"Soldaderas"
Contemporizing Soldadera's, an identification attached to war, Arroyo and Olivera forged a new meaning through dance, creating a connection to the past. Arroyo states, "This approach also allowed us to de-militarize the idea of the Soldadera, to abstract the figure of the soldier to an action. So in the movement, I really thought of braiding, welding, melting, forging as physical actions. Thinking of the possibility of transforming something solid, changing it by heating it up, melting it, and transforming it into something else."
Draped in pieces from Olivera's collection, Arroyo is contextualized in garb that connects Mexican culture from pastimes to now. Fully inspired by the women that defined an era, Olivera speaks to sentiments that she carries with her, "I admired and valued not only the Soldadera's resistance and courage but also their ability to take care of their families and households. I think of this as real resistance when I think about institutions and colonialism, our ability to celebrate the features that are not necessarily closely related to men or power but that as a society we need to promote in everyone." "Soldaderas" captures the essence of actualization not only through self-exploration but through community and the connections one makes. The film concludes with a dinner scene acting as a celebration of togetherness and resilience, offering hope for future interpretations of Soldaderas.
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