Pablo Allison
pabloallison.com pallison2@hotmail.co.uk 07947 974650
Angel
“Angel” is a three-chapter story based on the life of its main character “Angel”. The story was first developed on the outskirts of Mexico City, in a place called Ecatepec where, just as in many other Mexican suburbs, a lack of wealth and opportunities leads many people to look for alternative ways of making their living.
Chapter two takes us up to the border of Mexico and the United States and the story ends with chapter three which is based in a Southern American city not far from the border with Mexico.
Chapter one, “Feet on the ground”, revolves around his life in his hometown of Ecatepec. It captures the events he experiences. It also touches on the gang problematic that just like Angel, many youth immerse themselves into when hardly any opportunities are available for them.
The reason for using black and white for this chapter is to resemble Angel’s past.
It also aims at “dramatizing” the scenes. It seeks to explain a “sad reality” that surrounds him.
Chapter two, “Feeling absent and wondering about my return”, recreates the crossing “Angel” made into the United States. It represent the adversities he goes through in order illegally to enter the land that many people are forced to travel to due to the poor conditions they live in, back in their home countries.
As the story progresses, some scenes change from black and white to colour and from colour back to black and whire, the intention being to show how Angel is leaving his past and is on the verge of entering a more promising future, though he is not quite there yet.
Chapter three, “It’s just about survival!!!” focuses on his new beginning. The scenes reveal the solitude of living in foreign lands. His connection to American culture is mainly through mainstream pop culture.
However there is no further connection with the people or with American traditions.
He settles down in a neighbourhood, which is inhabited mainly by Mexican and Central- American immigrants predominantly, and a few Mexican-American and Afro-American citizens.
The use of colour in this chapter is intended to give a resemblance of hope, change and a promising future for him. It aims to portray the new beginning mentioned above. But his new life in America does not necessarily mean that he will be able to escape the issues that have affected him throughout his life -only time will tell him what his future holds.
