CINE-AMERICAS
PAST FILM SERIES
 Cine Americas is an initiative of the Art Museum of the Americas, which seeks to promote the artistic and cultural expression of the OAS member countries through the presentation of feature and documentary films.  

Browse the past film series on this page,
or click to jump directly to a particular series:

Ecuador
CIM 80th Anniversary
Mexico
Ecuador
Colombia
Guatemala
Brazil
 
April 2008
March 2008
February-March 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
June-July 2007

Ecuador Program- April 2008

Wednesday, April 23 – El Chulla Romero y Flores – 6:30 p.m.
dir. Carl West- 2008, 90 minutes, in Spanish, no subtitles 
Produced by the Ecuavisa Network and based on Jorge Icaza's 1958 novel, this film explores mestizo cultural identity.   Chulla is conflicted between identifying with either his father's Spanish descent or his mother's Indian origins. He finds the tranquility he has been searching for once he attains a balance of identity.


Wednesday, April 30 – El Cojo Navarrete – 6:30 p.m.
dir. Carl West- 2008, 90 minutes, in Spanish, no subtitles 
El Cojo Navarrete is Ecuavisa’s adaptation of the 1940 novel by Enrique Teran.  Mestizo General Galarza is faced with challenges after leaving his estate to participate in a political struggle between liberals and conservatives.  Among his followers is Juan Navarrete, a man who falls in love with an aristocratic woman and whose convictions and courage are strengthened.

CIM 80th Anniversary: March 2008
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 6:30 PM –
In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the
Inter-American Commission of Women
 Iron Jawed Angels

 English with Spanish subtitles
 2004, 124 min.
dir: Katia von Garnier
 ABOUT THE FILM
 IRON JAWED ANGELS recounts for a contemporary audience a key chapter in U.S. history: in this case, the struggle of suffragists who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment.  Focusing on the two defiant women, Alice Paul (Hillary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’Connor), the film shows how these activists broke from the mainstream women’s-rights movement and created a more radical wing, daring to push the boundaries of political protest to secure women’s voting rights in 1920.  Breathing life into the relationships between Paul, Burns and others, the movie makes the women feel like complete characters.

 Mexico Program: February-March 2008
 Wednesday, February 27 –
“Cilantro y Perejil” – 6:30 p.m.
2005, 90 min., directed by Rafael Montero
in Spanish with English subtitles
 A fresh Mexican farce about love, money and family. Susana and Carlos are going through tough economic times, and when she decides to leave him, the event is filmed by Nora, her younger sister, for a school project. At the same time, Nora struggles with her involvement with a rock musician and Susana's grandmother finds romance with an antiques expert. Demian Bichir, Arcelia Ramirez star.


Sunday, March 2 –
“Imaginum” – 2 p.m.
2005, 82 min., directed by Alberto Mar and Isaac Sandoval
in Spanish with English subtitles
 Imaginum is the second animated feature to come from Mexico's AnimeEstudios, which brought us the popular "Magos y Gigantes" ("Wizards and Giants").  Yxxxxx is a highly dangerous intergalactic parasite who devises a diabolical plan to conquer the universe at any cost.  His destination is a planet where the most powerful element in the galaxy, imaginum, can be found.  Standing in his way is a young boy who uses the same element to transform common objects into incredible machines capable of thwarting the evil scheme.  Join the young boy in his benevolent mission in this spectacular animated adventure.

Wednesday, March 5-
 “Frida, Naturaleza Viva” – 6:30 p.m.
1988, 90 min., directed by Paul Leduc
in Spanish with English subtitles
While convalescing in her Coyoacán home, Frida Kahlo, one of the most prominent female painters of Latin America, evokes memories of her childhood, her streetcar accident, her friendships with Trotsky and painter Alfaro Siqueiros, her marriage to Diego Rivera, her miscarriage, her political commitment, her love affairs and an anticipated exhibition of her works.  This film is a chronicle of painter Frida Kahlo, and her encounter with the personalities of her time. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, she faces and traces some of the most colorful and controversial aspects of Mexican history in the dominant time of Mexican muralism.



