Spring 2020 Film Series
Latinoamérica Shakes: Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America
Curated by the LASC Graduate Researchers, this film series examines democracy as well as right wing (populist) movements in Latin America and their historical underpinnings. Each screening is at 5 p.m. and includes refreshments and film discussion. These events are free and open to the public.
The Edge of Democracy
- February 28, 2020 in Atlas 102
- Presented by Dr. Max Counter and Renata Barreto
(2019, Petra Costa) Filmmaker Petra Costa weaves personal narrative and journalistic documentary together to explore the rise of right wing president Jair Bolsonaro.
"How the hell did we get here? It’s a question that political liberals are asking themselves in many parts of the world, reeling as they are from a global tilt to the right that has yielded the tumultuous Trump presidency, the ceaseless, squabbling chaos of Brexit and, albeit less prominently in international headlines, Brazil’s submission to the oppressive ultra-conservatism of new president Jair Bolsonaro. The question tends to be asked rhetorically, with thrown-up hands and a plangent note of exasperation. Brazilian filmmaker Petra Costa, however, actually seeks to answer it. “The Edge of Democracy,” a sprawling, transfixing documentary essay on her country’s far-right takeover, painstakingly maps the chain of events that brought the previous government to its knees." - Guy Lodge, Variety
No
- March 6, 2020 in Atlas 102
- Presented by Bernardita Yunis
(2012, Pablo Larraín) In 1988, Chileans voted on a crucial referendum: They would decide whether Augusto Pinochet should stay in power for another eight years or leave office and make way for democratic futures. Larraín's No is a fictionalized arthouse feature that follows the journey of an ad campaign to oust Pinochet.
"In 'No,' Pablo Larraín’s sly, smart, fictionalized tale about the art of the sell during a fraught period in Chilean history, advertising isn’t only an art; it’s also a way of life." - Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
Birds of Passage
- March 10, 2020 in Humanities 135
- Presented by Diego Melo
(2018, Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra) Tracking Colombia's 1970s marijuana exports to the United States, Birds of Passage shows the disproportionate effect of drug trafficking on indigenous livelihoods and the state's complicity in (informal) drug economies.
"Described by its creators as an investigation of 'the great tragedy that would curse us forever; the great taboo that we are not allowed to discuss,' Birds of Passage revisits the birth of the Colombian drug trade as seen through the eyes of an indigenous Wayúu family. The result combines the epic sweep of The Godfather trilogy with the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez, replacing the monochrome majesty of Embrace of the Serpent with a boldly coloured palette, as richly textured as the story itself." - Mark Kermode, The Guardian
When the Mountains Tremble
- NEW screening date: April 16, 2020
- Virtual Screening and Discussion at 5 p.m. via Zoom
- Presented by Luz Ruiz
Instructions: Email lasc@colorado.edu to RSVP and receive the link to the Zoom conversation. We'll start with a brief discussion of the film by Luz Ruiz, followed by a watch party of When the Mountains Tremble on our own screens. To access the film, go to the University libraries' Kanopy page. Click the 'Access Kanopy' button and sign in with your CU Identikey and password. Navigate to When the Mountains Tremble to stream the film.
(1983, Pamela Yates) Narrated by Maya K'iche human rights activist Rigoberta Menchú, this documentary follows indigenous social movements and state-sponsored repression in Guatemala. Run time: 1:23
"When the Mountains Tremble, filmed in 1982 at the height of the Guatemalan Army's repression against the Mayan indigenous people, has become a classic political documentary. It describes the struggle of the largely Indian peasantry against a heritage of state and foreign oppression. Centered on the experiences of Rigoberta Menchú, who later became a Nobel Peace laureate, the overall effect of the film is exhilarating. With clarity and energy it conveys the birth of a national and political awareness." - American Documentary