Exploring Political and Personal Aspects of Machismo
For much of recorded history, gender has been a significant component of human identity. Gender can be a difficult and confusing topic for teens and young adults. With imagery that invites reflection, documentary filmmaker Bruno Santamaría, brings us Things We Dare Not Do, the story of 16-year-old Ñoño, a teen coming of age in the small Mexican coastal village of El Roblito. Ñoño lives what seems to be an idyllic existence with his loving family. But he holds a secret. Defying gender norms, Ñoño works up the courage to tell his family he wants to live his life as a woman. Yet when violence interrupts a community celebration, he must face the reality of a country shrouded in machismo and transphobia.
The lesson uses scenes from the film to help students explore the ways that a culture of machismo affects those who define themselves as outsiders, and also those who accept life within its limited boundaries.
