The outside of Carne y Arena. Photo by María Helena Carey
Through some serendipity and good friends, I was able to experience Carne y Arena (Sand and Flesh), Alejandro González Iñárritu’s virtual reality experience yesterday.
Brightest Young Things’ Svetlana Legetic wrote about how tough it was for her to experience this story because it reminded her of her own immigration story and I agree with her assessment. I arrived in the United States in 1990 from Colombia; I emigrated with my mother and my grandmother. While our arrival in the United States was legal and not a nightmare scenario with helicopters buzzing overhead and I was never separated from my family at any point in my journey, Carne y Arena brought back memories of long lines and early mornings at the INS facility in San José, California (it was still called that), and of being the only kid in my high school who was not able to get a summer job at the mall because, as a minor under my mom’s visa, I couldn’t work. I remember three-quarter profile photos and I remember enduring “hilarious” jokes about being a mule or selling cocaine. I remember feeling uncomfortable being my grandmother’s translator. I remember my mother’s frustration with her employer for lacking an HR person with immigration expertise –or empathy– despite being a college where most of their staff was foreign. I remember feeling uncomfortable when people asked too much about my background and my accent– and I still do, sometimes. I remember lying and telling people I was from anywhere else because I was ashamed to come from a country that was regarded so lowly in the world.
When I became immersed in the world of Carne y Arena, I was reminded of my own immigration story and could only wonder what would have happened to me if in addition to my own issues, I had been subjected to brutal circumstances and torture beyond belief, just so I could have a little more security and freedom. I was reminded of bombs exploding in my native Bogota and how the windows shook like a drum’s membrane, and why my mother made the decision to seek a better and more stable life here in the United States. I’m grateful to be here every day, but there are some scars that ache because they are so deep. I had not thought about some of these primal fears in twenty years. You may experience your own strong emotions when you are immersed in the drama of other people, standing in the cold sand and as close to your flesh as technology allows.
Coming out of the experience, you can expect to see a friendly Maketto employee serving coffee, tea and sympathy. A special thank you to Lauren, whose smile and empathy helped me come back to 2018.
If you go:
WHAT: Carne y Arena, an immersive experience by Alejandro González Iñárritu
WHERE: 1611 Benning Road NE.
WHEN: It’s a pop-up (because what isn’t these days?) and it will be here through August.
HOW: Tickets are booked through April 16, but if you would like to visit this incredible, jarring (and FREE) experience for yourself, you can visit https://carneyarenadc.com/ to book your reservation and add your email to a waitlist. Since the experience is intense and personal –both because you go into it by yourself and because you will need time to process what happens afterward– the space is limited.