Day 3: Cine Las Americas Film Festival at the MACC [4.23.2011]

Films for Saturday 23 April at the Mexican American Cultural Center

On Friday Gloria and I saw EL EDIFICIO DE LOS CHILENOS, a thought-provoking documentary which explored the fragmented relationship between children and their socially-committed parents struggling to undermine and overthrow the hated Pinochet dictatorship of Chile in the 1970s. All revolutionaries of whatever stripe seem to struggle with the concepts of the individual, the family, and the collective identity. In the case of Marxists, all the way from Che Guevara to the militants in this documentary, the choice was on the side of the collective, the greater good for the greater number. But when their children began to feel abandoned, even in an initially idyllic setting in Cuba, the family ties began to unravel. Macarena Aguiló Marchi and Susana Foxley’s excellent documentary should make us all re-examine lives obsessively committed to impossible ideals, especially where children are involved.

Though I’m getting started late, today offers a full day of all kinds of great film experiences at Alamo S. Lamar, Mexican American Cultural Center, and even Blue Starlight Mini-urban Drive-in.  

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Mexican American Cultural Center
[600 River Street, the continuation of Holly St. west of I35]

2:30pm
New Children/New York Compilation
Free

Gisela Sanders Alcántara directs a video workshop in Brooklyn where she works with immigrant Latino youth from all over South America and the Caribbean. This compilation contains 10 short films by some of her students. For film synopses and ticket information >>

4:00pm
Arroz con leche: K Ool Utial K Kuxtal
Rice Pudding: K Ool Utial K Kuxtal
North American premiere
Byrt Wammack Weber, Ana Rosa Duarte
Mexico, Experimental Documentary, 2009
50 min, SVHS/DV/Super8, Color/Black & White
Yucatec Maya, Spanish with English subtitles

This ten-year collaboration between five Mayan women and their families promises to be an insightful look into the impact of the 21^st century on a millennia-old culture. More information>>

5:00pm
Tongues of Stone
World Premiere
Jason Blalock
Argentina/USA, Documentary, 2009
45 min, MiniDV/BetaSP, Color
Spanish with English subtitles

The Rolling Stones and Argentina, a seemingly perfect combination, but the Stones didn’t (get to) perform in Buenos Aires until 1995, over three decades after their explosion onto the musical scene of the UK, Europe, and the US. No matter, their faithful Argentinean fans, depending primarily on records and magazine images (and only later, videos) adopted the style and stance and became rollingas. Cultural diversity is even more diverse than one can imagine. More information>>

6:30pm
Blattángelus
Co-sponsored by AGLIFF
US Premiere
Araceli Santana Lancón
Mexico, Documentary, 2010
70 min, HD, Color
Spanish with English subtitles

After years spent outside his traditional Catholic religion because of his gay identity, Jorge Sosa decided to create and lead a church which was open to all LGBT people who wanted to maintain their sexual identities while affirming spiritual beliefs and practices. More information>>

8:00pm
Contrary Warrior: The Life and Times of Adam Fortunate Eagle
Texas premiere
John Ferry
USA, Biographical Documentary, 2010
82 min, DigiBeta, Color
English

The documentary trailer certainly offers an encouraging glimpse at a fascinating 80-year-old American Indian, Adam Fortunate Eagle Nordwall, who talks about his experiences in BIA boarding schools (surprisingly positive), the cultural-militant takeover of Alcatraz Island in 1969, and later events in his life. He is an artist, an “Enemy of the State,” a philosopher, and a very positive, intriguing person. More information and trailer>>

This feature-length documentary will be accompanied by Austin filmmaker Bennie Klain’s short documentary, “Columbus Day Legacy,” on the cultural conflicts between Italian Americans and Native Americans in Denver. The cause: Columbus Day, which has strikingly different meanings for both communities. Trailer and more information>>

CLA Alamo screening information to follow.

Popularity: 68% [?]