed by our sweet little siren, this moody, intimate shot-on-iphone set will scratch that itch. But let’s not fool ourselves, nothing will ever replace the feeling of holding your breath along with 1,799 others at Brooklyn Steel while JB rips your heart out, in a nice way.” - E. M.

Kurt Vile, Love From Philly Livestream, 5/3/20 (covers John Prine’s “Sam Stone” near the end)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjKG-7d5loY&feature=emb_logo - Jared

“Back in May, Kurt Vile took to his basement for a solo acoustic stream to benefit 30 Amp Circuit, a non-profit dedicated to support the health, wellness, and professional needs of Philadelphia-based musicians and artists. The intimate 3-song set rounded out with a special tribute to the late John Prine, as Kurt did his own rendition of “Sam Stone.”” - J. D.

Radiohead, In Rainbows - From The Basement, 6/4/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWqDIZxO-nU

“This is the one die hard Radiohead fans have been waiting for. This session originally from 2008 existed in some pretty esoteric places and has been almost impossible to find – until now.” - G. A.

Sturgill Simpson, Live at The Ryman Auditorium, 6/5/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO73im4J2sU

“2020 was supposed to be a banner year for Sturgill, until he got COVID-19 in April. He’s ok now, but something about this performance in the sacred church of country music The Ryman, hits different.” - G. A.

Haim - Women in Music PT. III Live Show, 6/25/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_eJU6X3_jQ

“I love pretty much everything the Haim sisters do - so much so that I aspire to be a sister myself. When I was feeling those very familiar mid-pandemic blues, their “Women in Music PT III” livestream, which celebrated their new album of the same name, was the exact pick me up that I needed. For the first time since March, the 30 minute set made me feel as if I was at an intimate gathering - rather than behind a computer watching a YouTube video along with thousands of others. The stream will have you grooving, laughing, and you may even want to be a Haim sister yourself.” - S. D.

Nilufer Yanya, Boiler Room: Streaming From Isolation with Night Dreamer & Worldwide FM, 6/28/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAaAicIJE7s

“Hauntingly beautiful and yet also somehow grounded, Nilufer Yanya’s June livestream was a special one to watch. It makes the case for how intimate an artist’s performance can be, even virtually.” - G. A.

Brittany Howard, Live From Ryman Auditorium, 10/17/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLH59WLQbZo

“Watching Brittany Howard and her incredible band rip through a set on the Ryman stage like no one and everyone was watching all at once was cathartic. The combination of such a singular artist and historic venue hit a similar nerve to seeing an artist you’re excited about play a show in the flesh with people you love – not an easy feat!” - M. L.

Tkay Maidza - Live on KEXP at Home, 11/3/20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPJgrDvyRbw

“13 minutes and 11 seconds of pure energy. This livestream is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, and, in my opinion, showcases Maidza as the star that she is. A must-watch if you’re looking for a refreshing and colorful approach to hip-hop.“ - S. D.

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teresatranbooks · 4 years

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Dear Blog,

Prompt: Write a new blog post with your reaction to the Beuhler chapters that you read for task 3 this week. How does Beuhler's work match with how you view your new role as an English teacher? What experience did you have with YAL in middle or high school? You will go more in depth with Beuhler and YA pedagogy in the fall.

Beuhler’s Chapters 1 and 2 discuss reading YA books with passion and purpose, and viewing YA literature as complex texts as teachers who will one day teach and share YA books with their students.

One of Beuhler’s tenets is in order “to learn, grow, and thrive, what all of these students need is...a wide landscape for reading” (Beuhler 3). That is, most students view reading as a chore, because for many of them, it is something they have to do, over something they want to do. It is an assignment. It is an expectation. It is another box they have to check off the list or a line they have to cross of on the agenda. And because they’re required to read mostly classics written by dead old white dudes, they’re “cut off from the larger world of literacy” (Beuhler 3). Because students aren’t directly told or handed diverse reading options, they fall out of love with reading and don’t develop that muscle of reading for later on. That is why many students, my friends, and myself included, over the years, began to repeat the sentiment of “I’m not much of a reader anymore.” It’s depressing!

But as Beuhler states in his chapter, students must be given a balanced reading diet. They need room (specifically time and space) to discover new books written by people who aren’t dead old white dudes. They need motivation to seek out those books. They need to hear from their teachers that them reading for “fun” and as a “hobby’ is not only good for them, but also encouraged in their ELA classroom. There needs to be room for students to develop their own reading tastes and reading stamina, but they can’t do that if they’re not allowed to employ a sense of agency within their choice in books. It is only through this sense of agency and a diverse palette of YA books will students begin to see reading as less of a chore, and more of a fun activity they can’t wait to do.

This text also made me think about the multiple ways I, as teacher, can do to encourage this love and space for YA literature in the classroom. First, I want to create a space where students who already possess a love for reading YA books outside of the classroom don’t have to steal time to read inside the classroom. In other words, I want my classroom to be a place where students will have a dedicated time to read their contemporary YA titles and keep reading logs about them and talk about them with their peers. I don’t want my students who already consider reading as a hobby to ever feel like they have to sneak around me and the state-mandated curriculum to read their YA books -- and then be afraid I’ll take their books away from them, like the many times teachers did this to me. (I still think about these moments all the time...even in college. I lowkey have some trauma from that LOL).

