Every year, the Human Rights Watch brings films showcasing the struggles of people around the world to protect their rights. This year, we are highlighting three Latin American films from their lineup:
The Unafraid, USA
High School seniors Alejandro, Silvia, and Aldo, like most of their friends, are eager to go to college and pursue their education. However, their home state of Georgia not only bans them from attending the top five public universities, but also deems them ineligible for in-state tuition at public colleges due to their immigration status as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients. In response, these three ambitious and dream-filled students divert their passions towards the fight for education in the undocumented community.
Voices of the Sea, Cuba/USA
In this tiny, remote Cuban fishing village, Mariela, a mother of four young children, longs for a better life. The families in her village are utterly dependent on the day’s catch, which changes with the tide. The shops are empty, school is repeatedly shut down due to a lack of resources, and basic transportation is non-existent. With the relationship between the US and Cuba in flux, Mariela, like many Cubans, is afraid that her only chance to escape to the US will soon close. Her husband, Pita, loves his community, cherishes his friendships, and is loyal to his craft as a fisherman. The tension between husband and wife — one desperate to leave, the other content to stay — builds further after her brother and neighbors flee the country, risking their lives to chase the American Dream.
Women of the Venezuelan Chaos, Venezuela
Embodying strength and stoicism, five Venezuelan women from diverse backgrounds each draw a portrait of their country as it suffers under the worst crisis in its history amid extreme food and medicine shortages, a broken justice system, and widespread fear. The women share what life is really like for them and their families as the truth of the country’s difficulties are repeatedly denied by the government.
New York: June 14 - 21. Full lineup and details here.
Cinelandia is proud to be a Presenting Partner for the films WOMEN OF THE VENEZUELAN CHAOS, THE UNAFRAID and VOICES OF THE SEA.