film festival

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Second ACM student film festival returns to Lawrence April 20-22

Graphic logo for ACM Film FestivalThe creative vision and unique perspectives of college-age aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters will be showcased April 20-22 as Lawrence University hosts the second biennial Associated Colleges of the Midwest Film Festival.

More than 75 films, including 12 by Lawrence student filmmakers, will be screened in 90-minute blocks in Lawrence’s Warch Campus Center cinema and the Wriston Art Center auditorium beginning Friday, April 20. The films selected for the festival were drawn from more than 150 submissions from students at 10 ACM colleges.

The festival’s films span genres ranging from documentaries and narratives to animation and experimental, as well as music videos. Some films are less than a minute in length, others nearly an hour. A complete schedule of all festival activities, including film screenings, can be found here.

Amy Ongiri
Amy Ongiri

“We are really excited about this year’s festival in part because we got almost double the submissions from the first time around,” said Amy Ongiri, Jill Beck Director of Film Studies at Lawrence.  “The other thing that’s exciting is we received a lot of repeats, so students were excited enough to participate twice. The quality of work is really incredible.”

A discussion on the backgrounds of the festival’s guest judges — actor Garrett Brown, artist/experimental videographer Cecelia Condit, videographer/video blogger Alexis Pauline Gumbs and animation filmmaker Deanna Morse kick things off Friday at 6 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center.

Condit (1:15 /”A Few Short Videos”) Morse (2 p.m./“An Animator’s Journey”), Brown (2:45 p.m./How To Make it SMALL in Hollywood”) and Gumbs (3:30 p.m./”The Most Effective Way To Do It: Black Feminism and Film”) also will conduct special presentations Saturday afternoon in the Wriston Art Center auditorium.

Brown performs his original one-man show “What’s Funny in a Dark Time?” Saturday at 9:15 p.m. in Cloak Theatre.

Screen shot from the student film "Talk Means Trouble"
A screen shot from Lawrence senior Liam Guinan’s film “Talk Means Trouble,” which will be shown in the noon-1 block Saturday, April 21 in the Warch Campus Center.

The judges, in conjunction with faculty and students representing ACM schools, will select films for a variety of categories, including Best of the Midwest, Social Impact, Cinematic Artistry, Out of the Box, which honors original concepts and an Audience Choice Award, which was won in 2016 by Lawrence student Finn Bjornerud for his film “A Moment of Consideration: Townies Skateboarding at Lawrence University.”  The awards will be presented in a ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

While admitting a bit of bias, Ongiri says the ACM Film Festival would hold its own against any student film festival in the country.

“We really have some excellent film programs in ACM, so the work is comparable to any that you’d see in any festival of this type. I would say it even better, having been to many of those festivals,” said Ongiri. “It’s an exciting chance to see a wide variety of really excellent films. We have something for everybody. If you are interested in films, or just interested in having a good time, this is really an opportunity to experience something that only happens once every two years.”

Screen shot from the student film "impressions of Various Men"
A screen shot from Lawrence junior Ali Shuger’s film “Impressions of Various Men,” which will be shown in the 8-9:45 p.m. block Friday, April 20 in the Warch Campus Center.

The festival is more than just films. It also includes research with student scholars presenting papers on Sunday morning on topics from a variety of theoretical, cultural and historical approaches to film studies and visual culture. Students were also encouraged to submit original screenplays for the festival. Brown and Lawrence theater students will perform a live reading of the winning screenplay and the two honorable mentions as determined by the judges Sunday morning in Cloak Theatre.

“That’s always a very exciting and interesting part of the festival,” said Ongiri, “because it not only showcases the screenplay that won, but also Lawrence students who are in an acting class.”

