Esperanza
Esperanza began as a community engagement project in response to the giant puppet Little Amal visiting Tucson. I, along with two collaborators Esperanza Ries and Truman Adams, wanted
to welcome Amal into Tucson with our own puppet. We modeled her look off of Tucson's physical and cultural landscape. She is meant to represent Tucson's own connection with immigration.
to welcome Amal into Tucson with our own puppet. We modeled her look off of Tucson's physical and cultural landscape. She is meant to represent Tucson's own connection with immigration.
Symbols
We referenced traditional Sonoran
and Chihuahuan clothing, and the Tucson landscape:
and Chihuahuan clothing, and the Tucson landscape:
Cacti
Mountain Skyline
Stitching that mimics trails
Marigolds
Flowing fit clothing
Colors
We referenced sunrises, and
Dia de Los Muertos:
Dia de Los Muertos:
Blue- water
Yellow/Orange- guiding light, death
Purple- Pain, loss
Pink- Joy, celebration
Esperanza: The short film
This short film is meant to delve deeper into Esperanza's origin. Although we kept her meaning general for the giant puppet, Esperanza Ries and I wanted to reference our own experiences, as second and third generation Latine, within the video.
We follow this Latina college student around campus as she struggles to feel confident in herself. She has trouble making connections with others. Each time she fails to connect, her body physically shrinks. Her hope is waning. However, a visit from Amal could change Esperanza's outlook. Her sense of self strengthens as she considers all that Amal represents. At the height of her confidence, she grows to 16 feet tall before traveling to meet Amal, and spreading their message of hope.
We follow this Latina college student around campus as she struggles to feel confident in herself. She has trouble making connections with others. Each time she fails to connect, her body physically shrinks. Her hope is waning. However, a visit from Amal could change Esperanza's outlook. Her sense of self strengthens as she considers all that Amal represents. At the height of her confidence, she grows to 16 feet tall before traveling to meet Amal, and spreading their message of hope.
At the start of the film, it is clear Esperanza is not confident in her identity. We wanted to make sure her clothing fed into this story line, and that the contrast between her giant puppet form and her origin form is strikingly clear.
We dulled her colors down completely and stuck to neutral tones. Her clothing is modern, but not festive like her giant form. We also wanted the clothing to look restrictive. The turtleneck is tighter and hides a lot of her form. The addition of a jacket is also meant to restrict movement and feed the idea that Esperanza is hiding. Her hair is also restricted, as we placed it in a bun.
