review of the documentary La Camioneta

last saturday i finally watched a documentary i'd been waiting for almost a year to see called La Camioneta, which follows the journey & transformation of an american school bus that is auctioned to some guatemalans who transform them into colorfully majestic vehicles used for public transportation, including chickens. (chickens apparently ride in style down in latin america!) it's impressive what they do to these vehicles and makes me wonder why our own are so boring. i was struck by something one of the guys who drives the recently bought buses back to guatemala said, that he felt that if you mind your business in the states, people will pretty much leave you alone, but he knew once he crossed the border into mexico, anything can happen. the drivers talked about what they paid in extortion money to the various gangs and, in one scene, you see the bombed bus of a driver who refused to pay, who was murdered along with six passengers. i was reminded of something i've heard some people in portland say, that they long to live somewhere tougher, less politically correct, where people are willing to settle things by force. i grew up in a place like that (ironically, my neighbors were themselves latin americans fleeing repressive regimes, such as in chile) and spent my childhood constantly running from gangs & occasionally getting caught. civilization is such a thin barrier, and in some places in america, and for some people in particular, there is no protection. this documentary gives you glimpse of the daily anxiety these people live with just to make what is in some ways (but not all, not spiritually, and definitely not socially) a very meager living.

http://www.lacamionetafilm.com/