Ma Vie en Rose

The social institutions that are key factors in Ma Vie en Rose is both Ludo's family and the surrounding families in the suburban neighborhood in which they live. Ludo, who is a seven year old boy, identifies as being a girl. The first time that the audience is introduced to Ludo is at the housewarming party his parents throw, that all of the neighbors are invited to. The opening scene of the movie that depicts several of the surrounding families (specifically the dynamics between the husband and wife) show there is very little cultural, socio-economic, or racial differences between the surrounding families. They are all very similar in demeanor and way of life. The bubble of the neighborhood in which they live is close knit and this affects the movies' plot entirely. Not only is there opposition of Ludo's gender specificity within his family (his parents), the opposition is sparked and further dramatized by the parents in the neighborhood. Due to their dislike and discomfort of Ludo's choice to be/become a girl, his parents lives are affected; therefore, fueling their disapproval. His grandmother, the only source of compassion, is not in disapproval because she is introduced as a free-spirited, carefree older woman. The parents are immediately introduced as wanting to fit in and be socially accepted by the neighbors and their society. The main way in which this can be seen is the difference in Ludo's mother's behavior when they live in the first neighborhood compared to when they move. After the surrounding parents make her feel as though her son is a "bent boy," and therefore not welcome/a bad person, she is angry and disappointed, blaming her son for the families' outcasting from the social status. When they move to a new neighborhood, and the parents scorn her for the way she reacts to Ludo wearing Christina's dress, saying "It's only a costume," she becomes more understanding and tells Ludo that she loves him no matter his choice/decision. One can look at the surrounding families as a Cult, like in the Bornstein reading. It is not that the families are bashing Ludo because they are concerned with his "bent" ways and envisioning the ways in which these practices play out. "It has a lot to do with seeing that man violate the rules of gender in that culture." 

The fantasy scene in which Ludo imagines himself via The World of Pam is vital to understanding his feminine desires and feeling of acceptance. Ludo's character is only accepted as he is in this specific world. His grandmother tells him when she sees him dancing to the show's song, that when she wants to do something "ridiculous," she closes her eyes imagining it is okay and acceptable. The only place in which Ludo feels he is fully accepted for his desire to be identified as a girl is in this very world. The importance of Pam as a role-model for Ludo is seen throughout the film in several ways. When the students in Ludo's class are told to bring in an item for show and tell, there are girls that also bring in Pam and Ben dolls, as well as Ludo. His reinforcement of being in touch with being a girl is seen through his recreation involving these dolls. They also serve as a protection. One of the students makes fun of a boy who brings in a blanket. In society, children have often used baby blankets as a protective force. When Ludo brings in the Pam doll to class, one can interpret such as a "protective," force that Ludo uses in order to feel accepted. The vitality of the The World of Pam can be seen throughout the film, not only by the repetitiveness  but also by the mise en scene in which the fantasy moments are presented. The colors are both bold and bright, while the setting is very much exaggerated. It is a place where Ludo feels he is accepted and is comfortable, and can be seen in a Freudian theory of dreams and the subconscious. His upmost desires and yearnings to be accepted by his family and the surrounding families, as well as his desire to be a girl are all portrayed in his fantasy land that the viewer sees numerous times.