Educational Media Reviews Online

Written, directed, and produced by Xavi Sala, Guie'dani's Navel (Xquipi' Guie'dani) follows the journey of a young girl forced to leave her indigenous village in southwest Mexico, to accompany her mother as a domestic servant in an affluent neighborhood in Mexico City. While the members of the household initially project a welcoming air, their privileged lifestyle is a shocking contrast to Guie’dani (Sótera Cruz) and Lidia’s (Érika López) previous life experiences. They find themselves surrounded by, yet at the same time constantly restricted from, the lavishness of the residence and the hobbies and possessions made possible by the family’s wealth.

Lidia’s acclimation begins immediately. She finds herself unfamiliar with the household’s luxury appliances and is told her cooking is too ethnic. Guie’dani quietly observes and frequently overhears the family judgmentally discussing them both, and soon a steady stream of microaggressions ensue. It is suggested the mother and daughter not speak their native dialect together, that their clothing and appearance needs improvement, that they should be using their designated cutlery instead of tortillas, and that while Lidia is a rare, trustworthy asset, that Guie’dani is idle, uneducated, and ungrateful. Guie’dani becomes more and more homesick by the day, especially after news that her grandmother (Lidia’s mother) is ill, but Lidia fears neither of them can leave the new job to be with their own family, without being fired.

Soon Guie’dani meets Claudia (Majo Alfaroh), a friendly and free-spirited girl her own age, and a much-needed friend who breaks through Guie’dani’s sense of alienation. Soon however, the host mother declares Claudia an insubordinate troublemaker and forbids Guie’dani from seeing her. As Guie’dani observes her stern, stoic and hardworking mother begin to adapt to the standards of their employers in order survive, the young girl’s resentment and sense of isolation begins to escalate even more rapidly. When the host family leaves on a week-long vacation and her mother must rush back to their village, Guie’dani is left alone. Unsupervised and unrestrained, her rebellion culminates in recklessness with seemingly little thought for the long-term ramifications of her actions. Nevertheless, consequences swiftly come, fate intervenes, and the film ends ambiguously as the audience is left to wonder - and worry - what choices she will make and what path she will choose next.

While Guie’dani’s Navel has a relatively simple premise, it has sincere performances and thoughtfully written characters having profound interactions with one another. Suitable for audiences of a wide age range, it has immense potential for fostering discussions about discrimination (including same-race discrimination), casual and overt racism, classism, identity, cultural differences, wealth disparity, privilege, and more. It is highly recommended.

The film is spoken in Zapotec and Spanish, with English subtitles.

Awards:
Alacant International Film Festival, Audience, Best Director, Best Actress, and Critics Award; Huelva Ibero American Film Festival, Radio Exterior of Spain Award; Morelia Film Festival, Special Mention Film Actress, Sótera Cruz, Cinépolis Distribution Award; XicanIndie Film Festival, Best Fiction Film

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