The Kitchen (La Cocina)
Saturday, Feb. 21 / 12:00 pm / / The Robin Theatre (Directions HERE)
MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Genre: Drama / Language: Spanish with English Subtitles / Country: Mexico 🇲🇽 and USA / Runtime: 139 minutes
Presented by Óscar Castañeda, in collaboration with Action of Greater Lansing.
ABOUT THE FILM
Through a mix of dark humor and poignant drama, La Cocina delves into the invisible lives of immigrant workers who keep the city running while enduring systemic exploitation. Multiple nominations and awards at films festivals in Berlin, Tribeca, Stockholm, Mar de Plata, Philadelphia and Morelia. Winner of multiple Ariel Awards (Mexico) in 2025.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Alonso Ruiz Palacios is a leading Mexican filmmaker celebrated for his formally inventive, black-and-white aesthetics and his exploration of Mexican identity and youth. His work consistently places extremely personal, human stories against the historical or contemporary backdrops of very specific times, places, and institutions, highlighting the existential discrepancies that arise in the wake of the systemic injustices that cast shadows over such settings.
Boca Chica
Saturday, Feb. 21 / 4:30 pm / Location: The Robin Theatre (Directions HERE)
MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Genre: Drama / Language: Spanish with English Subtitles / Country: Republica Dominica 🇩🇴 / Runtime: 97 minutes
Presented by Mariana Rondón, screenwriter of Boca Chica and director of Zafari.
ABOUT THE FILM
Beautifully juxtaposing the realities and expectations of a young girl approaching womanhood in the Dominican Republic, Boca Chica shines a light on the insidious child sex trade and the lives it seeks to destroy. Winner of the Nora Ephron Award at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was also nominated for Best International Narrative Feature.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Gabriella A. Moses is an award-winning Dominican-Guyanese American writer and director based in Brooklyn, NY. and known for her “magic realism” approach to coming-of-age stories involving the Afro-Latina diaspora.
La Singla
Saturday, Feb. 21 / 7:30 pm / Location: The Robin Theatre (Directions HERE)
MICHIGAN PREMIERE
Genre: Documentary / Language: Spanish with English Subtitles / Country: Spain 🇪🇸 / Runtime: 95 minutes
ABOUT THE FILM
This suspense thriller will uncover the universal story of an extraordinary woman whose mysterious gaze, unparalleled expression, and deep connection to flamenco art will captivate, move, and inspire audiences worldwide. Nominated for awards at the prestigious Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival (Canada) and the Raindance Film Festival, it has won prizes at festivals in Barcelona, Krakow and Moscow. Winner of the 2024 Feroz Arrebato Award for Nonfiction (Spain).
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Born in Murcia in 1979, Paloma Zapata known for a hybrid “docu-fiction” style that explores music, identity, and forgotten history. In 2008, she founded her production company, La Fábrica Naranja, in Barcelona. Since then, she has built an impressive career as a director, editor, and producer, specializing in international music videos and documentaries.
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