The Sin Fronteras Film Festival is a student organized event devoted to films about Latin America and by Latin American filmmakers. Each year the festival is organized by a group of students from various departments who are members of SOLAS. The festival has been generously funded by a variety of UNM groups and academic departments, as well as several local businesses. Thanks to the time and money donated by various students, staff, faculty, and community members, 2015's festival is a COMPLETELY FREE event open to the UNM and greater Albuquerque community. All screenings will be held at the Guild Cinema; space is limited, so please reserve your tickets at our event page, or show up early to get a seat!
Please see below for this year’s schedule, a brief description of each film, and each film's trailer. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at SOLAS@unm.edu. We hope you will join us!
Please see below for this year’s schedule, a brief description of each film, and each film's trailer. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at SOLAS@unm.edu. We hope you will join us!
Friday, February 20
El Vals de los Inútiles (The Waltz of the Useless)
Edison Cájas / 80 min. / 2013
Chile
5:30 PM
The tale of two parallel stories narrates the student movement in Chile. A teenager immersed in the political climate in his school and a former political prisoner of the Pinochet dictatorship find in the social and student movement a sense to their own history. Darío (17) and Miguel Ángel (58) both join the “1800 hours for free education” marathon, one of the most important expressions of the Chilean student movement in the past years. Together with the viewer they share their different experiences and points of view, connecting history with the current capital of Chile.
El Vals de los Inútiles Official Website
Edison Cájas / 80 min. / 2013
Chile
5:30 PM
The tale of two parallel stories narrates the student movement in Chile. A teenager immersed in the political climate in his school and a former political prisoner of the Pinochet dictatorship find in the social and student movement a sense to their own history. Darío (17) and Miguel Ángel (58) both join the “1800 hours for free education” marathon, one of the most important expressions of the Chilean student movement in the past years. Together with the viewer they share their different experiences and points of view, connecting history with the current capital of Chile.
El Vals de los Inútiles Official Website
El Palhaço (The Clown)
Selton Mello / 90 min. / 2011
Brazil
8:00 PM
In this lighthearted and nostalgic tale, Valdemar and Benjamin are the fabulous father/son clown duo of Puro Sangue (Thoroughbred) and Pangaré (Mangy Horse). They make their living traveling the Brazilian countryside with the Circo Esperança (Hope Circus). They have no fixed address. Benjamin begins to grow tired of the road and worries he is no longer funny. With only his birth certificate in hand, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery to claim a life he has for so long only dreamed of knowing. Brazil’s submission to the 2013 Oscars.
Selton Mello / 90 min. / 2011
Brazil
8:00 PM
In this lighthearted and nostalgic tale, Valdemar and Benjamin are the fabulous father/son clown duo of Puro Sangue (Thoroughbred) and Pangaré (Mangy Horse). They make their living traveling the Brazilian countryside with the Circo Esperança (Hope Circus). They have no fixed address. Benjamin begins to grow tired of the road and worries he is no longer funny. With only his birth certificate in hand, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery to claim a life he has for so long only dreamed of knowing. Brazil’s submission to the 2013 Oscars.
Saturday, February 21
Sigo Siendo
Javier Corcuera / 120 min. / 2013
Perú
1:00 PM
Sigo siendo (kackkaniraqmi) is a film about people. The film talks about music and musicians, but it is not strictly a musical, it is a film of personal stories. Travel to Perú, unknown and hidden, through three distinct areas: Ayacucho (the Andean zone), the Amazon (the jungle), and the Coast (Lima). Here, the continuous singing and traditional ways of playing instruments reminds us of music's power to tell stories—and tell us who we are.
Sigo Siendo Official Website
Javier Corcuera / 120 min. / 2013
Perú
1:00 PM
Sigo siendo (kackkaniraqmi) is a film about people. The film talks about music and musicians, but it is not strictly a musical, it is a film of personal stories. Travel to Perú, unknown and hidden, through three distinct areas: Ayacucho (the Andean zone), the Amazon (the jungle), and the Coast (Lima). Here, the continuous singing and traditional ways of playing instruments reminds us of music's power to tell stories—and tell us who we are.
Sigo Siendo Official Website
Mosquita y Mari
Aurora Guerrero / 86 min. / 2012
USA
3:30 PM
This coming-of-age tale follows a pair of Latina teens who fall gradually in love against the backdrop of East L.A. When straight-A student Yolanda aka Mosquita decides to help struggling tough girl Mari with her homework, an intense attraction evolves between the two. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their strange yet beautiful connection surfaces.
Aurora Guerrero / 86 min. / 2012
USA
3:30 PM
This coming-of-age tale follows a pair of Latina teens who fall gradually in love against the backdrop of East L.A. When straight-A student Yolanda aka Mosquita decides to help struggling tough girl Mari with her homework, an intense attraction evolves between the two. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their strange yet beautiful connection surfaces.
Un Asunto de Tierras (A Matter of Land)
Patricia Ayala Ruíz / 80 min. / 2012
Colombia
5:30 PM
In 2011, the armed conflict in Colombia entered a new phase with the creation of the Land Restitution Law. The law provides for the return of millions of hectares of land stolen mainly by paramilitary groups, sometimes with the complicity of the security forces. With hope and a certain distrust, a community fights to assert their rights in the fight toward justice and reparation.
