Multimedia package by Ana Rosenthal, Joanne Greer and Teresa Gallegos
Summer temperatures consistently rise to 100-plus degrees in Phoenix, but residents don’t seem to mind.
Beyond physically obvious solutions to combating the heat like staying in the air conditioning, drinking copious amounts of water and bathing in sun block, the key to thriving in such an environment is attitude.
The day this film was shot, these three women were spending what is for them a typical day outside, and they were armed with something better than SP-85; they were sustained by their commitment to a cause and by their camaraderie.
“We are here to demand rights for our workers like salaries, and benefits such as insurance for us and our families. It is hot, but we are here to help our people. If we don’t do it, I don’t know who will. So we are here for that,” Amelia Chavez said (translated from Spanish).
Rather than complain about the heat, these women entertain themselves by exercising and dancing. They pulled out a jump rope and took turns skipping while the others counted for them, their laughter and smiles making it easy to forget the sun.
The streets downtown are filled with these stoics. They are the locals who go about their routines without complaint. In fact, most seem completely oblivious to what non-desert dwellers characterize as soul-melting heat.
“Let me show you the beautiful umbrellas we use when the heat is above us,” Cristabela Ramirez said, opening a rainbow of color above her head with a smile.
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Protester Amelia Chavez, in scarf and long sleeves, stands on Central in downtown Phoenix. (Photo by Joanne Greer)
Under their umbrellas, protesters and Phoenix residents Amelia Chavez and Cristabel Ramirez joke and laugh together to pass the time. (Photo by Joanna Greer)
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I really enjoyed how your video was done in Spanish for two reasons: I love listening to other languages, and it allowed you to tell a story that could not have been told as well in English.
ReplyDeleteI think the use of subtitles is preferable to dubbing over the original speaker's voice with a translation, which I have seen quite a bit in television news. Whenever I see that, the story does not feel as authentic. Your video felt real. You let your subjects speak, we could hear their actual voices, and we could understand as well thanks to the written translation.
Great job on this story!
Jill Bhowmik
Granite Hills
El Cajon, Calif.
Your video was wonderful, the angle you took on your subject was unique and gave insight on a much bigger issue. I like how you also decided to pick subjects who where out in the heat and were going to be staying in the heat. Most of our subjects were running from one air conditioned space to another.
ReplyDeleteVirginia Barr
Turlock High
Turlock, Calif.