Xquipi 'Guie'dani = 'Guie'dani's Navel = El Umbligo de 'Guie'dani

Xquipi 'Guie'dani = 'Guie'dani's Navel = El Umbligo de 'Guie'dani

Guie'dani director and star

I saw this today at a Mexican Film Festival at the Roxie. It moved me so much that I have been reading/watching every interview and review since I got home. 

I knew this would be a film that interested me as it is about the class racism and despicable lifestyle that indigenous people are subject to daily in Upper middle class homes in Mexico. 

It was like watching "Get Out" but the Spanish version where all the micro-aggressions are taken part by one class to another. Also light to dark skin colored. 

The story is quoted as saying it is "The opposite of Roma". At first I went in doubtful having loved the movie Roma that recreated a neighborhood I know well in Mexico City and showed the relationship of maid and workers in it's good and bad. 

The director said that Roma is a fairytale in  that the servants are happy, loved and are treated as part of the family. I agree with this.

The basic plot is that of a 12 year old girl and her mother are forced to take a live-in house keeping job away from the Indian pueblo in Oaxaca. It is more of a slavitude as they work from early morning until late at night 6 days a week for the family and live in a small one room with one bed. The mother says they don't have enough food there. 

The huge house and Mexico City is a cultural shock to Guie'dani who has only ever been in her small town. Her mom has apparently done this type of work before so she knows what to expect and the submissiveness that is expected of her but Guie'dani's won't break. She is like a wild stallion that won't be broken. 

She hears family conversations with the privileged children saying they are stupid Indians and sees her mom lose all of her person accepting being a less-than person in the house that only is supposed to answer yes maam. 

Guie'dani refuses to smile, seeing the wrong in the life they are subjected to as Indians. The white son is her age but refuses to look at her or acknowledge her, The daughter is older and is worse. 

During a family vacation, Guie'dani's mom has to run home to see her dying mom and she leaves Guie'dani at the house because someone needs to feed the fish. This is why they were denied going home for the Christmas holidays. 

Guie'dani alone does everything she has ever wanted to do in the house and not been allowed to do - jump on the trampoline, bathe and sleep in masters room and watch their TV with a friend (neighborhood servant girl her age).  However, in doing this she trashes the entire house - everything even their clothes. This is where I walked out. I just didn't want to see the inevitable conclusion after this girl had experienced happiness for once. 

I've looked on line and the ending turned out that the family did come home early because she would not answer the phone anymore or door. However she runs away instead of be confronted. I'm pretty sure that this is the ending from different sources. Below I have a picture of her in one of her walking on the freeway home in her indigenous dress that she was not allowed to wear in the house.  

In my mind I would love to see a cinema full of maids watching this and cheering when she does the ultimate F.U. and torches a stuffed effigy of the man in his clothes. 

This is actually the ending picture

Guie'dani not accepting this life and walking home?

Guie'dani and her mom taking the bus to Mexico City

 Guie'dani looking in the mirror and staying proud and not accepting of terrible treatment