Hispanic Film Festival

Hispanic Film Festival (5th edition)

Wednesdays in September / October 2024 / 6 p.m. Lindsay Young Auditorium—Hodges Library

Contact Film Festival organizer Betsabé Navarro

Join us for the fifth edition of the Hispanic Film Festival on the UT campus featuring independent award-winning films in Spanish with English subtitles, and introductory talks by UT professors.

Free admission

Every Wednesday at 6pm in September and October 2024

Film Schedule

3 films screened in person at the Lindsay Young Auditorium (Hodges Library)

Parallel Mothers (Spain, 2021) a film by Pedro Almodóvar [September 18^th 6pm]

The film follows two mothers who meet at the hospital ward during their pregnancy, and whose lives become intertwined from then on. Janis (Penélope Cruz), middle-aged, doesn’t regret her accidental pregnancy and she is exultant. The other, Ana (Milena Smit), an adolescent, is scared, repentant, and traumatized. Janis tries to encourage her while they move like sleepwalkers along the hospital corridors. The few words they exchange in those hours will create a very close link between the two, which by chance develops and becomes complicated, changing their lives in a decisive way. In one of his best films to date, Almodóvar revisits the legacy of his country’s political violence during the Spanish Civil War to provide a broader and richer perspective on the exploration of one’s ancestry.

Sealed Cargo (Bolivia, 2015) a film by Julia Vargas Weise [October 2nd, 6pm]

With a promotion in the offering and his beautiful wife Nena at his side, things couldn’t be better for ambitious policeman Hector Mariscal. Before he can enjoy the good life, though, a final, top-secret assignment must be carried out: to transport-by rail-a highly toxic cargo across Bolivia’s high desert backcountry and “dispose” of it in a remote indigenous village. With kind engineer Klinger guiding his beloved steam locomotive Federica, and presented with a crew of hapless cops and an unexpected young stowaway, Mariscal finds that there’s much more on the line than he imagined in this sharp, energetic satire.

Bolivia’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards®, Julia Vargas-Weise’s third feature is a lively rejoinder to that country’s status as a dumping ground for the world’s industrial waste. Rich in symbolism and in spirit, Sealed Cargo is a terrific ride through the seldom-seen Altiplano and a potent reminder of what really matters. Based on the real events that took place in 1994 when 400 tons of toxic waste were transported through Bolivia, Sealed Cargo delivers a crucial and current message about the global waste crisis that highlights its relevance.

Alegría (Spain, 2021), a film by Violeta Salama [October 16th, 6pm]

Alegria movie poster showing photos of four women

Why you must see this film. Because it conveys the crucial message that the world needs: a story of reconciliation told by a Jewish woman, a Muslim, and a Christian living in Morocco. And because it is shaped entirely by women – from the director and screenwriters to the producer. A layered, heartfelt family drama about women breaking free from patriarchal tradition in a contemporary Jewish diasporic community.

Alegría’s life takes a profound shift upon discovering that her orthodox Jewish brother insists on holding his daughter’s wedding in Melilla. Guided by Dunia, her Arab housekeeper, and Marian, her Christian confidante, Alegría embarks on a journey to connect with her roots while assisting her niece, Yael, in navigating womanhood within a highly conservative male-dominated environment. Alegría is also about Melilla, an autonomous, multicultural Spanish city on Africa’s north coast, where Jews, Muslims, and Christians mix and mingle and come together to make the wedding happen. It is a gorgeous evocation of a fascinating and beautiful corner of the world not often seen on-screen.

Two more films are available online.

View films online

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The Return (Costa Rica, 2012) a film by Hernán Jiménez [Available from September 25th to October 1st]

The Return movie poster showing five people lying on a red and white picnic blanket on the grass looking up at the sky

The Return is the story of a delightful and life-changing journey back to Costa Rica. After living 10 years in New York, 30 year-old Antonio returns to San José where he is forced to deal with the realities he ran away from. He is welcomed by his intense sister, Amanda-whose husband recently abandoned her-and their young son Inti-who is apprehensive about Antonio’s presence. When things take an unexpected turn, Antonio is forced to remain home far longer than he had anticipated. Add in the comedy of Antonio finding out that his best friend is the lead singer of a death metal rock band and sprinkle in the rekindling of a childhood romance and you have the ingredients of a superb film.

Un traductor (Cuba, 2018) a film by Rodrigo Barriuso and Sebastián Barriuso [Available from October 9th to October 15th]

ACADEMY AWARD® CUBA’S SUBMISSION FOR BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Based on the little-known true story of how twenty thousand Chernobyl victims were eventually treated in Cuba, Un Traductor unfolds as a tale at once historical and personal, brought to life in crisply shot, beautifully realized period detail of a Havana on the brink of economic crisis.

Havana, 1989: Russian literature professor Malin (Rodrigo Santoro, of Westworld fame) receives a mysterious note at the university with orders from the government sending him to a local hospital, where he learns he is expected to act as translator between Cuban doctors and the families of young patients from the Chernobyl disaster. Initially raging against his new role, Malin is forced to stay on. He eventually becomes deeply devoted to his patients. But while he becomes “king of the kids” at the hospital, his relationships with his pregnant wife and young son suffer.

Warning: Films may contain adult content and some degree of violence.

Parking Information

The G17 Garage at 1800 Lake Ave, free parking to the general public beginning at 6pm weekdays (no overnight parking 3am-6am)
The Vol Hall Garage at $1 per ½ hour
Regular street parking in the Fort Sanders area

Pictures courtesy of Pragda. The Spanish Film Club series was made possible with the support of Pragda, SPAIN Arts & Culture, and the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain.