Where The Tracks End is a 2023 Mexican film that is centered around a school teacher who wants to make her students’ wishes come true. This film features a strong diverse cast consisting of Mexican actors. Ernesto Contreras is a Mexican director.
There are many references to the Mexican holiday, La Muerta, or “The Day of The Dead.” One scene has a dialogue about “the dead” and “the living”, indicating to viewers the living souls in Mexico and the dead bodies. There are a lot of Spanish references in many scenes such as words in Spanish written, as seen on the screen.
There are also references to the film’s title, Where The Tracks End. The opening scene shows a young girl looking at a boy in the distance alongside unused railroad tracks. The railroad tracks give viewers an optical illusion that objects in the distance seem smaller when far away. The classroom is held in a train car, a key setting for students living in a rural setting. Viewers can infer from the film’s title that they have no clue as to where the tracks end.
The central focus shifts between Georgina, the teacher, and the kids, as they are the main characters. Georgina believes that her students can become successful with a little discipline. The new kid is struggling with reading, an essential skill he must develop over time in order to become successful.
The inspector plays a critical role in Where The Tracks End. When the inspector visits Georgina’s school and classroom, he informs her about the closing of the schools and the education system. This serves as a turning point and catalyst in the film; Georgina and the other teachers are upset that they could lose their jobs and the kids’ futures are at stake.
The dog is an important symbol in the film. The dog symbolizes companionship and a sense of direction, as he befriends the new kid and his classmates and sticks with the group. Another important symbol is the monarch butterfly. As the kids are learning about the monarch butterfly, Georgina can see in her vision that one day, her students will grow up and have the ability to travel from north to south. The butterfly symbolizes growth and changes within someone.
Georgina advises the new kid and his classmates that they must choose their paths carefully so they can lead the lives they want to live. Eventually, the new kid’s literacy skills improve. The epilogue shows how the new kid has become a brilliant young man and is now traveling by train somewhere to the north. The dog follows him alongside the train tracks.
Where The Tracks End is a great movie featuring strong Latinx representation.
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