Lawrence students whose films are scheduled to be screened at the festival include works by by freshman Kanyon Beringer, Menasha, junior Lukasz Dziewiatkowski, Chicago, Ill., sophomore Lily Greene, Madison, senior Liam Guinan, Elmhurst, Ill., junior Jeffrey Ryan, North Barrington, Ill., junior Ali Shuger, Batavia, Ill., sophomore Tien Tran, Hanoi, Vietnam, and 2017 graduate Finn Bjornerud, Appleton (films made while they were still students were accepted for the festival).

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lawrence hosts 6th annual Latin American and Spanish Film Festival

Foreign film fans are in for a treat. Lawrence University’s 6th annual Latin American and Spanish Film Festival April 26-29 features eight films from seven countries in four days.

Each film, shown in Spanish with English subtitles in the Warch Campus Center cinema, is free and open to the public. All the films are rated R, for mature audiences only.

A head shot of film director Ari Maniel Cruz
Director Arí Maniel Cruz

In addition to screening some of the best international films from the 2015-2016 season, including several regional premieres, the festival features a visit by award-winning Puerto Rican director Arí Maniel Cruz.

“Since launching the Latin American and Spanish Film Festival in 2011, it has gotten better and more popular every year,” said Rosa Tapia, associate professor of Spanish and one of the festival’s organizers. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring these terrific films to the Fox Cities and expose movie lovers to some of the best cinema outside of the United States.”

Cecilia Herrera, instructor of Spanish at Lawrence, says the festival offers a perfect opportunity to see world through the eyes of other cultures.

“While the directors and actors in these films may not be well-known here, they are among the world’s most talented people in the business. It’s an honor to showcase their work and perspective on universal issues,” said Herrera, co-organizer of the festival. “We’re especially excited to have director Ari Maniel Cruz join us this year to share insights on his approach to film-making.”

Cruz will participate in an audience question-and-answer on Friday, April 28 following a screening of his 2016 film “Before the Rooster Crows,” which won the Yellow Robin Award at the Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam, which supports the careers of talented beginning filmmakers from the Caribbean region.

His 2011 film, “Under my Nails,” opened the San Juan International Film Festival in Puerto Rico, winning the Special Jury Award and the Best Actress Award. It went on to be shown at film festivals in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marseille, France, Brussels and Geneva, among others. It received the Best U.S. Picture Award at the HBO New York International Latino Film Festival.

The festival also features a pair of free receptions at 7 p.m.: an opening reception Wednesday, April 26 and a closing reception Saturday, April 29. Both will be held in the Mead-Witter Room of the Warch Campus Center.

This year’s festival schedule:

A photo of a poster for the movie "The Bride"Wednesday, April 26, 5 p.m. “The Bride” (Spain, 2015, 96 min.)

Two lovers carried away by their passion, defy all moral and social rules while challenging their own judgment in this drama about a love triangle between two men and a woman. When the bride runs off with her escape on her wedding day, their decision leads to devastating consequences.

It received Goya Awards — Spain’s version of the Academy Awards — for supporting actress and cinematography and six Premios Feroz awards, Spain’s equivalent of the Golden Globes, including best drama, best director and best actress.

An image of a poster of the film "The Clan"Wednesday, April 26, 8:30 p.m. “The Clan(Argentina, 2015, 108 min.)

The “disappearances” that marked the regime of President Jorge Rafael Videla in Argentina continued after the dictator’s fall in 1981, but the motive changed from politics to money. Crime family member Arquimedes Puccio kidnaps wealthy men and women, holding them for ransom in his home. He exercises domineering control over his family and, for a time, the tacit protection of police to pull it off.

It won the 2016 Goya Award for best Spanish language foreign film.

Image of the poster for the film "Alias Maria"Thursday, April 27, 5 p.m. “Alias Maria” (Colombia, 2015, 92 min.)

Maria, a 13-year-old guerrilla soldier, must take the commander’s newborn baby to safety in a neighboring town while hiding the fact she is pregnant. Having a child is forbidden in the guerrilla, but when her secret is revealed, she flees to avoid being forced to abort and finds the strength to seek a new life.

