This project emerged as an exploration of the complex history of banana
cultivation in the Colombian Caribbean. Earlier this semester, I visited
this region of Colombia and noticed the subtle ways
in which the banana industry impacted the language, culture, and
stories people told. This industry also fundamentally shaped relations
within the region and instituted ecological and political violence,
prompting generations of unspoken trauma. Chiquita, formerly
known as the United Fruit Company, massacred thousands of banana
workers in Magdalena in 1928 and since then this company has not
relented its grip on the region, to the point of instituting paramil-
tary violence against its workers until 2018 to prevent any halt in
banana cultivation.
Aside from the influence of the American Banana industries, this
region has a rich history, culture, and mythos. I am fascinated by the
mythological complexity of these stories, and for this reason, I chose
to make this film about Mojana. In this film, I used illustrations to
recount Mojana's surreal narrative and omnipotence in conjunction
with Toto la Momposina's Mojana. Mojana is a spirit that rep-
resents a post-colonial Colombian woman, who has chosen to adv-
cate for freedom in her life, becoming one with the Magdalena River.
Yet in the lyrics of the song, there's a struggle to restrain her. By
making Mojana a protector of the forest and people, her story is a
stand-in for resilience.
Visually, I considered using color and embedded subtitles with my own
font in the video itself, however as I was making the video I realized
that these elements might take away from the power of the visuals
of the piece. For this reason, I opted to use adjustable captioning
which could be toggled.