|
|
“I make galaxies swirl”
Sue stack
Several years ago I saw a documentary which has stayed with me…
It was the story of the women of the favelas – the shanty towns precariously positioned on the muddy hills of Acapulco and other South American cities.
These women live in extreme poverty – no running water or electricity, corrugated iron shacks – within an environment riddled with drugs and gang wars. Yet they keep their places immaculate, and for many months of the year painstakingly sew the glamorous dresses for Mardi Gras under gas or candle light in small groups filled with companionship and hope.
While we might see Mardi Gras as a bit of exotica, for these women it is an opportunity to rise above the limitations of their existence; to be in community, to express their creativity and to be seen as human beings rather than labeled by their poverty. At Mardi Gras they could be anyone… they could even find themselves rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous… for everyone is equal in the vibrancy and celebration of Mardi Gras…
…. and it almost seems that in the swirl and power of their flamboyant dresses that the galaxy itself moves with them.
|
