Educational Media Reviews Online

The concept of dreaming is amazing. During sleep, a dream is an involuntary reel of moments in time stemming from a multitude of factors. They can feel so real despite being fictious. Sometimes, they are memories locked away in tightly secured boxes of the brain while other times they are complete and utter nonsense. While awake, dreaming takes on a whole other meaning. They are the aspects of life we wish for, such as aspirations, goals, or doorways to escapism. Regardless of the type, they are always individual to each person. When someone reveals their dreams to another, it is something to cherish and behold because it inevitably has a story behind it.

Map of Latin American Dreams is exactly what the title suggests - an exploration of the desires of people across several Latin American countries. This poignant documentary by MartÍn Weber stemmed from a longstanding passion project. From 1992 to 2008, he traveled through Latin America and queried passerby about what they longed for most. Then, each person would write it on a small chalkboard and pose for a picture. Between 2010 and 2017, Weber returned to check in on each dreamer, picture in hand. It is a tall task to ask someone else to be vulnerable for one single moment in time, but even more difficult to track that person down for an interview after years have passed. Would they even still be there, and if so, what about their dreams? Would they want to unpack traumas and sadness all over again. Some quests end up more successful than others.

The chalkboard confessions are a glimpse into the historiography of each person alongside the torrid history of Latin America itself. Beyond the dreams, the black and white images are honest and evoke emotion in the viewer. Throughout the documentary, Weber employs close shots of people’s faces and hands; the former showcasing the honesty permeating through eyes and the latter symbolizing the hard work that is a commonality of each person’s story. Additionally, slow motion is used to draw out scene transitions, perhaps to give the viewer a break from being transfixed by the continuous display of raw emotion. There is very little background music, which serves to amplify the compelling nature of each interview.

Map of Latin American Dreams may be a challenging film to watch, but it is engaging throughout and inspires the viewer to ponder their own lives and where personal dreams come from. This film will be a powerful addition to any school or academic library collection. The prominent themes of Latin American history, social psychology, and anthropology make it useful for various high school or college classes. Viewers should take note that the film contains English subtitles and some scenes of hard drug use.

Awards:
Best Documentary Feature Seattle Latino Film Festival; Best Documentary Toulouse Latin American Film Festival; Best Mexican Documentary Feature Guanajuato Int’l Film Festival; Jury Prize at Ismailia Film Festival; Special Mention Semana De Cine De Lugo; Best Int’l Documentary El Ícaro Festival Int’l de Cine en Centroamérica; Jury Prize Brasília International Film Festival; Winner Contemporary Contest Festival del Cinema Ibero-Latino Americano di Trieste

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