Flowers from Another World

I was extremely pleased with the representation of the women in Bollain's Flowers from Another World, particularly the three protagonists, Patricia, Milady, and Marirrosi. As is noted in Parvati Nair's piece, the fact that the story takes place in a rural setting proves interesting since we usually associate modernity and transculturality within metropolitan areas-- the places most often inhabited by diverse peoples. This "diversity" is instead transplanted to the rural village most associated with tradition and stability. I was first struck by the fact that these city women, though immigrants, are portrayed as much more modern than the men in the village, which is usually the opposite in films. The immigrant is taught the ways of the big city in which they travel to. All three women come from much bigger places, Madrid, Havana, and Bilbao-- it is they who have the upper hand in terms of modernity, synonymous with worldly knowledge.

I also found it interesting that all three women had alternative motives for traveling to the village, rather than just wanting to get married for the sake of getting married. Milady was using her partner as a way to see more of the world, eventually leaving him to travel to Rome. Patricia was looking for stability for her two children--she would much rather have just been able to work, but is unable to do so because she lacks Spanish citizenship. Marirrosi isn't even there to get married and stay, she wants to continue her life in Bilbao with her son and job.

The success of the three relationships depends on the ability of the men to adapt to the lives of the women they couple with. Damien and Patricia end happily because he shares her culture (transculturality) by eating the plantains when her family and friends visit. He adopts her two children. He learns to vocalize his passion for her, which she feels is necessary. Milady and Carmelo are a complete failure because Carmelo will not curb his macho need for constant sex and possession of her. True, she never allows him to come close to her, but I propose this is because she is always seen as a foreign object to him and the other men in the town. She is the sexy, exotic, other souvenir Carmelo has brought back from Cuba. Marirrosi and Alfonso tragically are incapable of ever being together because he refuses to progress towards modernity. While he toils with his greenhouse (agriculture as a foil to modernism) she is the epitome of a modern woman-- single mother with a stable, good job. Alfonso wants her to give that up to live with him in the past and she refuses.

None of the women change from who they start out as, which is completely counter-intuitive to present society. How many films have we seen in which the female changes something about herself so she can get the guy? There is something inherently wrong with her and she must adapt to better fit the needs of the male counterpart. Flower from Another World completely tears apart this standard, which I for one am tired of constantly seeing.

-Victoria Hallebo