Filming Corazón de Alcachofa

Co-director Rosario Guiñez and I are currently developing the documentary Corazón de Alcachofa. The project focuses on Horti, an 85-year-old former live-in domestic worker in Santiago de Chile. The film documents her visiting Santiago's museums, plazas, and historical sites for the first time as a visitor rather than a worker.

Domestic labor in Latin America is essential to upper-class households, but remains economically stratified and socially unorganized. Live-in workers like Horti often operate in an informal state, being essential inside private spaces while remaining largely absent from public recognition.

From a visual anthropology perspective, the project analyzes how spatial movement can function as a form of non-confrontational agency. By navigating public and cultural landmarks, the act of sightseeing intersects with established class boundaries that have historically restricted public space access.

The methodological approach relies on observational filming, minimal intervention, and long-term research presence. Using a handheld camera setup alongside personal and family archives, the filming process documents daily routines, physical movement, and personal memory.

Corazón de Alcachofa is an active visual anthropology project focused on labor history, public visibility, and intergenerational memory. Updates on production and fieldwork observations will be documented here.