 Sunday, March 9-
 "Magos y Gigantes" – 2 p.m.
2003, 85 min., directed by Andrés Couturier y Eduardo Sprowls
in Spanish, no English subtitles
 Magos y Gigantes tells the story of the adventures of Gigante, a vertically challenged giant, Ada, a fairy whose wings have yet to blossom, and Trafalgar, a curious looking little wizard during the biggest magic tournament in the land of Reino Magico. Mayhem ensues when Titan Caradura, an evil wizard, is disqualified from the tournament and seeks revenge with an elaborate plan to steal the magical powers from all of the inhabitants of Reino Magico.



 Ecuador Program- December 2007
 Wednesday, December 19 –
“Se Que Me Vienen a Matar” – 6:30 p.m.
2007, 90 min., directed by Carl West
in Spanish, no subtitles
In the middle of the 19th century, in times of blood and war, Ecuadoran President Gabriel Garcia Moreno, considered a saint by some and a mad genius by others, heads a repressive system that is forever stitched into the memory of Ecudoran history.

In the middle of the 19th century, in times of blood and war, Ecuadoran President Gabriel Garcia Moreno, considered a saint by some and a mad genius by others, heads a repressive system that is forever stitched into the memory of Ecuadoran history.

Thursday, December 20 –  
 “1809-1810: Mientras Llega el Día” – 6:30 p.m.
2004, 100 min., directed by Camilo Luzuriaga
in Spanish with English subtitles
 Set in Quito in 1809, this film tells the story of the military arriving in File to stop rebels who have ousted the Spanish ruler.  A rebel librarian escapes from the city, but is captured and imprisoned by the military in spite of the attempted intervention of his powerful lover. 

Set in Quito in 1809, this film tells the story of the military arriving in File to stop rebels who have ousted the Spanish ruler.  A rebel librarian escapes from the city, but is captured and imprisoned by the military in spite of the attempted intervention of his powerful lover. 

 

 

Colombia Program- November 2007


 -  November   8 – Bolivar Soy Yo (I am Bolivar) – 6:30 p.m.
dir. Jorge Alí Triana- 2001, 93 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles 
Santiago Miranda (Robinson Diaz) portrays Simon Bolivar on a soap opera about the love affairs of the great general. When he finds too many discrepancies between the scripts and reality, he storms off the show, vowing to rewrite the remaining episodes to more accurately reflect history. Somewhere along the line, he also begins to believe that he may actually be an incarnation of Bolivar himself.


-  November 15 –  Laura’s Confession – 6:30 p.m.
dir. Jaime Osorio- 1991, 85 minutes, Spanish with English Subtitles
 Following the April 1948 murder of Colombian liberal leader and
presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, his supporters take the streets
of Bogotá seeking punishment for the culprits.  Lootings and chaos define
the clashes between demonstrators and police.  Laura, a school teacher,
and Josefina, the wife of a civil servent, are neighbors who find
themselves in a situation beyond anything they could have imagined
when their buildings are overtaken by snipers.    


-  November 20 –  Maria Cano – 6:30 p.m.
  dir. Camila Loboguerrero- 1990, 106 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles.
 María Gray challenges the customs of the times and the canons of the
social roles of women, emerging as one of the most prominent
speakers of the 1920’s.  Upon receiving its compensation for the independence of Panama, Colombia undertakes massive domestic development projects.  The ever-growing workforce that comes
as a result of this industrial surge brings about a surge in the labor movement.

 -  November 21 –  Documentaries: “In Search of Gabo” and
“ Los Colombianos Tal Como Son”  – 6:30 p.m.
 In Search of Gabo – dir. Luis Fernando Bottia- 2007, 52 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles
 Gabriel Garcia Márquez is portrayed by family and friends through interviews and narration, revealing a shy, everyday man- one who might have been a great vallanato singer- and who frequented places like Aracataca, Sucre, Zipaquirá, Mexico City, Bogotá, and Havana.

