Cultural appropriation of the Day of the Dead by foreign studio films

Enrique Abraham Lopez Oropeza

doi:10.33956/tensoesmundiais.v16i31.2743

Abstract

A year after the release of the film “Spectre”, the Mexican government decided to organize a parade in Mexico city as a consequence of the representation in such film. Even though a parade is not even part of the original tradition. Cultures naturally change and evolve yet, how valid is it for foreigners to be responsible for these modifications? How are these actions different from the cultural impositions in the times of the colonies?

Highlights

The Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico was named an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2008
The interest by foreign cultures cannot be denied, yet how did this happen? What caused this specific fascination? This writing has the purpose of demonstrating how one key case of cultural appropriation by a Hollywood film led to the actual modification of the celebration in Mexico
How much of the current holiday is European or indigenous is to be debated as it was covered by anthropological work of Elsa Malvido, but it’s fair to establish that the current iconography and its aesthetics are unmistakably Mexican

Summary

Introduction

The Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico was named an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2008. This writing has the purpose of demonstrating how one key case of cultural appropriation by a Hollywood film led to the actual modification of the celebration in Mexico.

Results

Conclusion