Latin American and Spanish Film Week

From Sept. 18 to 23, the UVic community and Victorians at large are in for a cultural treat: for the third time, the Latin American and Spanish Film Week is coming to Cinecenta.

“The last two years have been a great success,” says event coordinator and UVic professor Dr. Dan Russek (Hispanic and Italian Studies). “We are really encouraged by the response of the public, from students to members of the Latin American communities in Victoria. We believe that the Film Week is a wonderful window through which to discover Latin America and Spain.”

This year, the Film Week offers some movies that fall on the lighter side. That doesn’t mean, of course, they do not deal with serious matters. Gatos viejos [Old Cats], a light family drama, explores the bittersweet relation between an older woman and her wayward adult daughter. It is co-directed by Chilean Sebastian Silva, whose movie La nana [The Maid] was a great hit in the 2010 Film Week.

One of the most original films coming from Latin America is Juan de los muertos [Juan of The Dead], a zombie movie that takes place in Havana. The zombies are for real, and this dark comedy packs a nice political punch, using the spooky subgenre to critically comment on Cuban society today.
Un cuento chino [A Chinese Tale] is about a Chinese person who arrives in Buenos Aires. Not speaking a word of Spanish, he ends up rescued by a lonely, grumpy man. Featuring one of Argentina’s most renowned actors, Ricardo Darín, the film is an interesting comedy that deals with a clash of cultures with quirky humor and a surrealist touch.

The third Latin American and Spanish Film Week will include a fundraiser to benefit Mosqoy, a registered Canadian charity—founded and run by UVic alumni—that promotes social justice and cultural rights in the Peruvian Andes through cultural and educational programs. Mosqoy’s textile revitalization program supports over 160 rural Quechua weavers, helping them to restore their traditional weaving practices. Proceeds from the show on Friday, Sept. 21, the documentary Operación Diablo [The Devil Operation], will be donated to this organization (mosqoy.org).

The members of the organizing committee are Silvia Colás and Chrissie Forster (Hispanic and Italian Studies), and student representative Cory Kreger. The event is organized by the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies and is sponsored by UVic Faculty of Social Sciences, the Division of Continuing Studies and the Office of Community Relations. The organizing committee also acknowledges the help of consultant Mr. Christian Sida-Valenzuela, Director of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, and the contributions of directors Stephanie Boyd and Trisha Ziff.

All films will be shown with English subtitles. Showtimes are 7 and 9 p.m. Cost: $5.60 - $7.75 (regular admission fees). For full details, visit the cinema website at www.cinecenta.com/.

Contact  or 250-472-5455 for more info about this annual event.