Latin American cinema subject of UCLA series

  UCLA Film and Television Archives Alfonso Cuaron’s
provocative "Y Tu Mamá También" is one of the films shown
at the Latin American film series.

By Emily Camastra
Daily Bruin Contributor

Latin American cinema is celebrated for its powerful and
innovative style, and the six films that will be showcased at UCLA
this month are no exceptions.

On Saturday, the UCLA Film and Television Archive began
showcasing critically acclaimed films from Mexico, Argentina,
Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile in their ninth annual Latin American
film series. The series will continue through Saturday, March 16.
For several of the films shown, like “Senorita
Extraviada” and “La Libertad,” this will be their
West Coast premiere.

The films were selected by the Archive because of the success
and attention they received at international film festivals such as
Cannes and San Sebastian.

“Y Tu Mama Tambien,” the only film with an American
distributor, has hopes of repeating the commercial success of last
year’s highly praised Mexican film, “Amores
Perros.” Jesse Ziegelstein, curator of the series, and
Programming Associate at the Archive, explains that there is room
for international crossovers in the film industry.

“Certain elements have to be in place,” said
Ziegelstein. “”˜Amores Perros’ and “˜Y Tu
Mama Tambien’ both contain elements common to American films,
such as action and sex. These Mexican films place a fresh spin on
these elements and American audiences respond well.”

The films themselves are quite mixed, ranging from the sexy and
exciting “Y Tu Mama Tambien” (Mexico) and “Taxi
Para Tres” (Chile) to the stoic and somber “La
Libertad” (Argentina) and “Urbania” (Brazil).

American filmmaker Kevin Smith, with his film
“Clerks,” was an inspiration for “25
Watts.” This Uruguayan slacker film marks the directorial
debut of Juan Pablo Ruebella and Pablo Stoll.

In addition to recognizing new talent, the series celebrates
veteran directors as well. Lourdes Portillo, an Oscar-nominated
documentarian from Mexico, explores the murders and disappearances
of hundreds of women from the assembly plants of Ciudad Juarez in
her film, “Senorita Extraviada.”

The series attempted to select films that were entertaining as
well as artistically accomplished. The differences between these
international films and American films can be striking.

“As supposed to films from Hollywood that are meant to
appeal to large audiences, Latin American films are made on a much
smaller scale,” Ziegelstein said. “With lower budgets,
they are often more personal works with more cultural relevance to
the filmmakers themselves.”

Kelly Graml, Public Affairs and Marketing Coordinator, explains
that the UCLA Film and Television Archive premieres international
films on a regular basis.

“We make it our mission to show films that would otherwise
not be shown in Los Angeles. It’s important not only for the
filmmakers, but for the people in L.A. as well,” said Graml.
“The exposure to different cultures, concerns, and ideas
through film is especially important now because of recent world
events. Film is a medium that can bring an understanding and
appreciation of other cultures.”