Colombian Children in War Films: Operación E and Alias María

Rocha, Carolina

Bulletin of Hispanic Studies (2019), 96, (5), 553–567.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/bhs.2019.32
Language: English
Pages: 15

Abstract

Two contemporary co-produced films, Operación E (Miguel Courtois, 2012) and Alias María (José Luis Rugeles, 2015), touch on events that took place in Colombia in recent history and in which the FARC participated. In this article I analyse these two films, suggesting that despite their different sources of financing, they are both anti-war films that employ two categories of the threatened child: the sick child in Operación E and the deprived child in Alias María. These categories stress the abuses committed by guerrillas and the important function of the ‘child-savers’ who, by protecting threatened children, stand for the hope of Colombian society.

Operación E (Miguel Courtois, 2012) y Alias María (José Luis Rugeles, 2015) son dos películas recientes que tratan de eventos que ocurrieron en Colombia en la historia reciente y en los cuales las FARC participaron. En este ensayo, analizo estas dos películas, sugiriendo que, a pesar de sus diferentes formas de financiamiento, ambas son películas anti-guerra que emplean las categorías de los niños amenazados: el niño enfermo en Operación E y el desposeído en Alias María. Estas categorías subrayan los abusos cometidos por las guerrillas y la importante función de los protectores de niños quienes al cuidarlos, representan la ilusión de la sociedad colombiana.

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Works cited

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Castro, Samuel, 2013. ‘La historia de siempre: Operación E, de Miguel Courtois’, El Colombiano, 3 March. Available at: >http://www.elcolombiano.com/historico/la_historia_de_siempre_operacion_e_de_miguel_courtois-OEEC_231618> [accessed 19 March 2019]. Google Scholar

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Eberwein, Robert, 2004. The War Film (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press). Google Scholar

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Leech, Garry, 2011. The FARC: The Longest Insurgency (London: Zed Books). Google Scholar

Lissardy, Gerardo, 2008. ‘Francia presiona por Betancourt’, BBC Mundo, 31 March. Available at: >http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_7323000/7323111.stm> [accessed 15 March 2019]. Google Scholar

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Lury, Karen, 2010. The Child in Film: Tear, Fears and Fairy Tales (Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press). Google Scholar

Mango, Agustin, 2016. ‘Oscars; Colombia Selects “Alias Maria” for Foreign-Language Category’, Hollywood Reporter, 9 December. Available at: >http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-2017-colombia-selects-alias-928008> [accessed 24 March 2019]. Google Scholar

Michel, Ursula, 2012. ‘De la jungle a la ville’ Critikat, 12 November. Available at: >http://www.critikat.com/actualite-cine/critique/operacion-e/> [accessed 19 March 2019]. Google Scholar

Moreno Domínguez, José Manuel, 2008. ‘Diversidad audiovisual e integración cultural: analizando el programa Ibermedia’, Comunicación y Sociedad, 9 (June): 95–118. Google Scholar

‘No estamos retratando guerrilleros’, 2015. Semana, ‘Entrevista’, 11 March 2015. Available at: >http://www.semana.com/cultura/articulo/no-estamos-retratando-guerrilleros/420612-3> [accessed 19 March 2019]. Google Scholar

Oleszcyk, Michael, 2015. ‘Cannes 2015: Alias Maria’, Roger Ebert.com, 19 May. Available at: >http://www.rogerebert.com/cannes/cannes-2015-alias-maria> [accessed 24 March 2019]. Google Scholar

Osorio, Oswaldo, 2010. Realidad y cine colombiano (1999–2009) (Medellín: Universidad de Antioquia). Google Scholar

‘La película colombiana “Alias María” estará en competencia en Cannes’, 2015. El Tiempo, 23 April. Available at: >http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-15615556> [accessed 23 March 2019]. Google Scholar

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Rocha, Carolina, and Georgia Seminet, 2012. Representing History, Class, and Gender in Spain and Latin America: Children and Adolescents in Film (New York: Palgrave). Google Scholar

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Filmography

Alias María/Alias Maria. 2015, dir. José Luis Rugeles (Rhayuela Cine; Axxon Films; Sudestada Cine). Google Scholar

Los colores de la montaña/The Colors of the Mountain. 2010, dir. Carlos César Arbeláez (El Bus Producciones; Jaguar Films). Google Scholar

Field of Amapolas. Jardín de amapolas. 2012, Juan Carlos Melo Guevara (Sangre Films; Chirimoya Films). Google Scholar

La historia oficial/The Official Story. 1985, dir. Luis Puenzo (Historias Cinematograficas Cinemania; Progress Communications). Google Scholar

Machuca. 2004, dir. Andrés Wood (Wood Producciones; Tornasol Films). Google Scholar

Mi gente linda, mi gente bella. 2012, dir. Harold Trompetero. Google Scholar

La milagrosa/The Miraculous. 2008, dir. Rafael Lara (Verasur Films, Fractal Films). Google Scholar

Operación E. 2012, dir. Miguel Courtois (A Plus Image 3; A.J.O.Z. Films; Canal+ España). Google Scholar

El Paseo 2/The Trip 2. 2012, dir. Harold Trompetero (Dago García Producciones; Caracol Televisión). Google Scholar

Rodrigo D: No futuro/Rodrigo D: No Future. 1990, dir. Víctor Gaviria (Compañía de Fomento Cinematográfico; FOCINE; Fotoclub-76; Producciones Tiempos Modernos). Google Scholar

La sirga/The Towrope. 2012, dir. William Vega (Burning Blue; Ciné-Sud Promotion; Contravía Films; Ennowa Films). Google Scholar

La toma de la embajada. 2000, dir. Ciro Durán (Cine Colombia). Google Scholar

Uno al año no hace daño/Once a Year It Does not Hurt. 2014, dir. Juan Camilo Pinzón (Proimágenes Colombia). Google Scholar

La sirga/The Towrope. 2012, dir. William Vega (Burning Blue; Ciné-Sud Promotion; Contravía Films; Ennowa Films). Google Scholar

La vendedora de rosas/The Rose Seller. 1998, dir. Víctor Gaviria (Producciones Filmamento). Google Scholar

Voces inocentes/Innocent Voices. 2004, dir. Luis Mandoki (Lawrence Bender Productions; MUVI Films; Organización Santo Domingo; A Band Apart; Altavista; Santo Domingo). Google Scholar