Latin American Films at UWM

Thirty years is a long time for any event and a 30th anniversary gives reason to pause and take stock. This year the Latin American Film Series marks its 30th birthday with 12 feature-length films from Argentina, Ecuador, Uruguay, Bolivia, Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Brazil and Cuba, plus one U.S. documentary about cruel conditions on the sugar cane plantations of the Dominican Republic. The Series runs April 4-12 at the UWM Union Theatre. Admission is free.

Like many successful projects, the Series began modestly. In its first year three films were screened in a UWM classroom to an audience of 200 people. �The program has grown substantially over the years, with just over 2000 attending in 2007,� according to Julie Klein of UWM�s Center for Latin American Studies, which along with other university organizations has been instrumental in managing the festival. The programming has passed between various hands over the years. At one time the Series� films were chosen by Mary Yelanjian of Great Lakes Film and Video; at another the Chicago Latin Film Festival shipped its selections north to its Milwaukee sister event.

Klein became involved in programming in 1987. �I didn�t have any film programming experience, and remember being dismayed by audience members laughing at a film I scheduled that I didn�t think was supposed to be funny,� she recalls. �This year student employees Anya Grahn and Lacey Severson played a huge role.� The Series� mission has remained consistent even as it has grown. �We try to bring very recent film to Milwaukee that audiences here may not have the opportunity to view otherwise,� Klein explains. �I think also that community attendance has grown substantially over the years, and has, in fact, been a way for the campus to contribute to the cultural life of Milwaukee and to spotlight Latin American cultural heritages.�

As usual, this year�s Latin American Film Series strives to find a balance between various national cinemas, between comedy and drama and different social and political themes. �I�m pleased that this year�s lineup includes titles from Ecuador and Bolivia. We haven�t had a chance to show many Ecuadorian or Bolivian films. I should also add that we try to show 35mm prints, whenever possible, � Klein says.

For more information call the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at (414) 229-5986 or see www.uwm.edu/Dept/CLACS/outreach/filmseries.html