The crystal-image and colonialism in the daydreams of Bardo, false chronicle of a handful of truths

Abstract

The bard is an ancient European figure who tells stories. Through this perspective, it is possible to analyze the critique and self-critique present in some film productions. Although bards may tell the stories of a character, in doing so, they can also delve into their own stories and reflections. For example, Bardo, false chronicle of a handful of truths is a film by Alejandro González Iñárritu that explores how colonial issues have influenced his life and Mexican history. The plot follows Silverio Gama’s journey from the United States to Mexico, interweaving his memories with the historical events that occurred in the country due to colonization. The research question of this work concerns the contemporary colonial stance based on the work of a Mexican documentary maker who will be honored for his contributions. This article aims to identify the presentation of temporal layers between past and present in the film and to discuss the impact of colonial issues on the protagonist's life and memories. The text is based on the following theories: crystal-image (Deleuze, 2005), Mexican culture (Taylor, 2013), colonial-racial-capital triad (Silva, 2019), coloniality of power (Quijano, 2005), post-coloniality (Hall, 2003), and mise-en-scène (Brodwell; Thompson, 2018; Carreiro, 2021). Documentary research revealed that the film employs metalanguage when discussing a documentary maker. It presents memories and historical facts that suggest a form of neo-colonization is occurring, primarily due to the economic dependence of Southern countries on the North and migration to the United States.