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Latin American Realities

Monmouth University
11/27/07
Momouth University presents Latin American Realities


WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (November 27, 2007) - Monmouth University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, History and Anthropology Department and Performing Arts Series in partnership with the Two River Film Festival will present Latin American Realities, from January 22 through February 22, 2008. This month-long program will include artists-in-residence exhibitions and demonstrations, lectures on Latin American history, book signings, films followed by discussion provided by the Two River Film Festival, and the music and dance of Peru.

The centerpiece of the program is an evening length performance by the official Ambassadors of Peruvian Culture, Peru Negro on February 8th at 8:00 p.m. in Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre. Peru Negro honors and preserves Peru’s distinctive African Heritage and expands upon indigenous Afro Latin rhythms of its music and dance with a touch of electricity and contemporary style. To complete the experience Peruvian Cuisine will be featured at a special dinner prior to the performance. For additional information and/or to purchase tickets for Peru Negro, and the Peruvian dinner, please contact the Monmouth University’s Box Office 732-263-6889.

For additional information, please call 732-263-6889 or visit www.monmouth.edu/arts.  The events, with the exception of the Peruvian dinner and the performance by Peru Negro, are free and open to the public.
Schedule of Events:

CENTERPIECE EVENT – PERU NEGRO
Friday, February 8, 5:30 p.m., Peruvian Dinner $35, West Long Branch Community Center;
8:00 p.m. Pollak Theatre, performance by Peru Negro tickets: $48/$36/$24. Contact Monmouth University Performing Arts Box Office at 732-263-6889 for additional information.


ART EXHIBIT:
January 22 - February 22, The 800 Gallery and the Rotary Ice House Gallery,
Exhibition: Art from Latin America: Representations of Brazil and Peru. Gallery open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.


LECTURES:
Friday, January 25, 6:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Lecture: Latin America There and Here: A Taste of Brazil and Peru with Professors Bill Mitchell and Kathy Smith-Wenning.

Wednesday, January 30, 11:30 a.m. Magill Commons Club Room 107, Faculty Forum: with Professor Aaron Ansell on Race and Development in Rural Brazil. 7:00 p.m. Wilson Hall Auditorium, Lecture: with Joan Gero, American University, on Gender and Power in the Ancient Andes.

Friday, February 1, 6:00-7:00 p.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium, Lecture: Representations of Latin America with the artists: Saya Woofalk, Gregorio Aparicio, Loida Gavilán, and Betty Seminario Coello. 7:00-9:00 p.m. Reception: Art From Latin America , The 800 Gallery.

Friday, February 22, 6:00 p.m. Pollak Theatre Illustrated closing lecture: If the World is Flat, Why are there so Many Bumps? The Economic Crisis in Peru and Latin America by Professor Bill Mitchell. Followed by book signing with Professor Mitchell. 7:00 p.m., Perspectives on Latin America from Chile and Argentina by Professors Rosemary Barbera and Ken Mitchell;


PERUVIAN CERAMICS WORKSHOP
Ceramics Studio Room 601 in the 600 Building, Gregorio Aparicio and Loida Gavilan, two rural ceramicists from the Andean highlands of Ayacucho.
Dates: Monday, February 11, 2008, 2:30 - 6:20 p.m.; Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 2-4:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 2:30-6:20 p.m.; Thursday, February 14, 2008, 2:30-6:20 p.m


FILMS provided by Two River Film Festival:
Wednesday, January 23, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Secrets of Lost Empires: The Inca (Topic Peru). This documentary is one in a four-part Nova series that tests theories regarding the architectural achievements of ancient civilizations. This installment tests theories regarding the ancient world of Machu Picch u in Peru. Film will be followed by question and answer session with Professor Bill Mitchell.

Friday, January 25, 7:00 p.m. Film screening: House of Sand (Topic: Brazil) sponsored by Sony Pictures Classics. Award-winning mother and daughter actresses (Fernanda Montengro, of Central Station, and Fernanda Torres) shine in an inspirational story of three generations of women struggling for survival among the inhospitable sand dunes of northeastern Brazil. Also featuring the Brazilian guitarist Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic). Followed by question and answer session with Professor Megwen Loveless.