Image of a poster for the movie "The Companion"Thursday, April 27, 8:30 p.m. “The Companion” (Cuba, 2015, min.)

Set in 1988 Cuba during the AIDS epidemic, a government established sanatorium houses all HIV patients under military watch. Each patient is assigned a “companion,” who monitors the patient’s activities. A friendship develops between a former Olympic boxing champion and a soldier infected by an African prostitute while on an international mission. First-time director Lorenzo Vigas won the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion Prize for Best Picture.

Friday, April 28, 5 p.m. “Before the Rooster Crows” (Puerto Rico, 2016, 98 min.)

Carmín’s dreams of moving to San Juan vanishes when her mother leaves for the U.S. with her new husband, but her sadness is eased by the arrival of her father after many years in prison. Carmín’s relationship with him forces her to learn to live between abandonment and carefulness.

An image of a poster of the movie "Desierto"Friday, April 28, 8:30 p.m. “Desierto” (Mexico, 2016, 90 min.)

A hopeful journey to seek a better life becomes a harrowing and primal fight for survival when a deranged, rifle-toting vigilante chases a group of unarmed men and women through the treacherous U.S.-Mexican border. In the unforgiving desert terrain, the odds are stacked firmly against them as they continuously discover there’s nowhere to hide from the unrelenting, merciless killer.

An image of a poster of the movie "Neruda"Saturday, April 29, 5 p.m. “Neruda” (Chile, 2016, 107 min.)

Nobel Prize-winning poet and Senator Pablo Neruda denounces the brutal, anti-communist repression of Chilean President Gabriel González Videla in a 1948 speech in the National Congress. Threatened with government arrest, Neruda goes underground, but instead of living the life of a fugitive, he taunts the authorities by appearing in public venues or leaving evidence of his movements.

Winner of numerous film festival awards, including best foreign film (Woodstock Film Festival), best screenplay (Lima Latin American Film Festival) and best actor (Palm Springs International Film Festival).

An image of a poster for the movie "Julieta"Saturday, April 29, 8:30 p.m., “Julieta,” (Spain, 2016, 96 min.)

Julieta and her daughter Antía suffer in silence over the loss of their husband and father, respectively. When Antía turns 18, she leaves her mother without explanation. While Julieta searches for her, she discovers how little she knows about her daughter. Against Julieta’s struggles to survive uncertainty, the film examines guilt complexes and that unfathomable mystery that leads us to abandon the people we love, erasing them from our lives as if they never existed.

Emma Suaréz was recognized as best actress as the title character with a Goya Award, a Sant Jordi Award and a Cinema Writers Circle Award while the National Board of Review, USA named it one of the top five foreign language films of 2016.

The festival is made possible by the generous support of Bemis Company Inc., Kimberly-Clark Corp., 91.1 The Avenue and La Vida Hispana magazine.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lawrence Film Festival Showcases Student Projects

From a woman’s struggle within an abusive relationship to a comical personification of a cat, the creative results of 13 budding Lawrence University student filmmakers will be showcased Saturday, April 26 at 4:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema in the second annual Lawrence Student Film Festival. The event is free and open to the public.

Dinner for Two_newsblog
A scene from Peter Emery’s “Dinner for Two.”

The festival features 15 films ranging from as short as one minute to a nine-minute documentary. The festival line-up includes:

“Dinner for Two” (Peter Emery ’15, 2:00), a woman’s struggle within an abusive relationship.

“Egg” (Pat Commins ’15, 2:20), a documentary on the not-for-profit organization One Egg Rwanda, which provides small children one egg every day to combat the effects of protein malnutrition.

  “Nollywood in Sierra Leone” (Kate Siakpere ’14, 9:00), a documentary on Nigerian cinema, the second largest film industry in the world affecting smaller, neighboring African countries.

  “Cat Man” (Brooks Eaton ’14, 1:00) a comical advertisement about a personification of a cat.

 “I am Not Jeffrey Collins” (Alex Babbitt ’15, 6:29), a post-MySpace existential comedy.