Second, I want to create whole entire units around YA literature. But this might require going against state standards and school subject departments. So how can I make the case for YA lit in the classroom? Beuhler suggests marketing them as an outlet and/or case study for students’ personal and academic growth. The thing about YA lit is that it is entirely written for them. “YA list offers a way to meet students where they are now -- not just as readers, but as teens who are still figuring out their place in the world...YA lit honors that process of self-discovery” (Beuhler 3). When students read YA lit, they grow as the main characters grow. When students read YA lit, they see their personal journeys and feelings of adolescence (going from young child to young adult) paralleled in heightened and relatable ways. When students see themselves reflected in the literature they read, they end up feeling less alone in the world and develop a sense of community with other students who feel similarly.

When we think about young adult students, we also think about puberty. We think about the multiple weird strange awful beautiful changes that happen physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially for them. We think about our own experiences during that time and how equally tumultuous it was for us. YA lit offers itself as a space for students and people in general to put their feelings and weirdness somewhere, where it’s private and peaceful and doesn’t make adolescence any more more embarrassing than it already inherently is.

In addition, when students read YA lit, they grow as readers. “If students in our classrooms might not have been readers in the past, but they can become readers now -- if we create conditions that support their individual development” (Beuhler 6). When making the case for YA lit in the classroom, I will emphasize how YA lit creates that confidence within students to believe that reading is something they can do. YA lit inherently has qualities that push students to motivate themselves to continue reading and develop a stronger reading muscle for heavier, longer, and more complex YA texts. YA lit makes reading accessible, breaks down barriers, enhances reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, and promotes a sense of creativity, all of which are qualities state standards try to achieve for students but can’t.

And third, Beuhler talks about how his favorite YA novels are “those that defy categorization” (Beuhler 27). I think about how not only young teens, but kids and adults and seniors are reading YA lit more and more over other categories. Why? It’s because YA lit does so much at once to fulfill their reading and personal needs. They’re complex and rich and tackle so many relevant themes and experiences, but probably most importantly, they model a development arc that many folks are always secretly seeking. That sort of adventure of becoming into one’s own and developing confidence as a person with better informed opinions and forming new friendships and relationships with people. For kids and teens, it’s the excitement and hopefulness of growing older and breaking away from adult authority and becoming your own person. For adults and seniors, it’s the nostalgia and also hopefulness of returning to what youth was like and experiencing new things again. Because there is so much complexity in YA lit, it will require a complexity when teaching YA lit.

As a teacher, I want to change the conversation about YA lit, dismantling the idea that it’s a category mainly for teenage girls, which, btw, what the hell is wrong with THAT? So what if it is mainly saturated with stories for and about teenage girls? Most of the books students have had to read have been led by boys and men and written by men -- and students of all genders have had no trouble reading them. But when suddenly girls’ and women’s perspectives are prioritized in narratives, or a category is predominantly centered around the experiences of girls and women, suddenly it’s beneath people and not as complex as other categories? Can someone say SEXISM?. While some people might argue that that is not why they view YA books as not nearly as “complex” as the classics, I think there’s no mistake that gender plays a big part in informing that particular mainstream point of view about YA lit.

Furthermore, alongside Beuhler, I also believe that “sometimes calls for increasingly complex texts are really code for keeping classic literature at the center of the curriculum” (Beuhler 28). More specifically, I believe that most people’s calls for “complexity” in their reading, what they’re really calling for is either

(1) books written by dead old white dudes about the American Male ExperienceTM where they find excuses to be racist or sexist or BOTH (fun!) and argue that it’s a relatable part of being an American Man (which ew! and wow, the bar is low), OR

(2) books written by BIPOC authors that focus on the “Authentic” experience of being BIPOC, but mostly as a vehicle for white folks to fetishize the trauma and pain of BIPOC, without neither the actual empathy and compassion for BIPOC, nor the active commitment to creating systemic and individual change against the trauma and pain that BIPOC often face living under the white capitalist patriarchal police state that these books are often thematically preaching about.

Here’s the thing. YA lit definitely can perpetuate those same harmful practices that the classics often do. In fact, some YA novels already do. I can point to many of the YA Book Twitter drama that rightfully calls out problematic books, such as The Black Witch, on the daily. However, YA lit has shown over and over again that it can reach far beyond its intended target audience and tackle complex themes without infantilizing, again, their intended audience...which is young teens. The thing about literature and education and the passing on of information in general is that if you are an academic or a student or a teacher or an individual and you can not relay your perspective and/or argument in such a way where another person can understand it (even if they might disagree with it)...you have failed.