Monday, January 28, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Central Station sponsored by Sony Pictures Classics (Topic: Brazil). Former documentary filmmaker Walter Salles (Foreign Land) directed this Brazilian-French road movie tracing the travels and travails of a young boy and an aging woman across the Brazilian landscape. Made with grants from the Sundance Institute, NHK, and the French Ministry of Culture, this film was shown at 1998 film festivals (Sundance, Berlin). Followed by question and answer session with Professor Aaron Ansell.

Thursday, January 31, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Black Orpehus (France) (Topic: Brazil). Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) is a retelling of the “Orpheus and Eurydice” legend enacted by black performers. A multi-award winner on the international film scene, Black Orpheus features a samba musical score by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Followed by question and answer session with Patricia Salzman, Montclair University.

Monday, February 4, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Bye, Bye Brazil (Topic: Brazil) The Caravana Rolidei rolls into town with the Gypsy Lord at the mike: he does magic tricks, the erotic Salome dances and the mute Swallow performs feats of strength. A young accordion player is completely enamored of Salome, and he begs to come along. The Gypsy Lord shrugs, and the accordionist and his pregnant wife, Dasdo, join the troupe. followed by question and answer session with Professors Aaron Ansell and Megwen Loveless.

Wednesday, February 6, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Agouti’s Peanut (Topic: Tropical Forest People). This film examines the everyday work and recreation of the Panará people, who blend their traditional ways with the influences of official Brazilian culture. Lighthearted and compelling, the documentary encourages viewers to question the simple dichotomy of tradition versus modernity. Followed by question and answer session with Professor Bill Mitchell.

February 11, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Quilombo Country (Topic Brazil) Brazil, once the world’s largest slave colony, was brutal and deadly for millions of Africans. But many thousands escaped and rebelled, creating their own communities in Brazil’s untamed hinterland. Largely unknown to the outside world, these communities, known as quilombos, struggle today to preserve a rich heritage born of resistance to oppression. followed by question and answer session with Professors Sean Mitchell and Hettie Williams.

Friday, February 15, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Soy Andina (Topic: Peru) Documentary/Dance. Soy Adina tells the intersecting stories of two New Yorkers (a modern and hip-hop dancer raised in Queens, and a folkloric dancer from the Andes) on a dazzling odyssey through Peru in search of roots and a world of folkloric dance. Followed by question and answer session with film director Mitchell Teplitsky.

Monday, February 18, 7:00 p.m., Pollak Theatre, Film screening: Dias de Santiago (Lima) (Topic: Peru) Think TAXI DRIVER in Peru. A 23-year-old war veteran returns to Lima after spending six years fighting terrorists, the Peruvian drug mafia, and a nationalist war against Ecuador. Unable to smoothly transition back home, his life starts to spin out of control. Followed by question and answer session with Professor Bill Mitchell.

Wednesday, February 20, 7:00 p.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium, Film screening: Hands of God (Topic: Peru) The stunning dexterity and mastery of famous Afro-Peruvian percussionist Julio “Chocolate” Algendones are on display in this affectionate documentary about the great master. Afro Peruvian music is rooted in multiple rhythms coming from Africa. Mixing the traditional and the contemporary, from Cajun to Jazz, Chocolate composed and played many music styles, taught all over the world and contributed to the creative development of numerous artists including the dance groups Peru Negro. Followed by question and answer session with Professor Bill Mitchell.

Friday, February 22, 7:30 p.m., Film screening: State of Fear: the Truth about Terrorism (Topic: Peru). How can an open society balance demands for security with democracy? Based on the findings of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, State of Fear follows events in Peru, yet serves as a cautionary tale for nations like the United State s. Followed by question and answer session with Professors Rosemary Barbera, Ken Mitchell, Aaron Ansell and Megwen Loveless.