La Quinceañera

In 2003, filmmaker Adam Taub traveled to the Xico colony in Mexico to record the Quince Años—or 15th birthday celebration—of Ana Maria, the youngest of five daughters (including twins) in a struggling single-parent household. Combining family interviews, scenes of daily activities and preparations, and archival clips from previous parties, La Quinceañera presents an overview of this longstanding tradition from an entirely personal perspective. From the Saturday lessons Ana Maria must attend (during which an instructor outlines adult responsibilities and explains the differences between physical and emotional love) to the history of la familia (mother Lili has been sick, and her absent husband is shunned by the clan due to nonsupport, making oldest son Oscar the patriarch), the film covers the big day from all sides: practicing with footmen for the party waltz; first eyebrow pluckings and pierced ears; the makeup, hair, and dress that transform Ana Maria into a “grown” woman; and the church mass (with a surprise guest) and revelry after. A heartwarming portrait (a scene in which Oscar and the older women serenade Ana Maria on the morning of her quinceañera beautifully captures the family's devotion), this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Williams-Wood)