I think that the questions that Lydia has raised about interpretive power are really interesting and important. I think that we have done a pretty good job balancing the films geographically, but maybe we should have an in-depth discussion about their political positions on Tuesday. Also, I completely share Maritza's feelings of being overwhelmed by film options. It's more comfortable now that we have narrowed down our choices, but I can't help wondering if we might have missed an important film. Undoubtedly we have, but I guess that's just the way film festivals work, we can't include them all. So far I have viewed "Transnational Fiesta," "Mojados," "Patio 29," and "Miss Universe in Peru." Of the four, I think that "Mojados" was the most powerful for me because it follows three Mexican men as they attempt to cross the U.S. border. It makes the situation a lot more personal when you see their struggles as individual people with families on film. If that's not an example of challenges and opportunities, then I don't know what is! "Pation 29" is a more traditional documentary about the dictatorship in Chile, but it fits in well with our memory and justice theme because it shows how there is still so much "unfinished business" involved with the period of dictatorship for the Chilean people. I thought that it was really valuable to hear the people's testimonies because, once again, it put a human face on the tragedies. I hate to say it, but I really did not like "Miss Universe in Peru." The event itself raises some important questions about women and the effects of global business on developing countries. However, I felt like the film could have presented these issues more effectively and directly. But I really want you all to watch at least some of it and let me know what you think, I may have just been having an off night. "Transnational Fiesta" was really interesting and may show some different perspectives than the ones that Lydia viewed as far as capitalism and globalization.
Questions:
*Do all the films that you have watched fit into our themes?
*Are there any that you have seen that you think another one of us should view right now?
February 21, 2009
Quien representa a quien?
The issue of representation across the discipline of Cultural Studies is one that is continually brought up through many different angles. The same question of interpretive power constantly runs hand in hand with who is representing whom and why...
An article we were assigned to read by Randal P. Garza and Lucia Florida titled "Film" treats the area of the latin american film industry and how it is difficult to study because of the lack of proper and organized documentation. Another point it makes, which we all are familiar with, is the competition the foregin film industry undergoes against Hollywood. So many great films are produced under the radar that do not have the funds or "sophistication" as Garza and Florida say, to release the film against Hollywood movies that engulf the film industry. Consequently, the films I reviewed this past week, I found all to be victims to Hollywood. The first one I think is unknown to many since it isn't in English or produced by Hollywood, and it doesn't make the top lists because it isn't a commercial movie. The movie basically runs with the theme of "screw or get screwed" where the Mexican fictional village's mayor gets murdered, and a janitor is assigned to take his place. While he takes his job seriously, he soon realizes anything goes in politics, and begins to invent his own laws and taxas.
The obvious corruption displayed in this movie, prepares the background for the next movie I reviewed which dealt with the same issue, but how Mexican immigrants are obligated to search in the U.S. for incomes to send back to their families because of the corruption in their homeland. Sending back significant amounts of money, enough even to open a new hospital, is their goal and only way to help their families move forward. Transnationalism, another keyword in this discipline, is the theme of this second movie, explaining the identity, culture, and social structures of immigrants leaving one culture to adapt to the next.
An article we were assigned to read by Randal P. Garza and Lucia Florida titled "Film" treats the area of the latin american film industry and how it is difficult to study because of the lack of proper and organized documentation. Another point it makes, which we all are familiar with, is the competition the foregin film industry undergoes against Hollywood. So many great films are produced under the radar that do not have the funds or "sophistication" as Garza and Florida say, to release the film against Hollywood movies that engulf the film industry. Consequently, the films I reviewed this past week, I found all to be victims to Hollywood. The first one I think is unknown to many since it isn't in English or produced by Hollywood, and it doesn't make the top lists because it isn't a commercial movie. The movie basically runs with the theme of "screw or get screwed" where the Mexican fictional village's mayor gets murdered, and a janitor is assigned to take his place. While he takes his job seriously, he soon realizes anything goes in politics, and begins to invent his own laws and taxas.
The obvious corruption displayed in this movie, prepares the background for the next movie I reviewed which dealt with the same issue, but how Mexican immigrants are obligated to search in the U.S. for incomes to send back to their families because of the corruption in their homeland. Sending back significant amounts of money, enough even to open a new hospital, is their goal and only way to help their families move forward. Transnationalism, another keyword in this discipline, is the theme of this second movie, explaining the identity, culture, and social structures of immigrants leaving one culture to adapt to the next.