Patricia Ayala Ruíz / 80 min. / 2012
Colombia
5:30 PM
In 2011, the armed conflict in Colombia entered a new phase with the creation of the Land Restitution Law. The law provides for the return of millions of hectares of land stolen mainly by paramilitary groups, sometimes with the complicity of the security forces. With hope and a certain distrust, a community fights to assert their rights in the fight toward justice and reparation.
Teaser Tierras from Patricia Ayala on Vimeo.
HELI
Amat Escalante / 105 min. / 2013
Mexico
7:30 PM
Heli tells the story of the titular protagonist and has sister Estela, a twelve-year old girl who has fallen in love with seventeen-year-old Beta. They live in Guanahuatu, where the majority of citizens work in a factory or in a local drug cartel. Guanahuatu is ruled by corrupt police officers and rampant with sexual exploitation, guilt and revenge. Estela and Beto want to run away and get married. In an attempt to fulfill their dream, they start a chain of violence that leads to immense consequences.
*This film contains graphic violence and nudity*
Amat Escalante / 105 min. / 2013
Mexico
7:30 PM
Heli tells the story of the titular protagonist and has sister Estela, a twelve-year old girl who has fallen in love with seventeen-year-old Beta. They live in Guanahuatu, where the majority of citizens work in a factory or in a local drug cartel. Guanahuatu is ruled by corrupt police officers and rampant with sexual exploitation, guilt and revenge. Estela and Beto want to run away and get married. In an attempt to fulfill their dream, they start a chain of violence that leads to immense consequences.
*This film contains graphic violence and nudity*
Sunday, February 22
Defensora
Rachel Schmidt / 39 min. / 2013
Guatemala
1:00 PM
Defensora is a documentary about a Mayan Q'eqchi' resistance against mining in Guatemala. The story is set along the shores of Lake Izabal in the community of El Estor where a nickel mining company has operated for over 50 years. Tensions run high against a backdrop of pro and anti-mining camps, violence and forced evictions. The film takes audiences into the lives of defenders in the resistance who struggle to reclaim their ancestral lands and seek justice in Canadian courts for alleged human rights violations.
Defensora Official Website
Rachel Schmidt / 39 min. / 2013
Guatemala
1:00 PM
Defensora is a documentary about a Mayan Q'eqchi' resistance against mining in Guatemala. The story is set along the shores of Lake Izabal in the community of El Estor where a nickel mining company has operated for over 50 years. Tensions run high against a backdrop of pro and anti-mining camps, violence and forced evictions. The film takes audiences into the lives of defenders in the resistance who struggle to reclaim their ancestral lands and seek justice in Canadian courts for alleged human rights violations.
Defensora Official Website
Cidade Cinza (Grey City)
Marcelo Mesquita, Guilherme Valiengo / 80 min. / 2013
Brazil
2:00 PM
A new way of painting graffiti was born in São Paulo. Hip Hop was replaced by Brazilian regional culture, and OsGemeos’ works were spread to galleries around the world. However, a new ordinance against "visual pollution" forced City Hall to cover up these paintings in grey.
Marcelo Mesquita, Guilherme Valiengo / 80 min. / 2013
Brazil
2:00 PM
A new way of painting graffiti was born in São Paulo. Hip Hop was replaced by Brazilian regional culture, and OsGemeos’ works were spread to galleries around the world. However, a new ordinance against "visual pollution" forced City Hall to cover up these paintings in grey.
El Evangelio de la Carne (Gospel of the Flesh)
Eduardo Mendoza de Echave / 110 min. / 2013
Perú
4:00 PM
Three lives in search of redemption intersect in the streets of Lima: undercover cop Gamarra's desperate attempts to save his wife from a terminal illness get him into trouble; bus driver Felix wants to be accepted into a religious sect after his involvement in a tragic traffic accident; and imperiled soccer club leader Narciso tries to secure his younger brother's release from prison. The Gospel of the Flesh does for Lima what Amores Perros did for Mexico City: presents a complex portrait of a socially and financially precarious world. Peru's submission to the 2015 Oscars.
Eduardo Mendoza de Echave / 110 min. / 2013
Perú
4:00 PM
Three lives in search of redemption intersect in the streets of Lima: undercover cop Gamarra's desperate attempts to save his wife from a terminal illness get him into trouble; bus driver Felix wants to be accepted into a religious sect after his involvement in a tragic traffic accident; and imperiled soccer club leader Narciso tries to secure his younger brother's release from prison. The Gospel of the Flesh does for Lima what Amores Perros did for Mexico City: presents a complex portrait of a socially and financially precarious world. Peru's submission to the 2015 Oscars.
Want to share Sin Fronteras with others? Head to the SOLAS Facebook page for event information and further updates!
Below we have included some flyers to share on via email, on a list-serv, or to print and post at your organization. Thank you for your help in getting the word out!
Sin Fronteras - English language poster
Sin Fronteras - Spanish language poster
Below we have included some flyers to share on via email, on a list-serv, or to print and post at your organization. Thank you for your help in getting the word out!
Sin Fronteras - English language poster
Sin Fronteras - Spanish language poster
Special thank you to the following departments and organizations:
The Latin American & Iberian Institute (LAII), Guild Cinema, Spanish and Portuguese Graduate Student Association (SPGSA), College of Education, College of Fine Arts, Department of Interdisciplinary Film & Digital Media, Department of History, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Department of Sociology, Department of Anthropology, Department of Music, Department of Cinematic Arts, Graduate and Professional Student Organization (GPSA), City of Albuquerque Film Office, and El Centro de la Raza.