  “Rabbits – Behind the Scenes” (Peter Emery ’15 4:00), a mockumentary about a director’s attempt to keep his job in a struggling video series.

“Do the Squirrel: Making ‘Long Live the Squirrels’” (Nathan Lawrence ’15, 6:00), a documentary on the process of creating “Long Live the Squirrels,” a feature-length film shot on the Lawrence campus last fall and scheduled for release later this year.

Awake-in-Art_newsblog
A scene from Brooks Eaton’s “Awake in Art.”

“Awake in Art” (Brooks Eaton ’14, 1:00), a touching, proof-of-concept film made for Mofilm, an advertising competition, about a mother discovering one of her daughter’s talents.

“Back to Home” (Maisha Rahman ’14, 5:20), a profile of Lawrence Professor of Government Claudena Skran and her commitment to helping foreign students at Lawrence.

“The Theft” (Reed Robertson ’17, 4:20; Jamie DeMotts ’16, 2:10). Two versions of a crime film assembled from the same raw footage.

The festival also will include the final project films of  Anna Johnson Ryndová’s “Principles of Editing” class, in which students had to make a creative “how to” video,  the idea of which was to describe a particular process in a visually compelling way, using as little dialogue or narration as possible. Each student conceived, directed, shot and edited all the material themselves.

• How To Put On Red Lipstick (Katerina Kimoundri ’15, 2:35)

 How To Bury a Dead Body (Kate Siakpere ’14, 4:00)

Toast (Alexcia Jellum ’16, 4:10)

How To Build A Snowskate Obstacle (Evan Flack ’14, 5:00)

The Dinner (Htee Moo ’15 ,3:40)

How-toSnowscape_newsblog
A scene from Evan Flack’s “How To Build A Snowskate Obstacle.”

The films were produced in Lawrence’s film studies program with the assistance of award-winning PBS filmmaker Catherine Tatge, a 1972 Lawrence graduate who is serving as an artist-in-residence, and Ryndová, lecturer of film studies and video editor.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Third Annual Lawrence University Latin America Film Fest Celebrates Contemporary Cinema

Eight award-winning films from the 2013-2014 international festival season, including appearances by directors Juan Andres Arango and Adrián Saba, highlight Lawrence University’s third Latin American and Spanish Film Festival April 9-12.

Latin-Film-Fest-Logo_newsblogEach film, shown in Spanish with English subtitles in the Warch Campus Center cinema, is free and open to the public.

A reception to open the festival will be held Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. and a closing reception will conclude the festival Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m. Both events will be held in the Mead Witter Room of the Warch Campus Center.

Prior to the film screening on Friday, April 11, a panel discussion with artist-in-residence and award-winning filmmaker Catherine Tatge and student filmmakers will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the cinema.

“I was intent on bringing some of the best and most sought-after films of the year,” said Rosa Tapia, associate professor of Spanish and organizer of the festival. “Most are regional premieres, which means we beat Madison, Milwaukee and even Chicago in many cases. Our audience will be able to enjoy five films Chicagoans will have to wait until the International Film Fest in October to see.”

Tapia noted the two filmmakers who will be visiting the festival directed their countries’ respective entries for the Academy Awards nominations in the Best Foreign Film category.

“I think our audience will be thrilled to meet these two talented artists, as they tell us about their successful films and their craft,” said Tapia.

The festival line-up:
Wednesday, April 9, 5 p.m., “After Lucia (Mexico, 2012)
“After Lucia” follows a man’s relationship with his 17-year-old daughter after his wife’s death. Based on a mixture of several real cases, the film was the 2012 winner of the Prize of Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.

German Doctor news blog
A scene from “Wakolda.”

