Reflect on one of the film watched in class.
Dreaming Nicaragua followed the story of 5 children throughout Nicaragua, and gave us a glimpse of their daily life with narratives about their family history and their goals and dreams. The film was very moving and it was able to capture elements of Nicaraguan culture and it's diversity, as well as the hardship felt by the poor inhabitants of this Latin American country. One of the stories that stuck with me was Yuri's. Her families livelihood depended on the dumpster, where they sourced their food, clothes, and housing materials from. At one point in the film, she talks about being teased for digging in the dumpster, and that it made her sad. However, she also said she loves that she spends with her family while digging in the dumpster, and the film showcased the affection between her and her mom, sister and dad. This part of the film was very touching to me because it resonated so much with the values I was brought up on. My family always said that they "were rich in family", meaning that despite not being monetarily rich, being in the presence and sharing with family makes one rich. However, her story did not have a "happy ending". She dropped out of school and became a mother at the age of sixteen, counter to what she wished for when the film was recorded. If anything, this film made me reflect on how hard it is to make it out of generational poverty, and that many times it is out of the hands of individuals to choose their own destiny given social, economic and cultural barriers.