YA lit is an example of when perspectives and themes and experiences that are often considered “complex” is successfully communicated to a young teenage audience because of its accessibility. If a classic cannot reach a bigger audience or in this case, reach a young teen demographic, it’s not because of a complexity that YA lit “lacks,” it’s because of the unnecessary, often racist and sexist gatekeeping in classic literature that privileges upper class white folks and their experiences which are often communicated in a language only other upper class white folks can speak and understand. Think about how many classic books are written in AAVE, aka African American Vernacular English? Most people will think of Toni Morrison or James Baldwin...but those are only two Black authors. Two. Out of how many white authors? However, I can think of countless YA lit books written not only in AAVE, but also different Chinese, Spanish, and African dialects by Chinese, Spanish, and African authors. As a teacher, I want to use all of these arguments and evidence I’ve just laid out to argue for the case of YA lit in the classroom.

I always viewed my role as an English teacher as one with deliberate purpose. I’ve always wanted to be more than just an English teacher. I wanted to be the one person whose students would go to when they finished a book and wanted someone to listen to them rattle off about the parts they liked and didn’t like. I wanted to be the one person whose students would look to when they got bullied by other students or teachers and protect and comfort them, especially my fellow students of color. I wanted to be the one person whose students would ask for book recommendations and ask to read over their writing projects because they trusted my opinions. I wanted to be the person I needed when I was younger. If I can’t go back in time to the past, I’ll make sure I become that person in the present for the kids of the future generation...

And I’ll start with introducing them to YA lit.

#YAL SU20

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andsoshespins · 8 years

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Terror. Then Triumph.

At the end of last week, I read a short passage aloud to my group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. It was a simple passage, actually below their grade levels, I was using as a practice for some writing points I would like them to sharpen. The passage was about a family and describes different shoes each member wears and what he or she is doing while wearing them. Their task afterward was to write a paragraph about a favorite pair of shoes they have and tell when/where they are worn.

What transpired dropped my jaw to the floor.

“Where do we get the details from?”

“Do we just make up the ideas?”

“Oh! I started writing about the people in the story and their shoes!”

“What do we write about the shoes?”

And so on and so forth for almost 10 minutes.

I was so alarmed in that moment and very upset by this experience. I did not blame my students (I know some of these questions are typical kids-seeking-some-kind-of-clarifying-guidance-on-the-outset questions). But it is far deeper than just that. I am still reeling at the realizations and repercussions of this morning moment:

These children are programmed to write mechanically. At my current school, the students only write 2- and 4-point responses according to the New York State ELA Assessment rubrics. And that is all. There is no free journal writing, no poetry unit, barely a first-person narrative if you are not between the ages of 5 and 6. It is astonishing, actually, how much informational and report writing they do, even when the topic is fictional. These students have no literary voice. How could they when their responses lie flat on the page, one sounding robotically similar to another? “This happens. One detail is.... Another detail is...”

Worse than that, these young children--the future of our world--are afraid to have their own original ideas. And this is the part that frightens me the most. What kind of travesty of education is this schooling where our children do not feel that they can contribute their own thought to the conversation, share their own experiences with others to teach or relate in some way? It’s a shameful sham. This is not the role of education. Are we not to cultivate the creative and critical thinking of the next generation who will learn from our inconsistencies and inefficiencies? No. Not like this. At this rate, the next generation will be acquiescent beings who will maintain the power status and never question or challenge authority.

Revisiting the task today, some students still asked the same questions they did last lesson, and I was again flabbergasted. This experience wrenched my thinking back to the conference I attended during which Ofelia Garcia spoke. She reminded us language teachers the dangers of “monoglossic” attitudes and practices that display only one story, and that the meaning of that story is the sole one. It forcibly reminds me of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s, “The Danger of Single Story. “ Senora Garcia reminded us that we must promote multiglossic approaches to teaching because that is the truth of our world. She explained the danger of putting so much weight on text, that telling students the meaning is contained in the text only, they fail to create their own meaning. And what kind of people are we if we do not create our own meaning? If we do not tell our own story? Certainly not a kind of people worth interaction.

Everyone has shoes. This topic is a relatively simple one to which all of the students in that particular group can connect. Everyone has had an experience with a pair of shoes that hurt so much your feet bled, that you wear to a special party and mommy would beat you with a broom if you scuffed them up. Everyone has a pair of shoes they have worn to the ground until the soles of their feet touched the blacktop and it was time for a new shopping trip to the mall. Or the shop down the street. But these children did not think any of that mattered. Right away, they were looking for an answer about their own lives in a text. Because that is what they have been taught. The only answers are in the text. Your answers are meaningless.

So, tomorrow, when I face that same group of students and we discuss their completed task, it will be in an attempt to triumph over the inauthenticity and the trample the status quo being maintained by the single lens approach.

And it is moments like this one, albeit causing me absolute terror, that remind me just how important my job is.

#teaching #education #we need to move this world #your voice matters

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himanshuela-blog · 6 years

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History of Surrogacy

When you consider the historical backdrop of surrogacy and to what extent surrogacy has been near, you may believe it's a genuinely new process. To a specific degree, you're correct; surrogacy as we probably am aware it today has just been around throughout the previous 30 years. Be that as it may, the possibility of surrogacy has been around for a great deal longer — notwithstanding following back to Biblical occasions.

