I watched this in 70mm at the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn. I had heard somewhere that Alfonso Cuarón had a housemaid as a kid, which inspired him to create this picture. 

Black and white captures a simple plainness within situations that are unique, but possible. Panning and holding the camera for long takes intices the idea that the camera’s point of view is the audience and that we as an audience are following the family through their hardship. 

Family is everything. And personally speaking, your family shapes the way you view the world. Having the support to stay strong is crucial and present throughout this film. I’m happy I saw it in a theater and with my friends (also fellow filmmakers) so we too can reflect and enjoy the moment of being there together experiencing the theme of family.