Alfonso Cuarón's 'Roma' Explores Class, Gender, and History in 1970s Mexico City

Alfonso Cuarón's film 'Roma' centers on Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a domestic worker for an upper-middle-class family in Mexico City's Colonia Roma neighborhood during the early 1970s. The film, a homage to the nanny who raised Cuarón, intertwines personal and political history. Set in 1971, it reflects the aftermath of the 1968 protests and the unraveling of traditional gender roles. The father's return is marked by his Ford Galaxy, symbolizing masculinity and class, but his departure after a brief stay highlights familial neglect. Cleo's relationship with Fermín (Jorge Antonio Guerrero) reveals male unavailability; after she reveals her pregnancy, he abandons her. Their final encounter occurs during the Corpus Christi Massacre on June 10, 1971, when Cleo goes into labor amid student protests. Fermín points a gun at her. The film culminates in Cleo's emancipation: she saves the children from drowning, overcoming her fear of water. Sofia (Marina De Tavira), the mother, tells her children their father will not return, signaling a new beginning. The film premiered at the 2018 Venice Film Festival.