February 20, 2009
Film Selection: An abuse of interpretive power?
At first the task seemed simple enough; choose engaging films that fit with the theme of the conference- Latin America and the World: Challenges and Opportunities. But as I started to watch perspective films, I began to realize that we three student organizers are performing an act that we often discuss in Hispanic Studies. In choosing and eliminating films, we are exercising interpretive power.
The last three films that I have previewed have all had very strong anti-capitalism, anti-neo-liberal messages. In including these sort of films, are we assigning to our film festival, or even to the conference, a particular message or bias? In my experience in Latin America, I have found these issues salient and this point of view common, but what about the opposing perspective that supports globalization and capitalism, perhaps the view of those who commonly hold power. The obvious answer would be to include films from the opposite perspective: pro-neo-liberal, pro-capitalist, pro-globalization films. As you can probably imagine, few (if any) of this type of film appeared on our initial list. I would personally feel morally opposed to this type of film, and even if I were to overcome my personal bias, there seem to exist fewer films that treat important Latin American interests from this outlook.
So my question is: Is an anti-global, anti-capitalist perspective inherent in an academic gathering that focuses on challenges and opportunities in Latin Ameirca?
To my fellow organizers: Have any of the movies you have screened taken the opposite tone?
To conference participants: Would you recommend showing films with the opposite message? If so what would they be? And more importantly, would you come see them?
The last three films that I have previewed have all had very strong anti-capitalism, anti-neo-liberal messages. In including these sort of films, are we assigning to our film festival, or even to the conference, a particular message or bias? In my experience in Latin America, I have found these issues salient and this point of view common, but what about the opposing perspective that supports globalization and capitalism, perhaps the view of those who commonly hold power. The obvious answer would be to include films from the opposite perspective: pro-neo-liberal, pro-capitalist, pro-globalization films. As you can probably imagine, few (if any) of this type of film appeared on our initial list. I would personally feel morally opposed to this type of film, and even if I were to overcome my personal bias, there seem to exist fewer films that treat important Latin American interests from this outlook.
So my question is: Is an anti-global, anti-capitalist perspective inherent in an academic gathering that focuses on challenges and opportunities in Latin Ameirca?
To my fellow organizers: Have any of the movies you have screened taken the opposite tone?
To conference participants: Would you recommend showing films with the opposite message? If so what would they be? And more importantly, would you come see them?
February 13, 2009
Moving Forward with the Festival
While dining on heart-shaped cupcakes in the spirit of Valentine's Day, we reviewed the list of films we compiled over the last week as possibilities for the festival. Looking over about twenty films, we realized that the best next move would be to organize themes which the films would correspond to. Memory and dictatorship, migration, globalization and social justice, representation-who is representing whom?, and environmental justice were only a few of the ideas that were tossed around today. Making sure that the subtopics repond to the question of challenges and opportunities was the hardest part of organizing these themes. For example, how does memory respond to challenges and opportunities in Latin America? At the end of our meeting we decided to split up the films so we could all watch them and make sure the films were of good quality and presentable for the festival. The big question to look forward to next week will be how exactly we are going to schedule these viewings with the amount of time that we are allotted. :D (Challenges and Opportunities..)
February 11, 2009
Progress So Far
So far we've met twice to talk about the film festival. At the most recent meeting we worked on categories for the program and selected some articles to read about cultural studies that might help us with the conference. We've sent out surveys to Hispanic Studies and Latin American Studies professors asking them to tell us which films they think should be included in the film festival, but so far not many have replied. I'm not sure if it's because our topic is so broad or just because they are very busy, but maybe they will come up with something soon. We have to start viewing an selecting film pretty soon because the conference is not that far away!
February 7, 2009
The College of William and Mary will host the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies annual meeting on March 6 and 7, 2009. Maritza Alcoreza, Jacqueline Stabnow, and Lydia Sinkus, all Hispanic Studies students at the College, are working with Regina A. Root to organize a film festival that responds to the conference theme, "Latin America and the World: Challenges and Opportunities". As we consider the significance of representation and cultural agency in our own scholarly work, we shall describe here the process of putting together this special program. During the conference, we will also blog live from the conference sessions in order to help disseminate the diverse range of scholarship that MACLAS represents. We hope you will join us!
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