Culture | March 17, 2008 | Comment on this video (13)

Virgin Of East LA

BooksBrown
The Virgin of Guadalupe is a 16th century Mexican icon of the Virgin Mary which appears on wall murals and tattoos around the streets of East LA. This pod by vc2 producer Carlos Aguilar explores this iconography with interviews of artists, academics and people from the community.
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    Culture,   Art and Style,   Random,   Art,   4 more
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    Culture,  Not News,  Random,  Art and Style,  41 more
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13 comments // Virgin Of East LA // Video

  • DonQ
  • BooksBrown
  • ivyheartsmando
    • 0
      ivyheartsmando  

    • I am very devout to the Virgen de Guadalupe so she is a very touchy subject for me as she is to many people. To me and too many she is more than just an "icon." She is someone we look for, especially for us women, in times of need.

    • 4 years ago
  • BooksBrown
    • 0
      BooksBrown  
    • ivyheartsmando:

      There's much more to that connection as well, captured on camera, but not discussed in the pod. I think a cool follow-up pod would be "Dissecting La Virgen," where we can discuss and exemplify the various roles she personally plays in people's lives. There are many, and they're are not typically found among other figures, from gods to humans.

      People find this topic fascinating, and it brings up a lot of discusssion on her role in society. The fact is there are many... I'm sure we can help clarify/justify some of these inquiries/ideas in a follow-up pod. It can possibly bring some closure for people.

    • 3 years ago
  • image0434
  • Spiral9
  • DonQ
    • 0
      DonQ  

    • Steve Carrell will play the role of La Virgin de Guadalupe in "400 Year-Old Virgin." They're looking at Daniel Day Lewis to play the indian again. Where did all the natives go?

    • 4 years ago
  • turkish_delight
    • 0
      turkish_delight  

    • very true BooksBrown, I really like how your pod focuses on the strength of the spiritual and the belief that the Latino community in East LA has for La Virgen. I love the pod! Great music and very well shot, great job spotlighting the imagery over the shoulder of the characters, small touches like that help connect every shot really well =)

    • 4 years ago
  • BooksBrown
    • 0
      BooksBrown  

    • on that note, the virgen is also powerless in keeping people from working long hours, babysitting for other family members, attending church, feeding needy families in the neighborhood, sending money back to their families and communities in Mexico to improve living conditions; she also isn't any good at stopping the rampant police profiling, political malfeasance and other institutional forms of exploitation and dehumanization...

      hmm..what wonders what good she does at all, eh?

    • 4 years ago
  • fr3dlight
    • 0
      fr3dlight  

    • The "Virgem" is a powerful icon in the mexican culture, yet still doesn't hold anyone back from shooting, banging,dealing drugs,stealing cars,claiming neighborhoods as gang territory, and spray painting everything in sight.
      Please, Virgem Maria, appear again before the peasants, as the original message was lost in translation.
      God bless them, and help them find their way. Seriously.

    • 4 years ago
  • BooksBrown
  • bstein
  • DonQ
    • 0
      DonQ  

    • I like the "mexican revolution" touches... it was actually included in the very first draft, but was dropped to exploit the "spiritual" route. I like the edit.

    • 4 years ago
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