Las Marthas

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Las Marthas
Directed byCristina Ibarra
Produced byCristina Ibarra, Erin Ploss-Campoamor
StarringLaura Garza Hovel, Rosario Reyes
Cinematography Natalia Almada, Craig Marsden, Ray Santisteban
Edited byCarla Gutierrez, Sonia Gonzalez-Martinez
Music by David Majzlin
Distributed by Women Make Movies
Release date
  • February 17, 2014 (2014-02-17)
Running time
69 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish, Spanish (English subtitles)

Las Marthas is a 2014 documentary film directed by Cristina Ibarra, which follows two young women on their journey to their debut in 19th-century-inspired gowns at an event hosted by the Society of Martha Washington.

Contents

Synopsis

Las Marthas is a documentary film directed by Cristina Ibarra, who follows two young women, Laurita Garza Hovel—a prominent member of Laredo society—and Rosario Reyes—a newcomer from Mexico—while on their journey to make to their debut at an event hosted by the Society of Martha Washington.

The film displays an, "alternative image of the border-town life" thought documenting the debutante dance where young women wear Colonial style gowns in an effort to portray early American historical figures. [1]

Through various interviews of historians, former "Marthas" and current debutantes, Ibarra tackles the question as to why these young women are embracing a tradition that is honoring a symbol of American conquest from Mexican territories.

Interviews

Production

Las Marthas was by the Jerome Foundation, Latino Public Broadcasting, Independent Television Service, Diversity Development Fund and Texas Humanities, and was broadcast nationally on Independent Lens on February 17, 2014.

Critical reception and reviews

The New York Times called Las Marthas "a striking alternative portrait of border-town life..." [1] According to Charles Ramirez Berg, a professor of film studies at the University of Texas at Austin, Las Marthas "was bucking stereotypes firmly entrenched in the cultural consciousness". The Laredo Sun stated that the film was a "fascinating look as a world barely known outside of Texas..." and Colorlines applauded the film for its ability to "illustrate how an economically fluid reality, defined by new money sometimes from just over the border" is challenged by the "elite past" of Laredo. [1]

Awards

Festivals and screenings

Special collections

Latinas in America: Exploring the Latina Experience [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Webb County, Texas</span> County in Texas, United States

Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 267,114. Its county seat is Laredo. The county was named after James Webb (1792–1856), who served as secretary of the treasury, secretary of state, and attorney general of the Republic of Texas, and later judge of the United States District Court following the admission of Texas to statehood. By area, Webb County is the largest county in South Texas and the sixth-largest in the state. Webb County comprises the Laredo metropolitan area. Webb County is the only county in the United States to border three foreign states or provinces, sharing borders with Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.

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Laredo is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags.

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Tejanos are the residents of the state of Texas who are culturally descended from the Mexican population of Tejas and Coahuila that lived in the region prior to it becoming what is now known as the state of Texas before it became a U.S. state in 1845. The term is also sometimes applied to all Texans of Mexican descent.

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The Washington's Birthday Celebration (WBCA) is an almost month-long event held each February in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas, that celebrates the birthday of George Washington. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States with approximately 400,000 attendees annually. The celebration consists of various festivals; a Society of Martha Washington Colonial Pageant and Ball, Princess Pocahontas Pageant and Ball, two parades, a carnival, an air show, fireworks, live concerts, "Fun-Fest" at Laredo Community College, and a citywide prom during which many of the Laredo elite dress in Colonial attire. Each year a prominent Laredo man and woman play the roles of George and Martha Washington. One of its main events, the Jalapeño Festival, has recently been named one of Top 10 eating festivals in the United States.

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The Society of Martha Washington was formed in 1939, in Laredo, Texas. The Society hosts the Colonial Ball, which is an annual debutante ball where young women make their debut into society. The Colonial Ball is held at the Laredo Civic Center and is a part of a citywide festival called the Washington's Birthday Celebration, which takes place in February every year. The Society of Martha Washington helps Laredo present an image of “racial and national harmony” by working in conjunction with the Princess Pocahontas Council, and the Abrazo Children.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Kelly, Christopher (15 February 2014). "'Las Marthas': Debutantes in Laredo, Surprisingly Colonial" . Retrieved 16 January 2019 via NYTimes.com.
  2. 1 2 "Las Marthas" Women Make Movies