Hermano

I just saw the Venezuelan movie "Hermano" and will admit that it was a bit more than I had bargained for... but then again, it isn't the first time that I have felt that way this year. The movie is about two brothers who are fighting to get out of the poorest slums in Venezuela (and the biggest in Latin America)-Petare. Soccer is one brother's plan to get both of them out.

I'm not going to summarize the movie here, it really needs to be seen and experienced to be truly understood. I said before that it was more than I had bargained for because it hit too close to home. Throughout this year I have met different people who also want to "get out," whether it be figuratively or literally, and haven't been able to. Some of the people who study at my university are doing so in order to better themselves and provide for their families with one or two good jobs rather than four or five odd jobs. Other people simply do not see where they fit in in the current societal situation. Many have commented that they feel like they don't have an opportunity to grow and develop themselves personally and professionally here in Venezuela. but don't really have a choice. I can't begin to imagine the impotence they must feel.

It was one of those movies that taught me as much about myself as it did about Venezuelan life in Petare. The times that we have had to pass through Petare for whatever reason, we always did so fearfully, taking every possible precaution to make sure nothing happened to us as we drove through. We were suspicious of anyone who got too close. Forget getting out of the car. But as "Hermano" reminds us, the people living there are not monsters, they have just grown up differently than we have and have not had the same opportunities. However, I don't plan on driving down to Petare to lend a hand anytime soon, because I've realized that I really don't understand what life is like there and it would be pretentious of me to assume that I could make a difference without that understanding. "Hermano" gave me a glimpse into that world and boggled my mind, reminding me how much of the world I don't yet comprehend.

This entry is a bit scatter-brained because that's how the movie made me feel. Certain scenes keep repeating themselves in my head and I have a feeling they will for quite some time. I can't fathom having to go through what they did- one brother was abandoned as a baby and the other puts food on the family table with "dirty money," people they love are senselessly murdered.... I was not the only one who needed a tissue.

However, the message that shone through the whole movie was positive- the people that you care about are your family, and it is the most important thing you've got. That's the message I choose to take to heart.