In this article, we'll track the historical backdrop of surrogacy and important helped regenerative innovation (ART) to indicate how it got to where it is today. Understanding this history is pivotal when you're thinking about surrogacy, as it will enable you to all the more likely appreciate the procedure, the legalities included and what you can anticipate.

To many, surrogacy may appear like an extreme thought. While there are dependably changes inside the lawful and medicinal fields of gestational surrogacy, customary surrogacy has been rehearsed for a huge number of years. Truth be told, the good book even refers to an antiquated occurrence of customary surrogacy in Genesis – Sarah, who was barren, asked for that her handmaiden, Hagar, convey her better half, Abraham's, tyke.

Continue perusing to take in more about the historical backdrop of surrogacy:

Scriptural Times: The main specify of surrogacy can be found in "The Book of Genesis" in the narrative of Sarah and Abraham. Sarah and Abraham were hitched however couldn't imagine their very own offspring, so Sarah swung to her worker Hagar to be the mother of Abraham's kid. This is an instance of conventional surrogacy, where the surrogate uses her own particular egg in the youngster she's conveying for planned parents. Despite the fact that Sarah was not organically identified with the infant, she and Abraham both guaranteed the youngster as their own. Up until around 30 years prior, customary surrogacies like these were the main way planned parents could make a kid through surrogacy. Conventional surrogacy remained a forbidden point up until the twentieth century because of the marks of shame related with infertility and "ill-conceived" youngsters. Amid this time, surrogate pregnancies would have been imagined normally — which would be dishonorable for hitched couples.

1884: The primary fruitful managed impregnation of a lady was finished, in spite of the fact that in a morally faulty way. This prepared for future manual semen injections utilized in the surrogacy procedure.

1975: The main morally finished IVF developing life exchange was fruitful.

1976: The primary legitimate surrogacy assention in the historical backdrop of surrogacy was handled by legal advisor Noel Keane. This was a customary surrogacy, and the surrogate did not get any pay for the pregnancy. Keane utilized this experience to build up the Infertility Center, which would organize many surrogate pregnancies a year and assume a key part in the historical backdrop of surrogacy in the United States.

1978: The principal child considered through IVF exchange was conceived.

1980: The main remunerated surrogacy assention was masterminded between a conventional surrogate and the expected parents. Elizabeth Kane (an alias) $10,000 to convey a child for another couple. In spite of the fact that she had officially finished her family and put a kid for reception, Kane was caught off guard for the feelings of surrogacy and the difficulties she looked in the wake of bringing forth the infant. She in the end lamented her decision to end up a surrogate and expounded on her encounters in a book called Birth Mother.

1984– 1986: Perhaps the most renowned case in surrogacy history is the "Infant M." case, including a conventional surrogacy. Bill and Betsy Stern contracted Mary Beth Whitehead to be their surrogate in 1984, consenting to pay her $10,000. Whitehead's eggs were utilized in the managed impregnation process, making her the natural mother of the kid. At the point when the child was conceived and it was the ideal opportunity for Whitehead to sign over her parental rights, she denied and took authority of infant Melissa Stern ("Baby M.") — beginning a long care fight in 1986. The aftereffects of the care case assumed a key part in the advancement of a portion of the stricter surrogacy laws in the U.S. The New Jersey Supreme Court decided that the surrogacy understanding amongst Whitehead and the Sterns was illicit and, along these lines, reestablished Whitehead's parental rights. Authority was conceded to Bill Stern, with Whitehead accepting appearance rights.This case denoted a tremendous defining moment ever of, and, as anyone might expect, numerous surrogacy experts started to push toward the utilization of gestational surrogacy to maintain a strategic distance from these legitimate traps.

1985: While the "Child M." case was going on, the main effective gestational surrogacy was finished, making ready for future gestational surrogacies to be the norm.In the 30 years to take after, states would keep on placing confinements on customary surrogacies and surrogacy by and large. Accordingly, legal advisors and administrators started to build up ways that planned parents could secure their parental rights in surrogacy — for the most part through a pre-birth or post-birth parentage order.Surrogacy offices and surrogacy experts likewise turned out to be more conspicuous and more experienced, making it less demanding for both expected parents and forthcoming surrogates to take in more and take an interest all the while.

2004– 2008: Almost 5,000 kids were conceived by means of surrogacy in the United States.

Plainly, surrogacy has made considerable progress from where it was before the late twentieth century. Today, the blend of quickly propelling medication and the distinctive sorts of surrogacy accessible make it less demanding than at any other time for planned parents to finish their family and for imminent surrogates to change the lives of others until the end of time. The historical backdrop of surrogacy is simply starting — and, with its consistently evolving nature, it's sensible to expect more will be added to the story later on.

Surrogacy, both conventional and gestational has helped families for centuries.The hone has created from an once in a while archived event a large number of years back, to a quickly developing and suitable alternative for having youngsters. Truth be told, we simply commended the introduction of our 1500th infant through our surrogacy and egg gift programs! At this pace, we can just envision what's on the horizon for surrogacy.

