The social fused to the personal

In the confrontation between to characters: a student movement leader and the President of his university, the narration of the student's social battle is dependent of his fight to be recognized by his father.

In the development of "Hippie, the world is changing" (Canal 13, 2004) we can distinguish two distinct moments marked by the departure of director Cristián Galaz and screenwriter Coca Gómez from the telenovela's production.

in the first one, the audiovisual narration is constructed through closed shots, but it's narratively focused in a hippie beach community called, Comunidad del Ostión, which allows the inclusion of some (but few) context scenes located in the beach and the countryside. In this point in the telenovela, we can see some scenes of Pancho learning about the poverty of peasants while riding around his father's property. We're also shown that Martín and his classmates from medical school build wooden houses and offering medical assistance to the poor people that live around the community.

However, the University, another prominent location in this period, is visually portrayed like a closed and autonomous space. Conversations about the role of students in changing society, the protests against the Vietnam War and against the conservativeness of University authorities always happen within the university and have no social echo (except for a TV appearence by Martín, that only seems to affect the University President's family). 

On the second moment of the telenovela focuses on urban spaces. The viewer knows that everything happens in Chile's capital, Santiago, but there are no wide shots, not even to establish the location of the action. Close ups are the most frequently used frames. There's mentions to some "fancy" neighborhoods in Santiago, but they are never shown. General social conflicts are not mentioned anymore, and the action is totally guided by family issues. 

Within this change of focus it is understandable that Martín's actions as a student leader change into a struggle with the father who abandoned him. This man left Martín's mother, a poor woman, pressured by his family and not knowing that she was pregnant. He never knew that he had a son, and, in turn, Martín only learns that his real father is Maximiliano Sierralta, the University President he antagonizes in the middle of the telenovela. The student leader despises the University President, because he says he supports the student's struggle, but is easily manipulated by the conservative forces that lead the University's board. When he does learn that Martín leaves the leadership of the student organization. Martín remains linked to the union --he is replaced as leader by David Torres, one of his best friends--, but his action is now a personal, private struggle, against Maximiliano Sierralta.  

In a ceremony celebrating the university's anniversary all students, professors and administrators are gathered. The University President gives a speech in which he speaks about the ethos that guides the University and the success of his administration. Martín interrupts the speech. "When are you going to do everything you promised the students?", he says. The cammera zooms to his face, and all the rest of the students disappear from the shot. He's the only person in sight. The next shot shows the shocked faces of Magdalena (the high class girl that Martín loves), and Andrés (the President's legitimate son who also disputes Magdalena's heart). In a middle shot, Sierralta responds from the podium. The cammera goes back to Martín, the back to Sierralta, back to the student/son... The confrontation is constructed by the rapid succession of shots, and expels from sight the social aspect of the struggle that's emphasized on speech. 

The impresion that the social is subordinated to the intimate is confirmed when the University President demands that this topics should be discussed in his office. Martín alludes to Sierralta's double discourse and lack of commitment to the students, but also his abandonment of his mother when he answers: "It's easier for you to lie in private". 

Copyright 2010, by the Contributing Authors. Cite/attribute Resource. ConstanzaMujica. (2010, June 09). The social fused to the personal. Retrieved May 16, 2012, from Critical Commons Web site: http://criticalcommons.org/Members/ConstanzaMujica/commentaries/the-social-fused-to-the-personal-1. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Lo social fusionado con lo personal

En la confrontación entre dos personajes: un líder estudiantil y el rector de su universidad la narración de su social queda subsumida en su batalla personal por ser reconocido por su padre.

Hay que apuntar que se pueden distinguir dos momentos en el desarrollo de Hippie, marcados por la salida del director Cristián Galaz de la producción de la telenovela.

En el primero, se construye la narración audiovisual a partir de planos cerrados, pero el foco narrativo está en la comunidad del Ostión, lo que permite algunas (pocas) escenas de contexto en la playa y el campo. En esta etapa se muestran escenas efímeras de Pancho conociendo la pobreza de los campesinos del fundo de su padre y de Martín y sus compañeros de la universidad construyendo una mediagua y ofreciendo asistencia médica a la gente de los alrededores. Sin embargo, se constituye la Universidad como un espacio cerrado y autónomo, las protestas siempre se dan dentro del espacio de la universidad y tienen poco eco social (excepto la aparición de Martín en televisión, que sólo parece afectar a la familia del rector).

En el segundo momento, el foco es urbano, se sabe que todo sucede en Santiago, pero no se sitúa el espacio, ni siquiera para ubicar la acción y el encuadre predominante es el primerísimo primer plano. Hay menciones al barrio el Golf y a la heladería Coppelia de Providencia, pero no se los muestra. Se acaban las menciones a conflictos sociales generales y la acción está totalmente guiada por conflictos familiares.

En ese cambio se entiende que la acción como dirigente universitario de Martín se convierta en una lucha con el padre que no lo ha reconocido. Martín ha renunciado a la presidencia de la federación de estudiantes que ha ganado cuando se entera de que el rector de la universidad, un hombre al que desprecia por decir que apoya a los estudiantes, pero se deja manejar por los conservadores del Consejo Universitario, es en verdad el hombre que abandonó a su madre sin saber que estaba embarazada, es su padre. No por eso se desvincula de la dirigencia (lo suple en el cargo David Torres, uno de sus mejores amigos), pero su acción es ahora una lucha personal, privada, con Maximiliano Sierralta.

En una reunión plenaria entre estudiantes, docentes y el rector en el que se hablan sobre los avances de la gestión Sierralta, Martín se para e interrumpe el discurso. “¿Cuándo va a cumplir todas las cosas que nos prometió?”, dice. La cámara hace un zoom hacia su cara, desaparecen del cuadro el resto de los alumnos y sólo queda él. La toma siguiente muestra por unos segundos las caras impactadas de Magdalena (una niña de clase alta de la que Martín está enamorado) y Andrés (el hijo legítimo del rector, que también se disputa el amor de Magdalena). En un plano medio, Sierralta responde desde el podio, la cámara va a Martín, vuelve al rector, vuelve al estudiante/hijo… En fin, la confrontación se construye también enfrentando los planos y margina al aspecto social que se enfatiza en el discurso.

Esta impresión de que lo social se subordina a lo íntimo se confirma cuando el rector pide discutir estos temas en su oficina y Martín responde: “Es más fácil para usted mentir en privado, o ¿no señor?”.

Copyright 2010, by the Contributing Authors. Cite/attribute Resource. ConstanzaMujica. (2010, June 09). Lo social fusionado con lo personal . Retrieved May 16, 2012, from Critical Commons Web site: http://criticalcommons.org/Members/ConstanzaMujica/commentaries/the-social-fused-to-the-personal. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.