presented by The Center for Latin and Caribbean Studies with UWM Union Student Involvement and Union Cinema
Image: The Klezmer Project
March 28-April 5, 2024
UWM Union Cinema
2200 East Kenwood Boulevard
Free Admission
All films will be shown in their original language with English subtitles.
(Films are not rated; many include adult content)
For more information, please call the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at (414) 229-5986 or see https://uwm.edu/clacs/public-engagement/film-series/
LAFS 2024 staff: Elizabeth Enoch, Julie Kline, Aimee Orndorf
In memory of longtime LAFS filmgoer, Jan Mahlberg
Thursday, March 28
7pm
Puan
Argentina/Italy/France/Germany/Brazil, 2023, 111 min
Directed by María Alché, Benjamín Naishtat
When Marcelo Pena finally is about to be appointed Head of the Philosophy department, the famous and seductive Professor Sujarchuk returns from Europe to claim the post for himself. Best Screenplay Jury Prize, Best Leading Performance, 2023 San Sebastián International Film Festival
Friday, March 29
6:45pm
Performance by Samba Pantera, one of UWM’s World Percussion Ensembles
7pm
Prison in the Andes (Penal Cordillera)
Chile/Brazil, 2023, 105 min
Directed by Felipe Carmona
The five most ruthless men in Pinochet’s dictatorship are serving out sentences for their crimes against humanity in a luxury prison at the foot of the Andes. When one of the inmates gives a TV interview, his declarations fuel an unexpected backlash.
9pm
Vicenta B.
Cuba/France/USA/Colombia/Norway, 2022, 77 min
Directed by Carlos Lechuga
Vicenta, a Cuban woman with the ability to see into the future, lives harmoniously with her only son until he decides to leave the country. Immersed in a profound crisis, Vicenta departs for a voyage to the heartland of a country where everyone seems to have lost their faith.
Saturday, March 30
4pm
Sacred Family (La Sagrada Familia)
Peru/Spain/Scotland, 2022, 90 min
Directed by Borja Alcalde
In collaboration with the Chicago Latino Film Festival
In a quest to find balance between ancestral beliefs and urban life, Peruvian shamans Carmen and Sergio and their three teenage kids embark on a 1000-mile road trip in an old camper van deep into the Amazon jungle, where they used to live, hoping it will provide answers about how to live as a family in the modern world.
6pm
The Fishbowl (La Pecera)
Puerto Rico/Spain/USA, 2023, 92 min
Directed by Glorimar Marrero Sánchez
Co-presented with the Military and Veterans Resource Center and the Roberto Hernández Center
Introduction by Alberto Maldonado, Director, Roberto Hernández Center
As her cancer spreads, Noelia decides to return to her native Vieques, Puerto Rico, and determine her own fate. She reunites with friends and family, who are still dealing with the contamination of the U.S. Navy after 60 years of military practices. Official Selection, 2023 Sundance Film Festival
8pm
Un Varón (A Male)
Colombia/France/Netherlands/Germany, 2022, 82 min
Directed by Fabián Hernández
Carlos lives in a Bogotá youth shelter. It’s Christmas and he longs to be with his family. Confronted with the brutality of his neighborhood, he must prove he can be tough, while deep inside, these expressions of masculinity clash with the decisions he must make to survive. Director’s Fortnight, 2022 Cannes Film Festival
Sunday, March 31
No screenings
Monday, April 1
7pm
A Strange Path (Estranho Caminho)
Brazil, 2023, 83 min
Directed by Guto Parente
A young filmmaker returns home and attempts to reconnect with his father as the pandemic rapidly accelerates across Brazil. Best International Narrative Feature Award, Best Performance Award, Best Screenplay Award, Best Cinematography Award, 2023 Tribeca Film Festival
Tuesday, April 2
7pm
The Echo (El Eco)
Mexico/Germany, 2023, 102 min
Directed by Tatiana Huezo
In the remote village of El Echo, the children care for the sheep and for their elders. While the frost and drought punish the land, they learn to understand death, illness and love with each act, word, and silence of their parents.
Wednesday, April 3
7pm
The Klezmer Project (Adentro mío estoy bailando)
Argentina/Austria, 2023, 117 min
Directed by Leandro Koch, Paloma Schachmann
Co-presented with the Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies
Talkback with Joel Berkowitz
Professor of English and Director, Stahl Center for Jewish Studies
While filming a wedding, Leandro falls in love with Paloma, a clarinetist. To seduce her, he pretends to be shooting a documentary about Klezmer, the traditional Yiddish folk music. Leandro’s “fake” film project will take him on an unscripted journey throughout Eastern Europe in search of the last remaining Klezmer melodies. First Feature Award, 2023 Berlin International Film Festival
Thursday, April 4
7pm
Power Alley (Levante)
Brazil/Uruguay/France, 2023, 92 min
Directed by Lillah Hallah
Sofia is a spirited teen volleyball player from a modest background. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she faces an unwanted pregnancy. She is surrounded by a supportive team, including trans and non-binary members making the film a vivid exploration of queer sisterhood and resilience against the odds. Semaine de la Critique selection, 2023 Cannes Film Festival
Friday, April 5
7pm
Tótem
Mexico/Denmark/France, 2023, 95 min
Directed by Lila Avilés
In a bustling Mexican household, 7-year-old Sol is swept up in a whirlwind of preparations for the birthday party for her father, led by her mother, aunts, and other relatives. As the day goes on, Sol begins to understand the gravity of the celebration this year.
The series is financially co-sponsored by: UWM Union Sociocultural Programming; the Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies; Center for 21st Century Studies; Center for Global Health Equity; Center for International Education; LGBTQ+ Resource Center; Military & Veterans Resource Center (MAVRC); Roberto Hernández Center; the Departments of: Anthropology; Art History; Comparative Ethnic Studies; Criminal Justice & Criminology; Cultures and Communities; Film Studies; Geography; Geosciences; Global Studies; the Master of Arts in Language, Literature, and Translation; Spanish & Portuguese; Translation & Interpreting Studies
Promotional co-sponsors: UWM Libraries; UWM Honors College; Athletics; Black Student Cultural Center; Center for Student Experience and Talent; English Language Academy; Language Resource Center; Latinx Student Union; Lubar Entrepreneurship Center; Lubar School of Business; Sigma Delta Pi National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society; University Housing’s Film, Video, Animation and New Genres LLC; the Departments of: African & African Diaspora Studies; Ancient & Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Communication; Dance; English; Film, Video, Animation, & New Genres; History; Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Studies; Latinx Studies; Political Science; Sociology; Women’s and Gender Studies; Urban Planning