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nofomoartworld · 7 years

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Hyperallergic: Reimagined Landscapes: Frank Romero’s Los Angeles

Los Four: Frank Romero, Carlos Almaraz, Roberto de la Rocha, and founder Gilbert Luján (courtesy Oscar R. Castillo Photographic Archives)

The new retrospective of Chicano artist Frank Romero at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach (MOLAA), Dreamland, comes at an auspicious time. One of the original Los Four, along with Carlos Almaraz (1941–1989), Roberto de la Rocha (b. 1937) and Gilbert Luján (1940–2011) (later transforming into Los Five when they included Judithe Hernández [b. 1948]), Romero (b. 1941) helped to solidify the reputations of Chicano American artists in Los Angeles and across the country. Along with another Angelino group, ASCO (Willie Herron, Harry Gamboa, Jr., Gronk, and Patssi Valdez), Romero and the Los Four put Chicano art permanently on the map.

As the group’s founder, Luján wrote:

The significance of Los Four mirrored the socio-political introspection and concerns of Raza at that time besides providing some iconographic vocabulary to initiate definitions of our ethno-art forms. Our Los Four Xicano contingency ran against some Euro-aesthetic standards of the period. We, as pictorial artists, gave a visual voice to those interests of parity for our young artist constituency-culture. It was a form of cooperation binding us by our sociological circumstance, indigenous paradigms and our adopted response to unify ourselves along political cultural oriented purposes, in lieu of solely aesthetical ones.

Although the MOLAA exhibition begins with a room devoted to Los Four and includes film footage of some of the events surrounding their legendary show devoted to them at LACMA in 1974 — which features cutouts of the original four members and a wonderful clenched protesting fist by Almaraz, with the frame painted by Romero — it becomes clear that these four artists’ works quickly took different turns in their work, with Romero alone becoming perhaps the most important documentarian of Chicano events.

Frank Romero, “Harbor Freeway” (2010), acrylic on canvas, 23.75 x 35 7/8 inches (courtesy Patrick Ela. Photo courtesy of J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)

Born and raised in a middle-class family in Boyle Heights, Romero captured the pulse of Los Angeles through his pictorial and more abstract painting of decorated cars and the vast freeways (portrayed as our cultural shrines) connecting the different parts of the city.

Even more importantly, through large murals and evocative paintings, Romero traced the history of Chicano life throughout the city. Particularly in works such as “The Death of Rubén Salazar” (1986), “The Closing of Whittier Boulevard” (1984), and the more comical, certainly ironic, “The Arrest of the Paleteros” (1996), the artist writ large the tragedies and absurdities of being an American of Mexican heritage in the vast LA metropolis.

Salazar, a journalist covering a Vietnam War protest, died in a local bar from a police tear-gas canister, while Whittier Avenue, the hot spot for low-riding cars, became a regular target for police trying to end the parade of autos. Romero’s version highlights the absurdity of the police, one officer riding in on a horse like a cowboy saving the day, while the Chicano drivers blithely ignore him.

Frank Romero, “The Arrest of the Paleteros” (1996), oil on canvas, 96 x 144 inches (courtesy Cheech Marin)

Using an almost naïve vocabulary to express the constant challenges of street living, Romero’s is, in fact, an art, through its brightly colored narrative paintings, that nearly always embraces rather than excludes. Throughout his artmaking, he has used easily-translatable motifs to bring meaning to viewers who might otherwise be confused by his often jumbled spaces. Many of his vast landscapes, such as “Le Monde” (2006), represent iconic sites throughout the city as well as in his adopted Paris, connected by the somewhat fantastical loops for the Los Angeles freeways

Images from Romero’s early paintings are often incorporated into later ones. Early in the MOLAA show is a lovely, simple painting of a teddy bear, presumably a beloved object of Romero’s own childhood, encased in a golden frame. In his wonderful 1998 painting “A History of the Chicano Movimiento,” the bear reappears in the upper left, locating the artist’s own roots in the events that the rest the large work invokes. The same bear appears in his 2000 painting “Holiday Gifts: Guitar with Teddy.”

Frank Romero, “History of the Chicano Movimiento” (1998), acrylic and graphite on canvas, 7 x 21 ft (courtesy Carnegie Museum Oxnard)

Hearts are combined with more personal and private motifs — an iron, a fighting couple, the Goodyear blimp, and a Picasso-like Guenica horse — in his famous mural (one of dozens Romero painted throughout the city) “Going to the Olympics” (2011). And often, his art turns almost into a kind of fetishism with beautifully created objects focused on the automobile, a chair, a gun, a cactus plant, or through events such as a trip with a dog in a car.

Frank Romero, “Corazon Quebrado” (1974), spray-paint on canvas, 36 x 31 inches (courtesy the artist)

While these images are often represented within the context of the faux naïf, Romero presents a sophisticated vision of art history in works such as “Homage to Kienholz, Backseat Dodge” (1991) and the “Guernica”-like horses in “Going to the Olympics.” Indeed, even at their most simple, we recognize in Romero’s images a high level of sophistication that is accessible to audiences familiar and unfamiliar with traditional and Chicano art.

