Maria Full Of Grace

The story of a young Colombian woman is portrayed in the 2004 film Maria Full of Grace. Directed by Joshua Marston, the drama won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for Best World Cinema Dramatic. Protagonist, Catalina Sandino Moreno, also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. While at first glance viewers of the movie may contend that it is only about drug trafficking, the film is about so much more. The acclaimed piece delivers an authentic look at patriarchy, gender, globalization, and othering. All of theses themes intersect throughout the film. Maria Full of Grace, which is in Spanish with English subtitles, is both moving and realistic. The film gives viewers a true look into what life as a young global south woman

Othering is something that is easy to do. People living in the United States tend to have to a very ethnocentric view regarding the rest of the world. In many cases, members of our culture pass judgment on cultures that are different from ours. Hence, we think in terms of “us” being better than “them.” Maria Full of Grace challenges these confines by depicting Maria as an ordinary young woman. Cynthia Sorrensen, who is an author for Johns Hopkins University’s Project Muse website does a great job at explaining this. In regards to the film, she states, “It opens discussion on the ‘othering’ in the illegal drug trade and industry and larger society. There is much at stake portraying mules, intermediaries, and even drug lords as ruthless evil people” (Sorrensen). This is due to the fact that such representations help encourage American citizens rally behind the efforts such as the War on Drugs without forcing people to take an introspective look at the drug problems that affect our country domestically. This film does not choose to portray the characters in film as violent and merciless. “Instead, it depicts many of these people as quite ordinary, as more or less filling the voids in society which its oppressive economic

Activists are people who see a problem and actually do something about it. While there is a lack of activism that specifically focuses on women in drug trafficking, there is an organization called the Latin America Working Group works to battle oppressions that are seen in the film. Based in Washington DC, the activist group, “brings U.S. civil society groups and citizens together to influence U.S. policy to promote peace and justice in Latin America” (Latin America Working Group). Their mission of peace and justice in South American countries can help women like Maria. The Latin American Working Group helps to bring awareness about other countries to citizens in the US. This can help to create better relations and understanding between Americans and the many South American citizens involved. By promoting peace, the group is working to quell some of the violent and illegal activities that are taking place in Latin America. If further measures are taken and more people support the cause, it is possible for activities such as drug trafficking to lose their vigor. This would mean that less women would be recruited to work as drug mules. By supporting justice, the Latin American Working Group is supporting women in countries such as Columbia. The activists who work for this group realize that inequality exists in Latin American society, especially in the workplace. If women who are in