Mojana

About this project

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.