Cidade de Deus (2002)

Cidade de Deus tells the story of a favela in Rio de Janero. The story of the Cidade is recounted by Rocket, an aspiring photographer hoping to escape the poverty of the favela. Rocket's coming of age, along with those of many of the kids around him, forms the bulk of the film's story, while frequent flashbacks place them into the greater context of the Cidade's history. Life in the "City of God" is brutal and unrelenting. Murder, drug-abuse, and corruption are rampant, and the denizens cursed to poverty.

The origin and economy of the favela are important aspects to consider when watching this film. Rocket speaks about his family's migration, along with many other similar families, as refugees from the agricultural interior fleeing the devastation of widespread flooding. The mid-twentieth century saw a massive migration to cities, and in Brazil it was no different. in Brazil, from the 1930's through the 1950's, the lack of agricultural mechanization, poor conditions, and grueling nature of the work contributed to the migration to the cities. Once in the cities, the migrants formed a 'subproletariat', not a bona fide working class, but a body of workers that could be exploited on a piecemeal basis by industries that did not have to pay them benefits or substantial wages, due to the impermanence of the jobs for which these laborers hired. Furthermore by 1960, 100 economically active people in the favelas accounted for 179 economically in-active people, solidifying these peoples role as a 'subproletariat'. (Pino, Labor in the Favelas, p. 20). Cidade de Deus tells the story of this group of people and the informal economy in which they took part. This informal economic activity in its legitimate for (such as day labor, cottage industry, etc.) often did not pay the bills, many people turned to truly 'informal' economies, in the form of drug-dealing and crime.

Race is also certainly an issue in the favelas, though life in them was not necessarily determined by race, as people of all descents inhabited the favelas. However, in Brazil "social mobility among Brazilians of African descent has historically been the lowest among all ethnic groups." (Santos Oliveira, favelas and Ghettos, p. 77). Many of the characters in Cidade de Deus, including Rocket, are of African descent. They live in poverty, and will likely to continue to live in poverty. The cyclical nature of violence and poverty is an important theme in the film. Rocket however, manages to break free from the cycle. He does this through his photographs, which are published by a middle-class, white newspaper. Rocket breaks from from the favelas poverty by "becoming white".

Che: Volume One (2008)

Che: The Argentine, is the first part of a two-part film chronicling the second half of the life of Argentinian revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. The film picks up several years after the end of The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), which focuses on Guevara's formative multi-country motorcycle trek. Che focuses on Guevara's involvement in the Cuban Revolution, from his initial introduction to Fidel Castro, until the War's end. The majority of the film focuses on the guerilla campaign of the Cuban Revolution, but interspersed through this narrative is a depiction of Che's visit to the United Nations in 1964.

Though most of Che focuses on Guevara's role in the Cuban Revolutionary War, a brief bit pays homage to Che's meeting with Fidel Castro in Mexico. In the film we see Che agreeing to join Castro in his Cuban expedition, a moment that would be fortuitous in his growth as a revolutionary and socialist leader. However this scene in Mexico leaves out an important aspect of Che's life between the events portrayed in The Motorcycle Diaries and Che. Both of these films focus on formative and defining periods of Guevara's life. However, the years Che spent in Mexico in the time between Diaries and Che, were not a time of revolutionary active for Che. At this point in his life, Guevara was struggling with a floundering medical career, and the new-found strains of domestic life (he had recently become a father and married, something it seems he had not planned on). To deal with his new situation, Guevara spent most of his time "with leisure travel and idle contemplation." (Zolov, "Guevara in Mexico", p. 2). This goes against the myth of Che as a ceaseless revolutionary. Zolov goes on to speak of Che's overall lack of political activity in Mexico, prior to meeting Castro. Despite what Che later became (and not to deny his conscience for social justice acquired on the travels of his youth), it seems like at least part of the reason he joined Castro was for adventure, and an escape from the doldrum that his life had become.