Colombians the way they are – dir. Omar Rincón– 2006, 52 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles
Colombians are portrayed as a diverse people through a variety of people and stories.

 Guatemala Program: October 2007

 Wednesday, October 3 @ 6:30pm–  
Donde Acaban Los Caminos
(2004, 82 min)
in Spanish, no subtitles
Based on the autobiographical  novel by Mario Monteforte Toledo and directed by Carlos García Agraz, a young man comes to San Pedro La Laguna during the military dictatorship in the first decades of the 20th century. He sets out with great idealism and dedication to eradicate illness among the Indians, even if his work is disapproved by the military commander in town. He falls in love with María, a young Indian girl from a village and he invites her to come live with him in the town of San Pedro. However, even the young idealist doctor cannot escape the conflict between Ladinos (Mestizos or non-Indians) and Indians.


 Wednesday, October 10 @ 6:30pm–  
Lo Qué Soñó Sebastián
(2003, 93 min)
in Spanish, with English subtitles
 What Sebastián Dreamt includes the rainforest of Guatamala as a character in this darkly beautiful tale. It tells the story of young Spaniard Sebastián (Andoni Gracia), who, inspired by the jungle landscape, moves into the Guatemalan rainforest. Sebastian bars local hunters from his property, earning the ire of the Calajs, a family of macho poachers. “Murder, malaria, archaeological-relic forgery and the ill-considered visit of a careless French woman (Juliette Deschamps) build a sense of fatalistic intrigue balanced between violence and hallucination,” (Dennis Harvey, Variety)  A selection of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Wednesday, October 17@ 6:30pm –  
Las Cruces, Poblado Próximo
(2006, 82 min)
in Spanish,with English subtitles
 Directed by Rafael Rosal, the film looks at the Guatemalan internal armed conflict of the 1980s. The village of Las Cruces is targeted for destruction and seven guerrillas resolve to defend the village amid conflicting opinions and ideals.

Brazil Program: June-July 2007
June 27 –  Central do Brasil (1998)
6:30 p.m.
 113 mins., Portuguese with English subtitles
 CENTRAL DO BRASIL (Central Station) winner of 2 Golden Globes (Best Foreign Language Film, Best Actress: Fernanda Montenegro); nominated for 2 Oscars and directed by award-winning Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries, Paris Je t’aime), Central Station tells the poignant story of a former school teacher who writes letters for illiterate people, and a young boy, whose mother has just died and who is in search of the father he never knew.

July 11 –  O Caminho das Nuvens (2003)
6:30 p.m.
 Directed by Vicente Amorim, O Caminho das Nuvens (The Middle of the World) is based on a true story of an unemployed father, his wife, and their five children – ages four to fourteen years – who take a 3,200 kilometer trip on bicycles in search of fulfilling the dream of a new life.

July 18 –  Eu Tu Eles (2000)
6:30 p.m.
 Directed by Andrucha Waddington and an award winner at the film festivals of Cannes, Havana, and Karlovy Vary, Eu Tu Eles (Me You Them) tells a nuanced story of an unusual love “quartet” in which drama and humor blend with the beautiful music of Gilberto Gil. 

 July 25 –  Peoes (2004)
6:30 p.m.
 Directed by Eduardo Coutinho and winner of The Grand Prize of Brazilian Cinema, the documentary Peoes (Metal Workers) recounts the story of 21 men and women workers who took part in the historic labor union strikes of 1979-80 in the metallurgic region called ABC in the State of Sao Paulo. The union was led by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the man who was to become President of Brazil in 2002. In a series of interviews, the workers talk about their origins, their participation in the union movement, and the paths their lives took following the strikes. They describe the hardships and rewards of work in the factories, the effects their union activism had on their lives, and their personal views about Lula.  The documentary was shot in the 30 days preceding the election of Lula as President of Brazil.