Filmmaker Ricardo Caruso's short documentary presents a profile of Ecuadorian immigrant Roberto Marquez, a cobbler who has plied his trade in New York City for over a decade. Marquez discusses his hopes and dreams as he works behind the counter making and repairing shoes. Shot over four years, the period sees Roberto's wife Maria giving birth to a daughter (whose delivery Roberto missed because he had to work) who grows from infancy to toddlerhood. Throughout, Marquez expresses the same sentiments: he works hard to support his family, hopes to own the business someday, urges his sons to study so that they can eventually enter a profession and see a better future, and worries about laws that prevent him from becoming a citizen. The film is technically very simple—for the most part a static camera simply records Marquez talking while he cuts off bits of rubber soles or taps nails, with obvious edits that stitch together the individual pieces of footage. Still, the documentary does effectively convey Ricardo's determination to make a good life for his wife and children despite all of the difficulties he has to overcome. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
If You Could Walk in My Shoes
(2016) 27 min. In Spanish & English w/English subtitles. DVD: $60: public libraries; $225: colleges & universities. DRA. Third World Newsreel. PPR. Volume 33, Issue 1
If You Could Walk in My Shoes
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