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What I Learned about Photography after Disney’s Coco
Disney’s animated film “Coco” is largely based on the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico. In some Latin American countries, paying tribute to the deceased on a specific day of the year is common, but in Mexico it is a truly iconic holiday.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The film is about how a 12-year-old boy named Miguel pursues his dream of becoming a musician like his famous idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (a character clearly inspired by Pedro Infante), who died when he was crushed by a bell during one of his performances. Unfortunately, Miguel’s family hates and bans everything that has any relation to music, because Miguel’s great-grandmother was abandoned by a musician who decided to leave his family to follow his dreams.
How does this relate to Photography?
The film makes constant references to photography. Living people place photographs of their loved ones in their graves. The photographs are treasured by families because, through these images, the memory of the deceased can be preserved for future generations. Additionally, in the world of the dead, something magical happens with those photographs. If living people don’t place a photograph on the grave of their loved ones, the dead cannot cross the bridge that leads them to be near them on that special day. All the dead maintain…