The bulk of Che is spent portraying the struggle of Guevara in the Cuban Revolution. Though ultimately victorious, Guevara's mission in Cuba was extremely difficult, compounded by his asthma. During the war, Guevara pioneered many tactics that would form the center of Guerrilla warfare strategy. In the film, Guevara and his men creep through the jungle, maintaining hidden bases, working symbiotically with the peasant population, and striking Fulgencio Batista's forces with surprise attacks. The methods of the Revolution were extremely successful, and would be collected and expounded upon by Guevara in his book Guerrilla Warfare: A Method. Guevara explained the tactics in a way that revolutionary groups throughout the world could put into practice in overthrowing tyranny. Following the success of the Cuban Revolution, Guevara would take these strategies to other countries, leading and teaching fighters in the techniques successful in Cuba.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

The Motorcycle Diaries details the story of a trip made by a young Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, and his older friend Alberto. The trip, which Che and Alberto made largely on motorcycle, took the pair through several countries in South America, and brought them into contact with a wide array of peoples of all walks of life. The encounters and experiences that came out of this trip had a profound effect on the young Che, and would play an important part in the formation of Che's revolutionary social views.

It is important to note that this was not the first time Che had traveled. He grew up in a middle class family, with wealthy and prestigious familial connections, and was therefore able to enjoy a fairly high standard of living. He had traveled often as a youth, and his family moved around a lot as his father took different jobs. As an avid reader, Che also gained an understanding of the world outside Argentina from various travelogues. The motorcycle trip he took prior to finishing his medical degree undoubtedly had the most profound effect on him. He and Alberto set out with an end-goal in mind (the leper colony in Peru), but the voyage itself was the focus of the trip. Che wanted to meet the lower classes, the Indians, and the working poor. To this end the travelers made a point of going off the beaten path, eschewing tourist destinations in order to get in touch with the common peoples of South America. Also important to note is that while Che was on the move, so was much of South America. During the 1950's millions of people flocked from the countryside to the big cities, as urbanization boomed. Many of the people Che encountered were people like these, headed for the cities. (Elena, Eduardo, Point of Departure)

Another important aspect of Che's philosophy that took shape during this voyage is his conception of the unity of South America's peoples. At this point in South American history, a strong racism was present among European South Americans, resulting in a strict segregation in the post-colonial period between these elites and their indigenous countrymen. These racism of the elite classes was highlighted by the changes occurring around them as a result of the massive urban migrations of the mid-twentieth century. Che was aware of this, and came to be more and more appalled by it as he traveled. Thus the idea of pan-Latin American unity became very attractive to him. This ideal would become integral to his revolutionary theories. Towards the end of the film, Che makes a toast to the "single mestizo race" of South America.

Soy Cuba (1964)

Soy Cuba (1964), is a colorful look at the history of Cuba through the lens of the people’s struggle against oppression and imperialism. Much like Que Vive Mexico (1979), Soy Cuba is told in an episodic fashion, detailing the events leading up to, and during the revolution of 1959. Though it does not span as much time as Mexico, the film depicts life in Cuba under an oppressive regime. The role of the United States in supporting the exploitation of Cuba is hinted at not discreetly.

Imperialism took on a different nature for Cuba following independence from Spain. Latin Americans took a Marxist approach to analyzing their history. In this outlook, they acknowledged that their societies had been built on exploitation, where a privileged few gained at the expense of the population. When the colonial government left, they were replaced by multi-national corporations from the United States. (Chasteen, p. 264-265) The first part of this film begins with an unflattering portrayal of the role of Americans in Cuban society.

An interesting aspect of the film is its portrayal of race-relations in Cuba. Blacks are shown to suffer just as much as people of Spanish descent. One episode of the film focuses on the struggle of a young black woman who is sexually exploited by American capitalists. At the end of this scene, we are taken on an impromptu tour of a shantytown inhabited mainly by blacks. The socialist realism of this scene acknowledges the racial diversity of Cuba, and includes all the peoples of Cuba in its portrayal of the oppressed. The Nationalist struggle would only succeed if race issues were reconciled. (de la Fuente)

This film is important also as a symbolic representation of the union between Cuba and the USSR. It was made not long after the US and Cuban relationship had gone sour. Though the Soviet-Cuban relationship was not always perfect, the message behind this film is important to the universal struggle against imperialism.