Rosa Amarela (2019)

"Like a velvet chair in a dusty saloon...square peg, round hole, a runaway with nowhere to go"

Every once in a while, you come across a hidden gem. Yellow Rose was just such a gem, a little independent film directed by Diane Paragas and starring theater actress Eva Noblezada. This film was a story of coming of age, social commentary, young love, heartache, familial love, and resiliency all rolled up in a song. Noblezada’s acting and singing were a revelation.

Rose Garcia and her mom live in the rundown Texas motel where her mom works. Rose’s room is dedicated to the worship of country music right down to her Dolly Parton candle. Strumming her deceased dad’s guitar she creates and sings songs, a vital inner sanctuary where she can pour out her feelings. What Rose doesn’t know is that her mom has not been able to resolve their legal status and they are on ICE’s radar (Immigration & Customs Enforcement). After going to a Texas dancehall with a friend to hear aged country singer Dale Watson perform, Rose returns home, only to be devastated as she watches her mother being arrested by ICE. Her friend Elliott helps her flee which sets Rose on the path to seeking a safe place to stay.

Yellow Rose alternated between heartbreaking scenes and uplifting heartfelt scenes. Noblezada had true screen presence. I found her performance captivating as she displayed Rose’s vulnerability and resiliency. She sang several poignant songs with a clear and ethereal voice. Dale Watson played himself as a hard drinking faded singer who still had a fire in his soul for music---even if it was at a chicken bingo event. Filipina actress Princess Punzalan had the integral role of Rose’s mother, Priscilla. Lea Salonga who starred in Miss Saigon and was the singing voice for at least two Disney princesses played Rose’s Aunt Gail who had made painful compromises on her road to assimilation.

Rose was dubbed Yellow Rose at a school talent show by the other kids when she sang a country song. The name was a play on the state song of Texas and undoubtedly with racist undertones. This seventeen-year-old braved loving a music genre often associated with whiteness. People of color are not always welcomed into the club even though their contributions have been around for decades. (Thank you, Beyoncé, for helping to also set the record straight!) Despite the struggles she and her mother dealt with and a possible future without her mother by her side, Texas was the only home she knew. Rose was willing to stay and fight for her dream regardless of having to walk the path alone.

This film didn’t only focus on immigration concerns, though Priscilla’s time in detention was dehumanizing. Dale helped Rose to trust herself and use her experiences to energize her creativity. There was also the push-pull of Rose seeking more independence from her conservative mother. Little did she know she’d be thrown into the deep end of the pool when her mother was arrested.

Paragas found a way to balance Rose’s love of country music and the dangers of living as an undocumented worker. While she showed the heartache of a family being split up, she never chose to go full melodrama. In the same way that the people living without citizenship in the country were humanized, so were the citizens who sheltered Rose. The latter must have been difficult to write as dangerous as the rhetoric is and the political climate in some areas for illegal immigrants. Paragas managed to avoid the white savior trope as well. Even with assistance from newly made friends, Rose’s persistence, talent, and capableness were what propelled her to keep moving forward whatever the future might hold. The writing for Yellow Rose may have been oversimplified in places, but what this film wasn't lacking was heart.

“I won’t go quietly into the night,
And I’ll sing till the light of day”

27 July 2024

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