{"id":38665,"date":"2014-12-01T18:56:51","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T18:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mixedracestudies.org\/wordpress\/?p=38665"},"modified":"2014-12-13T20:58:05","modified_gmt":"2014-12-13T20:58:05","slug":"pelo-malo-director-mariana-rondon-why-her-movie-hits-a-nerve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mixedracestudies.org\/wp\/?p=38665","title":{"rendered":"‘Pelo Malo’ Director Mariana Rondon: Why Her Movie Hits A Nerve"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Pelo Malo’ Director Mariana Rondon: Why Her Movie Hits A Nerve<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

NBC News<\/a>
\n2014-11-19<\/p>\n

Sandra Guzman<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

For Latinos born with Afro-textured, curly hair or kinky hair – referred to as pelo malo<\/em> or “bad hair” in Latin America and the Caribbean – their experiences can be quite intense and in many cases negative, as an Afro-Honduran recently told NBC News<\/em> Latino contributor Raul A. Reyes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Precisely because Afro-textured hair holds such a complex, racial history in our home countries, it can be tricky to explore as a topic. But in the skillful hands of Venezuelan director\/writer Mariana Rond\u00f3n<\/a>, black hair is a window into Latin America\u2019s soul.<\/p>\n

The Venezuelan movie Pelo Malo<\/em><\/a>, which opens Wednesday in selected theaters across the country, has generated controversy in Venezuela<\/a> and grabbed audiences and juries alike. It has already won several awards, including top prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The plot of the film seems simple enough: a nine-year old boy wants to straighten his afro-like hair to look like his favorite pop singer\u2014a Justin Bieber<\/a> type – for his school picture. His unemployed single mom, who is light skinned, will have none of it; she also worries he might be gay. As the battle between mother and son unfolds, with the backdrop of chaotic modern day Caracas<\/a> and the child\u2019s paternal black abuela<\/a>, this brilliant film exposes every layer of modern day Venezuelan society\u2014its negated racism, its beauty queen culture, its urban violence, poverty, its polarized politics, and its deeply rooted homophobia.<\/p>\n

NBC News<\/em> spoke to the Ms. Rond\u00f3n who is visiting New York for today\u2019s film\u2019s premiere…<\/p>\n

…Why black hair?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Black hair serves as a portal. In the beginning, the boy goes to the mirror; the mirror is a window into the most profound part of our identity. We all have that thing we don\u2019t like about us, a nose, a body part. It\u2019s where we begin to recognize ourselves.<\/p>\n

In that sense, we all have pelo malo<\/em>…<\/p>\n