Transnational Fiesta: 1992

Produced by Paul Gelles,Wilton Martinez. 61 min. Color. 1993. Available as: VHS and DVD Captioned: No Catalog #: 0067 Order this title Sale Price: $295.00 Apply for Discount

Until recently, it was widely assumed that Native communities throughout the Americas would be absorbed into the mainstream or otherwise disappear. But 500 years after the beginning of the Conquest, indigenous peoples are asserting their presence and identity with renewed vigor. This remarkable video illustrates this by exploring the multicultural and transnational experiences of a family of Peruvian Andean immigrants living in Washington, D.C.

The video documents their lives in Washington and follows them as they return to their home town in Peru to sponsor the annual fiesta of the village's patron saint. The North American members of their extended family, as well as other migrants, also participate in the fiesta, where the complexities of cultural identity, religious syncretism, interethnic marriages, migration, and racism all converge.

The video reveals how the perpetuation and constant re-invention of village ceremonial life and identity are influenced by the migrants. It also shows how the migrants' own sense of ethnic identity is shaped both by their ongoing participation in the ceremonial life of their native community and by their experiences in the U.S.

"Transnational Fiesta: 1992" will generate thought and discussion in a wide variety of courses in cultural anthropology, Latin American studies, American studies, and social psychology and sociology. It was produced by Wilton Martinez and Paul Gelles.

Reviews

"This is a must-see film for anyone interested in indigenous culture, migration, Andean communities, or the ethnography of the transnational village in which we all live." -- Michael Kearney, Prof. of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside

"This wonderful film brings home the reality of transnational connections and Andean identity with a vibrant clarity that makes it a major contribution to the understanding of modern Latin America." -- Orin Starn, Prof. of Anthropology, Duke University

Awards

• Margaret Mead Film Festival honoree
• Chicago Latino Film Festival honoree
• International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences honoree
• American Anthropological Assn. selection

Credits

Produced by WIlton Martinez and Paul Gelles.