Significance of family. Families care for and support an older adult.
Positive Role Models
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Mexican American filmmaker Iliana Sosa shares stories told by her grandfather Julían Moreno, a former U.S. seasonal agricultural laborer who lives in San Juan del Río, Mexico. Other family members, including his live-in son Jorge, assist with the care of Moreno. Someone illegally uses a name to gain employment.
Diverse Representations
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BIPOC kids, as well as young and older men and women who engage in a variety of vocations such as caregiving, construction, and filmmaking.
Parents need to know that What We Leave Behind is a Spanish-language documentary with subtitles. Through the lens of his Mexican American filmmaker granddaughter, a native Mexican laborer shares memories from the past and visions for the family's future. References and images include death, gravesites, declining health of an older adult, kids fighting, beer, drunkenness, smoking, male nudity from the waist up, and illegal use of a name to gain employment. Language includes "bastards," "damn," and the phrase "screw me over." The movie emphasizes include the significance of family. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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What's the Story?
In WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND, Julían Moreno is an 89-year-old former U.S. seasonal agricultural laborer who lives in San Juan del Río, Mexico. Each month for 20 years, he travels by bus from his home to see his kids and grandchildren in El Paso, Texas. But then, Moreno begins to build a new house near him with the hope of possibly bringing the family closer together.
Documentarian Iliana Sosa offers this immensely memorable movie as a loving tribute to her grandfather Julían Moreno. "Grandpa was a mystery to me as a kid," remembers Sosa in What We Leave Behind. "I didn't know how to talk to him." The widower, who once raised seven kids and wore a sombrero everywhere, except to sleep, now willingly shares his wisdom with his granddaughter. They speak about the role of family, hard work, and getting older, all engaging subjects sure to spark meaningful discussions.
What challenges may Moreno have encountered as a working single dad? In what ways could the experiences have impacted his beliefs about family?
Filmmaker Iliana Sosa and Moreno develop a strong bond through their talks later in life. What questions would you ask an older adult family member about their past to help build a better connection with them?
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Sabrina McFarland
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