If there is one thing that unites nearly all of Romero’s work, it is his sense of humor and his love of the communities which he depicts. Romero’s Dreamland is not just an empty-minded satire of “La-La Land,” but a strangely hallucinatory world of both love and violence, a landscape wherein you never can quite be sure where you are actually going — or even if you might ever arrive at your destination. The joy, in Romero’s paintings is the journey itself.

Frank Romero Dreamland: A Frank Romero Retrospective continues at the Museum of Latin American Art (628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach, California) through May 21.

The post Reimagined Landscapes: Frank Romero’s Los Angeles appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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intimate-analysis-blog · 8 years

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Jackie, a portrait in pieces.

This story has already been told a thousand times, including parts of it being televised, with live broadcast. There is nothing new in its events. We all know of its outcome - JFK was brutally killed with a bullet in the head. A US president was therefore murdered. We are tired of seeing the images of this fact. The Kennedy family has become an icon.

What is important in the narrative of this film, therefore, is not what, but how. We start the movie with the image of Jacqueline Kennedy, a recently widow, downcast, walking down the beach. Then she receives in her mansion a journalist who will do a report on her and her husband a week after the murder. This will be the thread of history. The ex-first lady's report to this journalist will serve to unite the fragments. We have seen this format before. Someone tells a story to someone else and from that on, we, viewers are taken to the characters, their conflicts, and the drama takes place. Most of the time, however, this happens in a linear way. In "Jackie," screenwriter Noah Oppenheim takes care of shattering the story into several fragments, such as a broken mirror, or a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces are putted together at random, with not a well-defined beginning, middle, or end. The end, incidentally, is before the beginning and appears again at the end, because what we see as climax is the image of JFK being shot and his wife, desperate, trying to collect the loose pieces of his brain. There is nothing we have not seen at other times on television in this particular scene, but nonetheless it impacts and thrills again. The desperation of the first lady moves. And throughout the entire film we see her still trying to collect those loose pieces of her story with John F. Kennedy, or rather the murder until the final burial. This is perhaps the shrewdest choice of the whole film, because instead of trying to tell a whole biography of the first lady, it focuses only on a brief moment of her life, but that was certainly eternal in her memories while she was alive.

The plot, therefore, comes and goes, as an emotional tangle driven by this downcast, angry and depressed first lady. However, she is still strong enough to realize the importance of this moment in history, and more important than what happened, is to know how to relate it in the most effective way possible so it’ll remain in the imaginary of people over the years. Jackie is thus concerned about the legacy she will leave, not straining for it, being able at any moment to intervene in how her husband's funeral and burial will take place, never avoiding the cameras. Even when she is still in her iconic pink dress stained with blood, she descends through the front door of the plane that drives her. She also intervenes in what tells the journalist, making it clear from the beginning that this interview will be edited by her, and she continually remembers it, telling him that, after saying something controversial, he will not be able to write about it, or when he insinuates to make it public that she smokes, she corrects him, with a drag, "I do not smoke".

Everything is controlled by this powerful woman, but at the same time she is constantly questioned by men who surround her. They do not consider her capable of making the best choices at that moment. Her voice is always intermediated by another man, whether the journalist, her brother-in-law, a priest, or even, why not the voice of the director of the film, Pablo Larraín, and the screenwriter himself. It is the story of a woman told by men. The issue of gender thus becomes important, being crucial at all times, but this power is never given to the first lady in its entirety. After all, she must play the role of a beautiful quiet woman, a housewife. This is not what we see in Natalie Portman's Jackie, who, although beautiful, does smoke, and yes screams when necessary to assert her voice, running after what she thinks is best for her, for her family, for the imaginary of her husband, and for the whole American Nation. So, not so quiet and housewife. But she constantly finds herself trapped in this image that she has to preserve, trapped in her bedroom, choosing the clothes she will wear, changing herself over and over, unable to decide on the dress, distressed, smoking, drinking and listening to "Camelot," this song that marked her widowhood and quoted by her later to the Life magazine's journalist, "Do not let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot." Thus, her story would be like a fairy tale, but with a princess who tragically loses her prince. There is no happy ending in her story. But it is a fairy tale always highlighted by the historical fact, by the power historiographic narrative has and by its legendary aspect. Her protagonist has nothing to lose, as her most important thing in the world has already being lost. So the best she can do is to collect the shards of that broken picture, putting together the best pieces in an impressive emotional journey.

