Spanish department features four films, faculty discussions during film festival

North Central College’s Spanish department and student club Fusión Espanola cohost “Festival de cine iberoamericano,” a viewing of four films and faculty-led discussion series April 30 through May 8. The film festival is meant to serve as a cultural component for the Spanish language program. All screenings are free, open to the campus community and will be held in the theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall.

Wednesday, April 30:
The film “Volver” will be featured at 7 p.m. Director Pedro Almodovar has received many international awards, including an Oscar for this quirky Spanish drama that blends Old and New Spain and stars Penelope Cruz. “Volver” was also one of several films included in this year’s Ibero-American Film Festival, a cultural component to Spanish courses. Jelena Sanchez, adjunct assistant professor of Spanish, will lead the discussion following the film.

Friday, May 2:
The film “25 Watts” will be presented at 2 p.m. “25 Watts” is a Uruguayan film about a day in the life of three street youths living in Montevideo. This is an independent work directed and written by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll. A discussion will follow the screening and be led by Uruguayan faculty member Silvia Goldman, assistant professor of Spanish.

Monday, May 5:
The film “Casa de Areia” will be shown at 7 p.m. Directed by Andrucha Waddington, this Brazilian film stars real-life mother and daughter Fernanda Montenegro and Fernanda Torres and displays breath-taking cinematography that unveils the coast of northern Brazil. This event brings an awareness of Ibero-American cultures to students in the Spanish language program. Beverly Richard-Cook, professor of Spanish, will lead the follow-up discussion.

Thursday, May 8:
The film “Los colores de la montana” will be featured at noon. This Colombian film directed by Carlos César Arbeláez is set in a remote village in the Andean region of Colombia, with menacing guerrillas on one side and paramilitary groups on the other. Alberto Fonseca, assistant professor of Spanish, will lead the discussion following the film.

For more information about the film viewing and discussion series contact Sanchez at jsanchez@noctrl.edu.