Over the years, the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos has gained substantial cultural ground in the US not only in the areas with the highest concentration of Mexican population, but in the country overall. Día de los Muertos merchandise is now readily available in stores likes Party City, Walmart, Pier 1, and more. Sugar skulls have become a standard item on the store shelves and online, although the majority of the population still lacks a thorough understanding of this important Mexican holiday.
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate that the film Coco speaks not only to the changing global cultural context, but also to the continued importance of local and family traditions. The presentation examines the individuality and the universality of human experience through elements such as love, familial relations, death, generational gap, and of course, music. All these concepts have the capacity to both unite or divide people.
The phenomenal success the movie Coco has enjoyed is principally attributed to the fact it speaks to both children and adults alike. Through beautiful imagery and humor, it provides cultural and moral lessons that are collectively understood and applicable. As such, the movie Coco, most of all, holds the capacity to unite in this ever-changing cultural landscape.
About the presenterMartha Kosir
Martha Kosir earned her Ph.D. in Spanish literature from Vanderbilt University. She translates poetry from English into Spanish and from German and Slovenian into Spanish and English. In addition to translating poetry, Dr. Kosir’s research interests focus on translation theory, cultural studies, film studies, philosophy of language, and foreign language pedagogy. She works as Professor of Spanish at Gannon University.