This emotion is duly highlighted by the strong performance of Natalie Portman who studied the minutiae of her character, her mannerisms, her accent. All of that impress by the similarity at the same time that causes a certain strangeness by the artificiality, since it is an accent built not by the actress, but by Jacqueline herself. Back in the day, there was a concern of high-society women to speak just like that, almost blending American English with British, and in Jackie's case in particular with that from Long Island. There is certainly a meticulous research work done by the actress, but that is precisely what may prove to be a defect, since over too much and too preoccupied on the surface of the character. It goes from the outside to the inside, instead of doing the opposite movement, and for this reason the performance may present a stereotyped tone in a way. Despite all this, one must recognize Natalie's effort that knows very well how to thrill the unskilled spectator. After all, she's a celebrity just like the first lady was and there are times when this separation from outside and inside is diluted, and the inner emotional life of the character proves stronger, likes when she has to tell her kids their dad is gone. Maybe Natalie Portman just makes the same mistake that Jacqueline Kennedy committed in her life – that of worrying way too much about appearances. To appear as the first lady would be more important than to be.

Another factor that stress this emotive aspect is the soundtrack composed by Mica Levi, newcomer but already known for her work in "Under the Skin." Unlike her previous work, full silence and minimalism, Mica here becomes grandiloquent, resorting to various musical nuances to build an emotion capable of impacting the viewer. However, once again, this will be her biggest fault. The greatness of her chords ends up suffocating the emotion way beyond, making it overflow into an exquisite and artistic melodrama. Subtlety and silence are missing to the film that, when not loaded with dialogues, is filled by this eloquent music. So, maybe this is not Mica's fault, but the director himself, Pablo Larraín, who did not know how to measure those moments. At the same time, it is doubtful whether the troubled mind of a widow would be quiet enough, as she is a woman who has just seen her husband being murdered and has to immediately recompose herself to make the right decisions on how to proceed. Was there room for silence and subtlety in Jackie’s real story? So let's say no and thus respect the choice of the director as accurate, even though that excess of sound does not stop suffocating at the same time that it enchants us with the lyricism of this well-constructed emotional daydream. by Daniel Martins

Jackie, um retrato em pedaços.

Essa história já foi contada milhares de vezes, inclusive partes dela chegou a ser televisionada, com direito à transmissão ao vivo. Não há nada de novo em seus acontecimentos. Todos sabemos de seus desdobramentos – JFK foi brutalmente morto com um tiro na cabeça. Um presidente dos EUA fora, portanto, assassinado. Cansamos de ver as imagens desse fato. A família Kennedy se transformou em um ícone.

O que importante na narrativa desse filme, portanto, não é o que, mas como. Começamos o filme com a imagem de Jacqueline Kennedy recém viúva, abatida, caminhando pela praia. Em seguida, ela recebe em sua mansão um jornalista que irá fazer uma reportagem sobre ela e seu marido após uma semana do assassinato. Esse será o fio condutor da história. O relato da ex-primeira dama a esse jornalista é que servirá para unir os fragmentos. Já vimos esse formato outras vezes. Alguém conta uma história para outra pessoa e, a partir disso, nós, espectadores somos levado aos personagens, seus conflitos, vemos a narrativa se transformar. Na maioria das vezes, entretanto, isso se dá de maneira linear. Em “Jackie”, o roteirista Noah Oppenheim se encarrega de despedaçar o relato em vários fragmentos, como um espelho partido, ou um quebra-cabeça cujas peças pouco a pouco são montadas, aleatoriamente, sem começo, meio ou fim bem delineados. O fim, aliás, é anterior ao começo e aparece novamente no final, pois o que vemos como clímax é a imagem de JFK sendo baleado e sua esposa, desesperada, tentando recolher os pedaços soltos de seu cérebro. Não há nada que não vimos em outros momentos pela televisão nessa cena, mas mesmo assim ela chega a impactar e a emocionar novamente. O desespero da primeira dama comove. E ao longo de todo o filme a vemos ainda tentar recolher esses pedaços soltos de sua história com John F. Kennedy, ou mais bem o seu assassinato e até o seu enterro final. Está aí talvez a escolha mais sagaz de todo o filme, pois ao invés de buscar contar toda uma biografia da primeira dama, concentra-se apenas num breve momento de sua vida, mas que com certeza foi eterno em suas lembranças enquanto esteve viva.

A trama, portanto, vai e vem, com em um emaranhado emocional conduzido por essa primeira dama, abatida, com raiva e deprimida. Porém, ela ainda é forte o suficiente para perceber a importância desse momento para a história, e que mais importante do que aquilo que aconteceu, é saber relatá-lo da maneira mais eficaz possível para que permaneça no imaginário do povo ao longo dos anos. Jackie está, assim, preocupada com o legado que vai deixar, não medindo esforços para isso, sendo capaz de a todo momento intervir em como se dará o funeral e o enterro de seu esposo, nunca evitando as câmeras. Mesmo quando ainda está com seu vestido rosa emblemático manchado de sangue, ela desce pela porta da frente do avião que a conduz. Ela também intervém naquilo que conta ao jornalista, deixando-lhe claro desde o inicio que aquela entrevista será editada por ela, e continuamente ela o lembra disso, dizendo-lhe que, ao acabar de dizer algo polemico, ele não poderá escrever sobre aquilo ou ainda que, quando ele insinua colocar que ela fumava, ela o corrigi, dando uma tragada, “eu não fumo”.