• Wednesday, April 9, 8:30 p.m., “Wakolda (The German Doctor)(Argentina, 2013)
A family unknowingly lives with a Nazi war criminal. The film was Argentina’s entry for the 2014 Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

• Thursday, April 10, 5 p.m., “La Playa D.C.” (Colombia, 2012)
Tomas, after fleeing Colombia’s Pacific coast during the war, must search for his younger brother after he disappears. The film was Colombia’s entry for the 2014 Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. A Q & A with the film’s director,  Juan Andrés Arango, follows the screening at 6:30 p.m.

• Thursday, April 10, 8:30 p.m. “So Much Water” (Uruguay, 2013)
A divorced Uruguayan man tries to keep his two rebellious children entertained during a rain-sodden vacation. The directorial debut of Ana Guevara, it was awarded Best Debut Film at the 2013 Miami International Film Festival.       

• Friday, April 11, 5 p.m. , “The Cleaner” (Peru, 2012)
A forensic cleaner becomes accountable for an 8-year-old orphan who has been left behind in the middle of an epidemic crisis in Lima. The film was Peru’s entry for the 2014 Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. A Q & A with the film’s director, Adrián Saba, follows the screening at 6:30 p.m.

White Elephant news blog
A scene from “White Elephant.”

• Friday, April 11, 8:30 p.m., “White Elephant” (Argentina, 2012)
Two priests face a variety of problems as they work in a Buenos Aires slum. The film was nominated for Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

• Saturday, April 12, 5 p.m. “Gloria (Chile, 2013)
Gloria, a free-spirited older woman, faces the realities of her whirlwind relationship with a former naval officer whom she meets out in the clubs. The film was Chile’s entry for the 2014 Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Paulina Garcia won a best actress Golden Bear Award at Berlin’s International Film Festival.

Saturday, April 12, 8:30 p.m., “Cannibal” (Spain, 2013)
Carlos, a tailor and murderer, only starts to feel remorse and love after meeting Nina. The film won Best Movie, Best Director and Best Script awards at Premios del Cine Andaluz and was nominated for eight Goya Awards, Spain’s version of the Academy Awards.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Nine-Film Festival Celebrates Latin American, Spanish Cinema

Presentations by noted South American filmmakers Solveig Hoogesteijn of Venezuela and Raphael Alvarez of Brazil highlight Lawrence University’s second Latin American and Spanish Film Festival April 10-14.

Solveig Hoogesteijn

With a theme of  music, the festival features nine international films, each shown in Spanish with English subtitles. All nine films, screened in the Warch Campus Center cinema, are free and open to the public.

Hoogesteijn, born in Sweden but raised in Venezuela, will introduce “Maroa,” a film she wrote, produced and directed, Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. She also will discuss the state of Latin American cinema.

Alvarez, winner of eight awards for his film “Dzi Croquettes,” discusses the film and his career Friday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. following its screening.

Both director presentations will take place in the Warch Campus Center cinema.

A reception to open the festival will be held Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. and a closing reception will celebrate the festival Sunday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. Both events will be held in the Mead Witter Room of the Warch Campus Center.

The festival line-up:

Wednesday, April 10, “Blancanieves” (Spain, 2012)
The black-and-white silent Spanish drama film directed by Pablo Berger is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Snow White.”  Set in a romantic vision of 1920s Andalusia, the film is intended to be a homage to 1920s European silent films. Winner of 10 Goya Awards, including Best Film, it was Spain’s 85th Academy Awards official submission to the Best Foreign Language category.  5 p.m.

• Thursday, April 11, “Maroa” (Venezuela-Spain, 2006)
Eleven-year-old petty criminal Maroa lives with her violent grandmother in Caracas. After her boyfriend is involved in a shooting, Maroa is arrested and sent to a school where Joaquin, a shy and unconventional teacher, conducts the youth orchestra. He asks Maroa to join and is immediately interested in this naturally talented, but totally undisciplined young girl. Joaquin, the only person to offer hope in the midst of her rejection, finds that through Maroa, his world has also changed forever. 4:30 p.m.

