On Sept. 13, 2023, Moorpark College’s Film Club took part in acknowledging the diverse cultures and history of the Latinx community through a screening of “The Chambermaid.”
The 2018 Mexican drama, directed by Lila Avilés, depicts the life of a single mother chambermaid, including the ongoing cycle of cleaning rooms, getting her education and dealing with hotel guests.
The movie selection process for the film screening involved an Instagram poll between two Latinx movie options; “The Chambermaid” and “3 Beauties.” After comparing a short plot description and audience scores of both features, club members selected their “winner” for the upcoming club meeting.
Moorpark College Film Club President Yaretzi Alvarez voiced the importance of honoring Latinx Heritage Month after seeing a lack of representation growing up Hispanic.
“It’s important to recognize all cultures, and it’s great that there is a month decided to honor Hispanics,” Alvarez said. “It’s important for everybody to feel the same.”
Unlike other dynamic films tackling Latinx livelihood, “The Chambermaid” is different due to the monotonous life of the protagonist and the quiet filming style.
“After never seeing it before, it’s not my favorite genre, but I do like how it offered the realistic feeling of the chambermaid’s life,” said Alvarez.
Although “The Chambermaid” is entirely in Spanish, viewers that do not speak the language can still understand the drama’s message to some extent.
Veronica Gabra, a film, television, and media arts student at Moorpark College, attended as one of the social media managers of the club. Gabra believes that despite possibly missing references or points being made through the character’s dialogue, watching a movie in a different language forces a person to delve into the other elements of the film.
“A lot of the movie’s substance was held visually; whether it was through the expression of the actors or through the visible symbols [and] artifacts throughout,” explained Gabra.
After the movie ended, club members shared their reviews, noting their opinions, likes and dislikes of the film.
“I thought the movie, “The Chambermaid,” was pretty interesting considering how many clichés they decided to go against,” Gabra said. “It was very impressive how despite the point of the movie being to bore you, it was still able to keep you locked in enough to wonder.”
Anaya Riddle, a Moorpark College film, television and media arts student and the other social media manager for the club, spoke about the significance of highlighting realities low-income communities face.
“I enjoyed “The Chambermaid” because I felt that it achieved its goal in showcasing the monotonous routine that is life,” Riddle said. “Especially in showing an impoverished life wherein the goal is just to survive.”
This film screening is the first of many Latinx Heritage Month events scheduled at Moorpark College this year. For more information, click here.
