Educational Media Reviews Online

“We demand respect because we are kids with knowledge – sons of the ghetto.” – Ghettos Clan

From its genesis in the Bronx of the late 1970s, hip hop culture gave a dynamic voice to those previously silenced by the dominant cultural institutions of the time. This marginalization is not unique to the United States as cultural hegemony is played out throughout the world, creating poor and disenfranchised youth desperate to articulate their rage, frustration and calls for change. In Resistencia: Hip Hop in Columbia, Director Tom Feiling illustrates Colombia’s unique political, economic and cultural circumstances that produced a fiercely intelligent and pointedly aggressive hip hop scene, and the struggles of that community to be heard.

Through their overtly political raps, break dancing and graffiti art, the profiled artists discuss the American-sponsored drug war, forced displacement of rural Colombians, government corruption, lack of media access, police brutality, and poverty. Rarely aired in American or Colombian media outlets, their perspectives shed new light on conventional wisdom surrounding these issues. For example, some of the rappers discuss the disconnect between the nefarious image of noted drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, propagated by Colombian media, and his image as a benevolent patron of the community amongst common Colombians. One rapper states that the government and media touted the improved conditions in Colombian ghettos due to Escobar’s death. However, he elucidated a completely disparate picture, namely, that Escobar’s legitimate businesses, which employed many in the communities, crumbled, causing further economic devastation in certain areas of the country. Another hip hop philosopher articulated his disgust with the Colombian government’s manipulation of critical legislation. With the entire nation watching Colombia in the South American soccer championship, legislators in Bogotá clandestinely passed a law privatizing education, so to avoid negative publicity. As a result, Colombia’s public educational system had been dismantled without debate, creating an educational vacuum for lower socio-economic classes. Exploring these complexities through artistic expression, the Colombian hip hop community shows an intellectual vibrancy and political self-awareness often missing from the flows of many of their North American counterparts.

Much of the film is comprised of the rappers’ rhymes, earnest interviews and clips of amazing break dancing and popping. Devoid of record deals, these artists speak from the heart without fear of alienating fan bases or trivializing the tragic plight of the poor. Feiling often focuses on the poets’ faces while they spit their vitriolic rhymes, conveying their anger and despondence vividly, or overlays these raps over montages that capture the street life of the poorest barrios of Colombia. Due to their inaccessibility to technologies such as turntables, records and faders, the featured artists rely on human beatboxing, creative and thoughtful verse, and the raw passion of their delivery.

Though much of the film is in Spanish and subtitles are provided for the interviews, most of the raps are not subtitled. There are some violent images that may be unsuitable for younger children. This film is highly recommended as it broaches several important topics from a perspective that is rarely heard when Colombia is discussed internationally. Furthermore, this departure from the mass media’s homogenized opinion creates opportunities for critical thinking and discussion among its viewers. Multidisciplinary in scope, Resistencia could be incorporated into a music, government, popular culture or Latin American Studies curricula at the high school or university level.

Awards

• Best Music Film, Portobello Film Festival
• Best Foreign Documentary, Urban World NYC Film Festival
• Special Jury Prize, Bogotá International Film Festival
• Honorary Mention, Oakland Film Festival