Documentary Screening and Discussion with Filmmaker Bocafloja

The Invisible Country – Alternative Media During Pinochet’s Chile

2007 Latin American Studies Film Series

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

2007 LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES FILM SERIES

FREE EVENT             7 PM               ENGLISH SUBTITLES

DREAMS AND REALITIES

UNIVERSITY THEATER

PARKING AVAILABLE IN LOT 7

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

COCALERO (2006) Argentina/Bolivia

DIRECTED BY ALEJANDRO LANDES

A compelling piece of work, this fly-on-the-wall documentary reveals the personalities and politics behind one of the region’s most astounding stories. In the Bolivia of the 21st century, few would have imagined that an indigenous man from the coca-growing hinterlands would have a chance at elected office, much less the presidency. Urged on by U.S. interests, the Bolivian government had for years cracked down on the growth of the coca crop and on the indigenous groups that cultivated it. Against this backdrop of oppression rose Evo Morales, an former-union leader who harnessed a population’s disenchantment with the ruling elite into a political machine.  Nominated for a Grand Jury Prize in the world cinema category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.  Q & A with Aymara international affairs liaison Mayra Gómez.  86 minutes, Spanish, Quechua, Aymara with English subtitles.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

PRETENDIENDO (PRETENDING, 2005) Chile

DIRECTED BY CLAUDIO DABED

When Amanda is humiliated by her lover and fired from her job, she decides to move to a new town and start over, but this time by making herself over as an unattractive woman, in an effort to be taken seriously.  When she meets Marcelo, a cocky street-savvy new co-worker, she decides to go one step further and test him by playing both her ugly persona and her real one, whom she now calls Helena. But juggling a double life proves harder than she had imagined, and when real feelings begin to develop between Marcelo and Helena, as well as between Marcelo and Amanda, she finds her comedy of errors has turned into an odd and sexy love triangle.  Q & A with award-winning director Claudio Dabed and cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, a Film and Electronics Arts alumnus and recipient of the prestigious John F. Seitz Award for outstanding cinematography given by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). 108 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

PEQUEÑOS GIGANTES (LITTLE GIANTS, 1960) Mexico

DIRECTED BY HUGO BUTLER (AS HUGO MOZO)

An inspiring must-see film for all audiences in the tradition of neorealist films about dreams and determination.  A great family film directed by Oscar nominee Hugo Butler (as Hugo Mozo).  Based on a true story about the Monterrey Industrial Little League team and young man Angel Macias determination to win, without realizing he was pitching a perfect game.  Macias gift for the game of baseball led to commentaries referring to him as Mexico’s Babe Ruth.  The performance of the boys from Monterrey garnered an invitation to the White House.  Former presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were U.S. senators when they met this team, which managed to attract the attention of many people in the U.S.  Their journey from obscurity to fame was later captured in the film Little Giants with the team this time playing in front of the movie cameras.

New 35mm print created by the Academy Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival; and the Department of Film and Electronic Arts at California State University, Long Beach.

Museum of Latin American Art Director Gregorio Luke will moderate the post-screening discussion. 100 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4

SOÑAR NO CUESTA NADA (A TON OF LUCK, 2006) Colombia

DIRECTED BY RODRIGO TRIANA

The story based on true events that occurred in Colombia in May 2003, recounts the dreams and adventures of Porras, Venegas, Lloreda and Perlaza, four of the 147 soldiers from the anti-guerrilla “Destroyer” battalion.  It begins when these soldiers, in the middle of the jungle on a rescue mission, find a hidden cache of 46 million dollars.  They decide to keep the money instead of giving it to the government.  Their discovery will change their lives forever, and will allow them to have everything they’ve dreamt of:  authority, power, and respect.  The big challenge:  to return to civilization and make their dreams come true.  Award-winning director Rodrigo Triana’s film A Ton of Luck was selected to represent Colombia for the 2006 Oscars for Best Foreign Film. 100 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles.

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THE 2007 LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES FILM SERIES IS SPONSORED BY THE

Film and Electronic Arts Department, College of the Arts; Latin American Studies Program; Romance, German, and Russian, Languages and Literatures Department, College of Liberal Arts; in collaboration with the Academy Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; American Indian Studies Program; Anthropology Department; Chicano and Latino Studies Department; Chicano Latino Studies Association; Delta Sigma Chi; Division of Academic Affairs; Division of Student Services; Educational Equity Services; Future Underrepresented Educated Leaders; Hispanic Student Business Association; Hermanas Unidas de Long Beach; Hermanos Unidos; KPFK; La Raza Student Association; Lambda Theta Alpha; Latin Sorority, Inc.; Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc.; Latino Faculty and Staff Association; Learning Alliance; MEXICA; Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival; Movimiento Estudiantil de Teatro y Artes; Multicultural Center; Museum of Latin American Art; Office of the President; Office of Government & Community Relations; Odyssey Program; Partners for Success; Political Science Department; Spanish Club; Sigma Lambda Beta, Kappa Beta Chapter; Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers; Sociology Department; University Book Store at the Beach; University Student Union Program Council; United Migrant Student Association.

ORGANIZED BY:

José Sánchez-H. (Film and Electronic Arts) with Luis Arroyo (Chicano and Latino Studies), Rosa Carrillo (University Outreach & School Relations), Norma Chinchilla (Sociology), Alicia del Campo (Romance, German, and Russian Languages and Literatures), Liesl Haas (Political Science), Jayne Howell (Anthropology), Elena Macías Office of Government & Community Relations), José Moreno (Chicano and Latino Studies), Victor Rodriguez (Chicano and Latino Studies), Larry Smith (Film and Electronic Arts) Armando Vázquez-Ramos (Chicano and Latino Studies).

E-mail:  advocacy@csulb.edu

www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/departments/las/index.html