15: A Quinceañera Story: HBO Questions in ENGLISH: Cuba, Guatemala, México & EUU

28 questions for all 4 short documentary films. BEST DOCUMENTARY ON QUINCEANERAS. Finally something new and contemporary that students can relate to. Product is editable to increase or decrease the rigor of the questions. Rated G.

Initial release: August 25, 2017

Runtime: 110 minutes

Directors: Matthew O'Neill, Thalía

Producers: Matthew O'Neill, Xochitl Dorsey, Thalía

Nominations: Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs

Keywords: Cotillion, immigration, quinces, Guatemala, Cuba, México, Texas, Los Angeles, Florida, Sweet 16, transgender, biracial, traditions and more.

15: A Quinceañera Story is executive produced by Tommy Mottola; produced by Xochitl Dorsey, Matthew O’Neill and Thalía Sodi; directed by Matthew O’Neill and Thalía Sodi; created by Thalía Sodi and Tommy Mottola. For HBO: senior producer, Sara Bernstein; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

Synopsis:

A "quinceañera" is a coming-of-age celebration for a Latina girl's 15th birthday, marking her transition from girl to woman. But for many American Latina teenagers, it is an event that means much more, allowing the girls to embrace their chosen identities while still honoring their cultures, traditions and, most of all, the families who have sacrificed so much to give them a good life in the U.S. Premiering on HBO over the course of four nights, 15: A Quinceañera Story is a series of four short films, each under a half hour, that follows five girls from different cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, bonded together by this traditional rite of passage. As the girls pick out their dresses, ready their courts and venues, practice their intricate dance routines, and conquer their nerves, they also reflect (as do their proud parents) on the struggles that have led them to their quinces and the hopes they have for the future. Heartfelt and inspiring, the series highlights a new generation of diverse, young Latina women, coming into their own with confidence and determination while never forgetting where they came from.

About each story:

15: A Quinceañera Story, a collection of four short documentary films, follows five Latina girls from different cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds as they transition to adulthood, all observing the traditional rite of passage of the quinceañera, a celebration of their 15th birthdays.

The documentary chronicles the girls and their families as they navigate the complexities of coming of age in the U.S. From grappling with gender identity to the constant fear of having a loved one deported, the issues raised in each piece reflect the current cultural and political landscape.

The quinceañera girls profiled include:

Zoey, a young Mexican-American living south of Los Angeles, who was assigned male at birth and celebrates with her trans-madrinas (godmothers), who never had quinceañeras of their own.

Rosi, an American growing up in Florida with a mother from Guatemala and a father from Cuba, who combines all three of her cultures for a quinceañera in Havana. She chooses to celebrate there because her beloved grandfather cannot get a visa to the U.S.

Ashley, an amateur boxer living in East Los Angeles, whose mother is a Dreamer and whose father has been deported. She is as nervous about her first official fight as she is about her quinceañera. Ashley’s coach, who is undergoing deportation procedures, may not get to see her special day.

Jackie and Nina, best friends from San Antonio, who decide to honor their multi-generational Mexican-American heritage by mixing their joint quince with their love of escaramuza, a traditional Mexican horse-dancing display.

The activity is related to the AP Spanish sub themes of:

Identidades personales y públicas | Identidades privadas y públicas

• Contexto l La enajenación y la asimilación
• Contexto 2 La autoestima
• Contexto 3 La identidad nacional y la identidad étnica
• Contexto 4 Los intereses personales
• Contexto 5 Las creencias personales
• Contexto 6 Los héroes y los personajes históricos

Personal and Public Identities | Private and Public Identities

• Context l Disposal and assimilation
• Context 2 Self-esteem
• Context 3 National identity and ethnic identity
• Context 4 Personal interests
• Context 5 Personal beliefs
• Context 6 Heroes and historical figures

AP Belleza y Estética

contexto 1 Definiciones de la belleza

contexto 2 La moda y el diseño

contexto 3 El lenguaje y la literatura

contexto 4 Las artes visuales y escénicas

contexto 5 La arquitectura

contexto 6 Definiciones de la creatividad

Beauty and Aesthetics:

context 1 Definitions of beauty

context 2 Fashion and design

context 3 Language and literature

context 4 The visual and performing arts

context 5 The architecture

AND

Families and Communities

• contexto 1 Las comunidades educativas
• contexto 2 Las redes sociales
• contexto 3 La geografía humana
• contexto 4 Las tradiciones y los valores
• contexto 5 La ciudadanía global
• contexto 6 La estructura de la familia

Las comunidades educativas

• context 1 Educational communities
• context 2 Social networks
• context 3 The human geography
• context 4 Traditions and values
• context 5 Global citizenship
• context 6 The family structure