Tudo é controlado por essa mulher, poderosa, e a frente de seu tempo, mas que ao mesmo tempo é constantemente questionada pelos homens que a cercam, pois não a consideram capaz de fazer as melhores escolhas naquele momento. Sua voz, assim, é sempre intermediada por outro homem, seja o jornalista, seja o seu cunhado, um padre, ou até mesmo, porque não a voz do diretor do filme, Pablo Larraín e o seu roteirista. Trata-se da história de uma mulher contada por homens. A questão de gênero assim se faz importante, sendo crucial em todo o momento, mas esse poder jamais é entregue à primeira dama em sua totalidade. Afinal, caberia a ela o papel de mulher bela, recatada e do lar. Não é isso o que vemos totalmente na Jackie de Natalie Portman, que, apesar de bela, sim fuma, sim grita quando necessário para fazer valer a sua voz, correndo atrás daquilo que acha ser o melhor para ela, para a sua família, para o imaginário de seu marido, e para toda a nação estadunidense. Portanto, nem tão recatada e do lar assim. Mas sim constantemente ela se vê presa nos limites dessa imagem que tem que preservar, presa em seu quarto, escolhendo a roupa que vai usar, trocando-se várias e várias vezes, incapaz de se decidir pelo vestido, angustiada, fumando, bebendo e escutando “Camelot”, essa canção que marcou sua viuvez e citada por ela posteriormente ao jornalista da revista Life, "Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot" [Não deixe ser esquecido que era uma vez um lugar, por um breve iluminado momento, conhecido como Camelot]. Assim, sua história seria tal como um conto de fadas, porém com uma princesa que, de maneira trágica, perde o seu príncipe. Não há final feliz em sua história. Mas se trata de um conto de fadas em que sempre está marcado pelo fato histórico, pelo poder que a narrativa historiográfica possui e pelo seu caráter lendário. Sua protagonista não tem nada a perder, pois o mais importante ela já o perdeu. Então o melhor que pode fazer é recolher os cacos desse retrato quebrado, e juntar os melhores pedaços em um recorrido emocional impactante.

Essa emoção é devidamente marcada pela forte atuação de Natalie Portman que estudou as minúcias de sua personagem, seus trejeitos, sua maneira de falar. A sua fala chega a impressionar pela semelhança ao mesmo tempo em que causa certo estranhamento pela maneira artificial que é dita, já que se trata de um sotaque construído não pela atriz, mas sim pela própria Jacqueline. Em seu tempo, havia uma preocupação das mulheres da alta sociedade em falar dessa maneira, quase que misturando o inglês americano com o britânico e, no caso de Jackie em particular, com o de Long Island ainda. Há com certeza um trabalho minucioso de pesquisa feito pela atriz, mas que é justamente aquilo que talvez se revele como um defeito, já que excessivo e preocupado demasiado na superfície da personagem. Ela parte de fora para dentro, ao invés de fazer o movimento contrário e, por isso mesmo, a sua representação pode estar marcada por um tom de certo modo estereotipado. Apesar disso tudo, há que se reconhecer o esforço de Natalie que sabe muito bem emocionar o espectador não especializado. Afinal, ela é uma celebridade tal como a primeira-dama o foi e há momentos em que essa separação de fora e dentro se dilui, e a vida emocional interior da personagem se demonstra mais forte. Talvez Natalie Portman apenas cometa o mesmo erro que Jacqueline Kennedy cometeu em vida – a de se preocupar demais com as aparências. Parecer-se com a primeira dama seria mais importante do que a ser de fato.

Outro fator que marca o caráter emotivo diz respeito à trilha sonora composta por Mica Levi, compositora novata, mas já conhecida por seu trabalho em “Sob a pele (Under the Skin)”. Ao contrário do trabalho anterior, marcado pelo silencio e o minimalismo, Mica aqui se torna grandiloqüente, recorrendo-se a várias nuances musicais para construir uma emoção capaz de impactar o espectador. Entretanto, mais uma vez, essa será a sua grande falha. A grandeza de seus acordes acaba por sufocar a emoção além da conta, fazendo-a transbordar em um melodrama requintado e artístico. Falta sutileza e silencio ao filme que, quando não está carregado de diálogos, está preenchido por essa música eloqüente. Assim, talvez isso não seja uma falha de Mica, mas sim do próprio diretor, Pablo Larraín, quem não soube dosar esses momentos. Ao mesmo tempo, fica a dúvida se não seria justamente assim a mente conturbada de uma viúva que acaba de ver seu marido ser assassinado e tem que, imediatamente, se recompor para tomar decisões corretas em como proceder. Haveria espaço para o silêncio e para a sutileza assim? Vamos dizer que não e, desse modo, respeitar a escolha do diretor como acertada, mas que não deixa de asfixiar ao mesmo tempo em que nos encanta com o lirismo desse devaneio emocional bem construído. por Daniel Martins

#jackie #natalie portman #pablo larraín #kennedy #jfk #mica levi #oscar #oscar race

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