La Arepa – El Trompo
Color video documentary in Spanish with English subtitles. The documentary is composed of two segments, the first about the arepa, a food made from fried cornmeal that is a major part of the cultural history of the Antioquia region in Colombia. It is eaten at every meal by people in the region. The second segment, “El Trompo,” focuses on toy spinning tops in Columbia. People appreciate the top because it is common to many cultures and has the ability to unite generations under one skill set. We see a lot of footage of top experts and hear their opinions about the toy’s enduring significance. This tape documents a moment of cultural change for this region of Columbia, poised at a moment when it is still unclear how modernization is going to mesh with tradition.