Hispanic Film Series Begins March 27

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures is hosting the 2014 Hispanic Film Series March 27 to April 24 at the Center for Film Studies.

“For the second year in a row, we’re showcasing recent award-winning films from Latin America and Spain,” said María Ospina, assistant professor of romance languages and literatures. “Last year, we had hundreds of students attend the screenings, and we’re hoping that this year the event is equally successful.”

All films start at 8 p.m. in the Goldsmith Family Cinema. Screenings are free of charge and are open to the public. Films have English subtitles.

March 27
Biutiful, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Mexico/Spain, 2010
Javier Bardem brings admirable passion to the gritty story of Uxbal, a midlevel underworld figure whose main business is dealing with the black-market labor of illegal immigrants in Barcelona. Juggling two young children, a mentally unstable former wife and a terminal illness, he is faced with choices that test both his resolve and his decency, as he tries to be stoical, tough and compassionate.

April 3
Tanta agua (So Much Water), directed by Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay/Mexico/Holland/Germany, 2013
Alberto, who doesn’t see his kids Lucía and Federico much since his divorce, refuses to allow anything to ruin his plans for vacation at a hot springs resort. But the springs are closed due to heavy rains, and Lucía’s adolescent rebellion clashes against her father’s enthusiastic efforts for family quality time. When she meets friends her age, Lucía’s vacation starts looking up. But flings can be fleeting, and it’s her father’s reliable insistence they spend time together that proves to be the most meaningful part of their unexpectedly enjoyable getaway.

April 10
Porfirio, directed by Alejandro Landes, Colombia, 2012
Paralyzed from the waist down by a stray police bullet, the title character in this remarkable documentary-fiction hybrid spends his days selling minutes on his cell phone when not flirting with his comely neighbor, and secretly plotting his revenge. Landes worked on the film for five years, creating a tale that joined the most intimate details of Porfirio’s day-to-day life with an astonishing re-creation of his attempt to hijack an airplane.

April 17
Crystal Fairy, directed by Sebastian Silva, Chile, 2013
Jamie is a boorish, insensitive American twenty-something traveling in Chile, who somehow manages to create chaos at every turn. He and his friends are planning on taking a road trip north to experience a legendary shamanistic hallucinogen called the San Pedro cactus. In a fit of drunkenness at a wild party, Jamie invites an eccentric woman to come along and the journey becomes a battle of wills as he finds himself locking horns with his new traveling companion. But at edge of the desert, the magic brew is finally imbibed, and the true adventure begins, as the ragtag group breaks through to an authentic moment of truth.

April 24
Juan de los Muertos (Juan of the Dead), directed by Alejandro Brugués, Cuba/Spain, 2011
In Cuba’s first zombie movie, residents of Havana scream in panic as flesh eating zombies swarm streets and buildings. While the official media portrays the invasion as isolated incidents provoked by dissidents paid by the U.S. government, Juan, a middle-aged survivor of most everything, puts his survivalist mind to work and sets up a zombie killing black market business. This horror comedy, deeply schooled in the zombie genre, has captivated audiences in the island and beyond.