Landrián

Free and Open to the Public

Thursday, Feb. 19 / 7:00 pm / Wells Hall B122 (Directions HERE)

MIDWEST PREMIERE

Genre: Documentary / Language: Spanish with English subtitles / Country: Cuba 🇨🇺 / Runtime: 80 minutes

Presented by Pedro Noel Doreste Rodríguez, Assistant Professor of Film Studies, in collaboration with the MSU Film Collective & the MSU Film Studies Program.

ABOUT THE FILM

The film shows how the restoration of Nicolás Guillén Landrián’s documentaries unearths the lost legacy of Cuba’s first black filmmaker and the events surrounding the censorship of his work by the Cuban Revolution. World premiere during the 2023 Biennial in Venice & Nominated for Best Documentary on Cinema at the Venice Film Festival. In the U.S., the film has only been screened at the Miami Film Festival and the Havana Film Festival New York.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Ernesto Daranas Serrano is a multi-awarded Cuban filmmaker. His three feature films have won hundreds of international awards and they have been Cuba’s official submissions to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. His documentary “Los últimos gaiteros de La Habana” won the King of Spain Award. “Bluechacha” was nominated to a Latin Grammy. “Conducta” was nominated to the Goya Awards for Best Latin American Film. “Sergio & Sergei” had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Karuara, People of the River

Free and Open to the Public

Thursday, Feb. 19 / 7:00 pm / Wells Hall B117 (Directions HERE)

MIDWEST PREMIERE

Genre: Documentary / Language: Spanish with English subtitles / Country: Peru 🇵🇪 / Runtime: 44 minutes

Presented by Stephanie Boyd, the director of Karuara (participating virtually) and Bruno Takahashi Professor of Environmental Journalism & Communication, in collaboration with the MSU Knight Center for Environmental Journalism

ABOUT THE FILM

A vibrant hand-painted animation brings whimsical Karuara spirits to life in Peru’s Amazon. Their mission: maintain the Marañón River’s ecological balance as the Kukama people fight for the river’s legal personhood. Nominated for Best Canadian Documentary at the prestigious Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival in 2024 and for the Grand Prix de Geneve for Creative Documentaries at the 2025 International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Stephanie Boyd is a Canadian-Peruvian filmmaker and journalist who has spent over 20 years documenting social justice and environmental struggles in the Amazon and the Andes. Miguel Araoz Cartagena is a Peruvian filmmaker and visual artist from Cusco whose work frequently focuses on Andean culture, history, and social identity.

Through Rocks and Clouds (Raíz)

Free and Open to the Public

Thursday, Feb. 19 / 9:00 pm /Wells Hall B122  (Directions HERE)

MICHIGAN PREMIERE

Genre: Drama / Language: Spanish with English subtitles / Country: Peru 🇵🇪 / Runtime: 83 minutes

ABOUT THE FILM

Feliciano, an 8-year-old alpaca herder, feels euphoric: Peru has a chance to qualify for the World Cup. Meanwhile the pressure of a mining company puts Feliciano’s village at risk and threatens his world and his dreams. World premiere at the 2024 Berlinale, where it won the Special Mention of the Generation Kplus International jury prize. In the U.S., the film has only been screened at the Seattle International Film Festival, where it won the Ibero-American Competition.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Franco García Becerra is a Peruvian filmmaker from Cusco whose work highlights the struggles of indigenous Andean communities through the perspective of childhood innocence. He earned acclaim for Through Rocks and Clouds, which won a Special Mention at the Berlinale and the Grand Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival. His storytelling often focuses on the clash between traditional rural life and industrial exploitation.