• Thursday, April 11 “Dudamel: Let the Children Play” (Venezuela-USA, 2010)
Children’s and youth orchestras are emerging in many countries of the world, inspired by the Venezuelan musical and educational program “El Sistema,” which immerses children in the world of music, art, team work, discipline, cooperation, fun, learning, creativity and high values. Celebrated Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, a product of “El Sistema,” leads a  journey through the stories of some of the young people who are experiencing the joy of music in the most diverse and contrasting corners of the world. Filmed in seven different countries, the children bring a simple message: art is a universal right. The film provides a glimpse into the world of orchestras, conducting, and the importance of art as a hopeful path to face the educational crisis worldwide. 8:30 p.m.

• Friday, April 12 “Dzi Croquettes” (Brazil, 2009)
A decade ago, a well received documentary called “The Cockettes” chronicled the impact of a San Francisco-based troupe of drag performers during the 1960s and ’70s. “Dzi Croquettes” pays tribute to a similar group of performers in Brazil who may have modeled themselves on the Cockettes. But the Croquettes were making a more highly charged political statement because they emerged during a time of extreme repression in Brazil. Following a military take over of the government in 1964, new laws placed severe limits on artistic freedom. The Croquettes defied governmental restrictions as well as the mores of the time. The film includes interview material with Liza Minnelli. 4:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 13 “Birds of Passage” (USA-Uruguay, 2012)
Two young Uruguayan songwriters, Ernesto and Yisela, move to the capital, leaving behind their respective hometowns on the borders of Brazil and Argentina. After years of composing songs reflective of their origins, both decide to explore new horizons and fulfill the dream of recording an album. Yisela struggles to reconcile the emerging possibilities of a career in Uruguay with her plans to move to Argentina while Ernesto confronts personal conflicts that threaten to sabotage his creative passion. Fusing documentary film and music, the film interweaves the songs and stories of the two composers. With striking vérité cinematography and an unforgettable soundtrack, the film explores the challenges of being a young artist and the art of searching, inside and outside oneself. 4:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 13, “Marimbas from Hell” (Guatemala-France-Mexico, 2010) Don Alfonso is a deliveryman. He also plays marimbas, a traditional Guatemalan instrument, in a folkloric musical show in one of Guatemala City’s upscale hotels, but faces a growing lack of interest for his instrument, considered by many out of date and old fashioned. Black is pioneer of the Heavy Metal Guatemalan underground stage. He also is a doctor in the public hospital, but his long hair and tattoos leave patients wary of being treated by him. Don Alfonso and Black meet and soon decide to combine their talents to create a new project — Marimbas from Hell. They could never have imagined the reactions their project would produce. 8:30 p.m.

• Sunday, April 14, “The Wind Journeys (Colombia, 2009)
For most of his life, Ignacio Carrillo traveled the villages of northern Colombia, playing traditional songs on his accordion, a legendary instrument said to have once belonged to the devil. He eventually marries and settles in a small town, leaving his  nomadic life behind. But after the traumatic death of his wife, he vows to never play the accursed accordion again, embarking on a final journey to return the instrument to its rightful owner. On the way, he is followed by a spirited teenager who is determined to become his apprentice. Tired of loneliness, Ignacio accepts the young man as his pupil. Together they cross the vast Colombian terrain, discovering the musical diversity of Caribbean culture along the way. 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 14, “Violeta Went to Heaven” (Chile, 2011)
Like a Chilean Boby Dylan or Edith Piaf, Violeta Parra was a folksinger and pop culture icon whose songs expressed the soul of her nation and protested social injustice. The film tells the extraordinary story of Parra’s evolution from impoverished child to international sensation to Chile’s national hero, while capturing the swirling intensity of her inner contradictions, fallibilities and passions. More than mere linear biography, the film draws on an impressionistic structure and a reverberating performance by actress Francisca Gavilán to unearth Parra’s elusive, charged core. Parra’s heart-wrenching, indelible songs permeate the film and will penetrate the viewer’s soul. 8:30 p.m.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.