GÜEROS
Mon, Oct 6, 9:20; Tue, Oct 7, 9:00
This plucky and effortlessly cool b&w pic from newcomer
Alonso Ruiz Palacios follows three restless teens during the
student strikes of 1999. Federico and Santos are roommates
in Mexico City, students “on strike from the strike” now that
their university has been shut down, when Federico’s brother
Tomás arrives. Looking to kill some time and their boredom,
they hit the streets of the city looking for famed folk-rocker
Epigmenio Cruz, who once allegedly made Bob Dylan
cry. Best First Feature Award, 2014 Berlin Film Festival;
Best Cinematography, Special Jury Mention for Best New
Narrative Director, 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
DIR/SCR Alonso Ruiz
Palacios; SCR Gibrán Portela; PROD Ramiro Ruiz. Mexico, 2014, b&w, 108 min. In Spanish
with English subtitles. NOT RATED
HELI
2013 Oscar
®
Selection, Mexico
Fri, Oct 3, 9:40; Sun, Oct 5, 9:40; Wed, Oct 8, 10:00
In a small town in the Mexican plains, Heli lives a modest but
peaceful life with his wife and newborn child, his father and
12-year-old sister. But when his sister gets mixed up with a
police cadet, a chain of brutal events comes raining down on
the unsuspecting family. Filmmaker Amat Escalante won Best
Director at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for his unflinching
portrait of an innocent family caught in a violent war between
drug gangs and crooked government officials. “A stunning
piece of filmmaking…Hypnotic, starkly beautiful.” –LA Times.
Official Selection, 2013 AFI FEST, Karlovy Vary, London,
Chicago Film Festivals.
DIR/SCR Amat Escalante; SCR Gabriel Reyes; PROD Jaime
Romandia. Mexico/Netherlands/Germany/France, 2013, color, 105 min. In Spanish with English
subtitles. NOT RATED
Warning: Contains graphic violence
Nicaragua
A QUIET INQUISITION
Tickets $5
Mon, Oct 6, 7:15
At a public hospital in Nicaragua, this documentary follows
OB/GYN Carla Cerrato, struggling with her conscience as
she contends with the implications of a new law that bans all
abortion, even in the face of saving a woman’s life. As she and
her colleagues navigate the murky legal waters and potential of
prosecution, the drama of this deadly law emerges, as Carla
meets with young patients in search of life-changing help. As
the stakes elevate, and the fatalities become personal, Carla’s
outrage and sadness transform into a willingness to act boldly
in the face of the law. Official Selection, 2014 Human Rights
Watch Film Festival.
DIR/SCR/PROD Holen Sabrina Kahn, Alessandra Zeka. US/
Nicaragua, 2014, color, 65 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
6
WE ARE MARI PEPA [Somos Mari Pepa]
Wed, Oct 1, 9:30; Thu, Oct 2, 9:00
With school out for summer, the wannabe punk rockers of
teen band Mari Pepa are free to let their hormones rage, hit
up the skate park and rehearse the one song in their limited
repertoire over and over again. If they want to enter the battle
of the bands, they’ll have to come up with another catchy tune,
a task easier said than done. But with the end of summer and
manhood on the horizon, the teens are forced to reexamine
their priorities. An often-hilarious portrait of aimless youth, the
film was inspired by filmmaker Samuel Kishi’s own Guadalajara
teen years. Official Selection, 2013 AFI Fest; 2014 Berlin Film
Festival.
DIR/SCR/PROD Samuel Kishi; SCR Sofía Gómez-Córdova. Mexico, 2013, color, 100
min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Daily Listings: 301.495.6700
#AFILatinFilm
LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Paraguay
US Premiere!
COSTA DULCE
Supported by
Sat, Sep 27, 1:30; Mon, Sep 29, 7:45; Tue, Sep 30, 5:20;
Thu, Oct 2, 5:20
When a metal detector falls into David’s lap, he becomes
obsessed with the many myths about treasures buried in the
Paraguayan hinterland during the bloody 19th-century War
of the Triple Alliance. Eager to get his hands on some cash,
the young Guaraní becomes consumed with this Sisyphean
task, risking his life and sanity. This timeless story of greed
and obsession is lyrically realized by painter-turned-filmmaker
Enrique Collar. Official Selection, 2013 Mar del Plata Film
Festival; 2014 Rotterdam Film Festival.
DIR/SCR/PROD Enrique Collar;
SCR Juan Marín; PROD André Schreuders. Paraguay/Netherlands, 2013, color, 75 min. In
Guaraní with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Peru
THE MUTE [El mudo]
Sun, Sep 28, 7:15; Thu, Oct 2, 7:45
Judge Constantino Zegarra has lived his professional life
according to a strict moral code, proud that he’s never
taken a bribe or succumbed to corruption like so many of
his colleagues. But when a bullet leaves him speechless, he
becomes consumed with paranoia that he’s the victim of a
greater conspiracy. Combining elements of wry black comedy
with a legal thriller, the Vega brothers have created a worthy
follow-up to OCTUBRE, their award-winning debut. Best Actor,
2013 Locarno Film Festival; Official Selection, 2013 Toronto
Film Festival, 2014 Palm Springs, Cartagena Film Festivals;
Best Director, Best Actor, 2014 BAFICI Film Festival.
DIR/SCR/
PROD Daniel Vega, Diego Vega; SCR Manuel Arias. Peru/France/Mexico, 2013, color, 86 min. In
Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Portugal
BOBÔ
Sat, Sep 20, 11:30 a.m.; Sun, Sep 21, 11:00 a.m.
Two Lisbon women are brought together in the fight to save
a young Guinean girl from the threat of genital mutilation in
this sensitive drama from Portuguese filmmaker Inês Oliveira.
Sofia is a shut-in, a woman with a traumatic past, unwilling
to connect with the outside world. Mariama is the Guinean
housekeeper Sofia’s mother sent to keep up with the chores. But
with Mariama’s younger sister Bobô facing a cruel traditional
practice, Sofia will be forced out of her shell if she wants to
intervene. Official Selection, 2013 Toronto and São Paolo Film
Festivals.
DIR/SCR Inês Oliveira; SCR Rita Benis; PROD Fernando Vendrell. Portugal, 2013,
color, 80 min. In Portuguese and Creole with English subtitles. NOT RATED
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
PARADISE [Paráiso]
Q&A with filmmaker Mariana Chenillo, plus post-screening
reception sponsored by the Mexican Cultural Institute on
Sep 26
Fri, Sep 26, 7:15; Mon, Sep 29, 9:15
Carmen and Alfredo are a happy, overweight couple whose
sheltered life in the suburbs is flipped upside-down when
they move to bustling Mexico City. Adapting to pressures
of life in the capital, Carmen decides to go on a diet and
begs Alfredo to join her. Alfredo quickly sheds more pounds
than his wife, boosting his confidence but creating friction in
the relationship. Searching for happiness, Carmen realizes
that food isn’t just about calories. Writer/director Mariana
Chenillo follows up her award-winning debut, NORA’S WILL,
with this touching romantic comedy. Official Selection, 2013
Toronto, San Sebastian Film Festivals.
DIR/SCR Mariana Chenillo; SCR from
a story by Julieta Arévalo; PROD Pablo Cruz. Mexico, 2013, color, 105 min. In Spanish with
English subtitles. NOT RATED
Courtesy of Urban Distribution
Courtesy of Kino Lorber
Courtesy of Mundial
Courtesy of Figa Films
THE MUTE
GüEROS
WE ARE MARI PEPA
