The Institute for Applied Linguistics and the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies will host a Spanish film series March 9 鈥 March 23. This series will show five films in the Michael Schwartz Auditorium.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to experience another language and another culture,鈥 says Fran莽oise Massardier-Kenney, Director of the Institute for Applied Linguistics.
The movies are all subtitled in English, and volunteers will give a short presentation before each film viewing and a lead a discussion after. The Spanish film series was made possible with the support of Pragda , The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Spain, and SPAIN arts & culture.
THE COUNTRY OF FEAR (El pa铆s del miedo) Thursday March 9
Francisco Espada / Spain / 102 min / 2015 / In Spanish with English subtitles
A festival favorite, The Country of Fear is a must see for high school and college level students. The film touches upon one of the most talked about behavioral issues happening on campus these days. Carlos, Sara, and their preteen son Pablo, live a peaceful middle-class life until Sara begins to notice things disappearing in the house. She blames the Moroccan maid and eventually fires her. But the stealing doesn鈥檛 stop; Pablo is the culprit. Fearful, Carlos decides to follow Pablo to school where he discovers that a 13-year-old classmate, Marta, is bullying and extorting Pablo. But resolving the affair isn鈥檛 that easy and he becomes Marta鈥檚 victim as well. Carlos鈥檚 inability to defend himself or his son, pushes him to a series of anguished situations that would lead him to make the wrong decisions.
GUARAN脥 Friday March 10
Luis Zorraqu铆n / Argentina, Paraguay / 85 min / 2015 / In Guaran铆 and Spanish with English subtitles
A heartfelt story, Guaran铆 follows fisherman Atilio as he travels with his granddaughter Iara to Buenos Aires. His great desire is to have a grandson to transmit the Guaran铆 culture. When he discovers that Lara鈥檚 mother, Helena, is pregnant, he decides to go on a long journey and cross borders, to try to convince Helena to give birth in the Guaran铆 land鈥irected by Luis Zorraqu铆n, Guaran铆 features an outstanding script. Part road movie and part coming-of-age drama, the film portrays two generations of Paraguayans whose views of the world seem centuries apart. The long journey will make Atilio and Lara understand the real meaning of traditions and family bonds.
3 BEAUTIES (3 Bellezas) Thursday March 16
Carlos Caridad Montero / Venezuela / 97 min / 2014 / In Spanish with English subtitles
From the country that boasts over 600 beauty pageants each year comes 3 Beauties, a scathing satire of Venezuela鈥檚 fixation with beauty and its relation to social status. Perla is the single mother of two competitive daughters, products of her own unfulfilled childhood obsession to become a beauty queen, and a son whom she completely ignores. As the years pass, Perla鈥檚 unlimited efforts to achieve her dream through her 鈥渢wo princesses鈥 transforms everyone鈥檚 lives into a nightmare. Toddlers & Tiaras meets Pedro Almod贸var in this frantic, devious comedy.
IXCANUL, VOLCANO (Ixcanul, Volc谩n) Friday March 17
Jayro Bustamante / France, Guatemala / 62 min / 2015 / In Maya and Spanish with English subtitles
Maria, a 17-year-old Mayan girl, lives and works with her parents on a coffee plantation in the foothills of an active volcano in Guatemala. An arranged marriage awaits her: her parents have promised her to Ignacio, the plantation overseer. But Maria doesn鈥檛 sit back and accept her destiny. Pepe, a young coffee cutter who plans to migrate to the USA becomes her possible way out. Maria seduces Pepe in order to run away with him, but after promises and clandestine meetings, Pepe takes off, leaving her pregnant, alone and in disgrace. There鈥檚 no time to lose for Maria鈥檚 mother, who thinks there is only one solution.
THE SECOND MOTHER (Que horas ela volta?) Thursday March 23
Anna Muylaert / Brazil / 112 Min / 2015 / In In Portuguese with English subtitles
Val (in a stunning performance by Regina Cas茅) is perfectly content to take care of every one of her wealthy employers鈥 needs, from cooking and cleaning to being a surrogate mother to their teenage son, whom she has raised since he was a toddler. But when Val鈥檚 estranged daughter Jessica suddenly shows up, the unspoken but intrinsic class barriers that exist within the home become visible. Jessica is smart, confident, and ambitious, and refuses to accept the upstairs/downstairs dynamic, testing relationships and loyalties and forcing everyone to reconsider what family really means.