“Qué saben esas máquinas de lo que puedo hacer?” wonders Tita, the main protagonist of “The Ballad of Tita and the Machines.”
This excellent short film, considered for the 2024 Oscars, is a movie filled with longing, nostalgia, courage, and homage to agricultural workers who often go unnoticed by society.
The story revolves around Tita, an adult agricultural worker who, due to her age, is deemed incapable of doing her job by a computerized system. She is forced to hire a humanoid to replace her, only for the creators of this technology to be surprised that these humanoids are unable to perform the work of this woman.
The story revolves around Tita, an adult agricultural worker who, due to her age, is deemed incapable of doing her job by a computerized system. (Miguel Angel Caballero)
“I was inspired by my family; I am the son of agricultural workers. I was able to study because of them, and I know their value, how difficult their work is, and the injustice they face in society,” says Miguel Angel Caballero. “I was able to study because of their sweat, because of my family’s hard work.”
Caballero directs the film Tita he co-wrote with
Luis Antonio Aldana.
“We wanted to make a humorous film, a comedy that elicited laughter. When we presented it in New York, we heard people laughing, and we remembered what the goal had been,” says Aldana.
Caballero relied on Aldana for his passion for writing science fiction. The idea that humanoids serve to replace human workers provokes surprise, irony, and deep reflections.
The Ballad is released at a time when society is questioning the role of Artificial Intelligence in our lives.
In one scene, Laura Patalano, who plays Tita, questions in a very Mexican way the role of these machines.
“Pinches máquinas,” she shares with her fellow workers.
Miguel Angel Caballero and the talented cast that made this tribute to agricultural workers possible.
In Tita, one can see the entire history of struggle, survival, and valor of the farmers. At the start of the movie, the viewer might expect just another clichéd story about these workers, but not a few seconds pass before they understand that this narrative will be very different and valuable.
Not one, not two humanoids can do their job. Engineers try to explain why their robot cannot replace them, why strawberry picking couldn’t be programmed in a simple way.
“There’s a vital human element in the work these workers do that engineers don’t consider. For example, strawberry picking is very delicate; everything is incorporated—the way we choose them, pick them with our hands, cut them. It’s very challenging for a humanoid to do that,” says Caballero.
Laura portrays her role brilliantly, fully identified with Tita.
“I’ve lived a lot in Los Angeles; I’ve gotten close to these workers and know how they work and how difficult it is to maintain that energy, that pace in the fields,” says Aldana.
Caballero insisted on real agricultural workers, not actors, being part of the cast. So they trained current and retired farmers.
“My family accompanied me in this process. My sister paid attention to every detail of the clothing, the makeup. That filled me with pride and happiness, seeing them involved in this project,” he says.
The film lasts just over 14 minutes, but its significance is boundless.
“We are exploring the possibility of extending it into a feature film. Now that we are in Los Angeles, we will start working on it,” says Aldana.
The film is in the initial selection process for the Oscars, something that fills them with pride.
This synergy between the past, present, and future of this story feels like a slap in the face to all those who have not seen that the wealth of workers is more enduring and important than the technologies that threaten our existence.
“The Ballad of Tita and the Machines” will be presented this weekend at the EastLA Film Festival.
Juan Escobedo: “A good filmmaker leaves you thinking after you watch a movie.”
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