Homemade Alisa Hernandez

Alisa Hernandez

Homemade

This video responds to the Homemade Everyday Documentary Assignment assigned by Renata Hejduk during her course, APH 515: Current Issues and Topics. The assignment asked for deep reflection: a representation of a site visit in our day in life. At that time, a documentary, Homemade premiered on Netflix — a series of short films filmed by directors worldwide as a way to capture the similar conditions a pandemic world had to offer. All the content was later curated into series by the producers — Pablo and Juan de Dios Larrain. They describe the intention behind the series deeply tied to “adversity, and how we are all from different countries, cultures, and circumstances, but for a very unique moment of humanity, we’re all sharing very similar circumstances in different contexts.” Taking this into deep reflection, I decided to be authentic to my context, San Luis, AZ, a border town in the Southwest region of Arizona. Immediately after the pandemic began, I returned to my hometown for a shortlived stay of two weeks, or so I thought... I began a journey of reflection and self-growth, acknowledging the unique moment in history I was witnessing and recording it. It was a time when I connected more deeply with my family, my friends, and myself. I realized this was happening due to an understanding and place of vulnerability; the world became one. In understanding that we are human, a mutual tie between ourselves was created, and a deep sense of appreciation of life was instilled. Loss offers reflection; it was a time of loss, loss of space, interaction, freedom, yet it was a time of gain in time, reflection, and appreciation. This is why, as stated in the video, “I choose not to judge the time that the virus has given us, but to thank it.” Even though we are very much still living in a pandemic world, I believe 2020 offered conditions and situations for growth. “As they say, you never know what happens until the moment has passed. This judge of our destiny and being has currently given us a lot to think and reflect on. It has opened our eyes...” It offered a deeper understanding and connection to the world and what it means to be human. Perhaps we will never truly understand the entirety of the change this pandemic condition has brought. The pandemic gifted me the best, new perspective and eyes. “ Hello, my name is Alisa Giselle Hernandez Llamas, or as my classmates call me, Alisa, I am 23 years old, and right now you are probably wondering why I wrote this in Spanish? Well, it’s because I tend to articulate and analyze things better this way. Actually, that’s how I talk to myself when I’m alone, I have noticed it more recently with the reality that I live with today, my head is allowed to wander in time and become its place of constant habitance where before only it was visited.

I am currently living in a world where a virus has dictated how we live our lives. The year 2020 has not been easy for anyone, people stay away from each other and lock up like animals in shelters, afraid of taking a wrong step, breathing at a wrong quo, and contracting the malice. Every step in the outside world is like a game of checkers, you hit the enemy and fall - which for some people is forever. The cruel dictator of our lives doesn’t even have a face, so it will never be accountable. Although sometimes I feel like we judged it too quickly? As they say, you never know what happens until the moment has passed. This judge of our destiny and being has currently given us a lot to think and reflect. It has opened our eyes, it teaches us about the type of humans we have been, and wants the sacrifice we make today serve as a teaching.

This is why I choose not to judge the time that the virus has given us, but to thank it. In this time we have been aware, compassionate, and united in this common battle. We have learned to take time slower, to let ourselves enjoy simple things like a cup of coffee in the morning since this time we don’t buy it in a rush to get somewhere, but because it’s the slow start of a new day.

A warm toast to new eyes. Thank you. ”