THE FESTIVAL AT UNC CHAPEL HILL
The first iteration of The Borderless Cultures Film Festival took place at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. However, from now on the festival will be produced through the University of Texas at Austin. This website remains here as a documentation of our first year screenings and conversations.
CONVERSATIONS
NOTE: All of our conversations have been recorded and uploaded for any future scholarly inquiry. Find the links to the videos below!
Wednesday, APRIL 21st, 2021
Contemporary Pueblo Women
(Beverly Singer, 2021, 70 min)
The Blank Stare at Movie Indians
(Beverly Singer, 2010/2021, 13 min)
Frontera! Revolt and Rebellion on the Rio Grande
(John Jota Leaños, 2014, 19 min)
Wednesday, MARCH 3rd, 2021
Salt of the Earth
(Herbert J. Biberman & Michael Wilson, USA, 1954, 92 min)
Why Cybraceros?
(Alex Rivera, USA, 1997, 5 min)
Wednesday, October 28th, 2020
The Head of Joaquin Murrieta
(John J. Valadez, USA, 2016, 30 min)
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Conceived between collaborators and colleagues on opposite coasts, we proposed sharing and discussing films that tell us something about the U.S. racialization of Latinx peoples. With a knowledge that popular culture constructs, informs, and reflects, Emmanuel Ramos-Barajas and Annette Rodríguez bring together films and filmmakers that offer opportunities for entertainment, education, and… well… critical dissection. The Borderless Cultures Film Festival is our offering as a way to gather across space, sharing time and ideas.
“a different approach requires a different approach.”
As we found ourselves increasingly screen-bound for connection, in the words of Ramos-Barajas, we realized that “a different approach requires a different approach.” Thus, we began the process of selecting films that are otherwise not in wide releases and inviting discussants and filmmakers to talk with us and viewers about Latinx peoples and film. Bringing his talents as a director, producer and media coordinator, Ramos-Barajas thinks through narrative and artistic vision, while Rodríguez fixates on historical context and the value of scholarly analysis (this part won’t always make you yawn!).
We greatly appreciate the support of the Humanities for the Public Good Initiative and the Critical Ethnic Studies Collective at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Pop that popcorn, boil up some champurrado, and join us.
THE ORGANIZERS
Annette M. Rodríguez is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests focus on the functions of public violence in U.S. empire and nation building, U.S. racial formation, immigration, and the production of U.S. citizenship.
More on her work can be found at: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/history/faculty/amr8678
Emmanuel Ramos-Barajas is an artist, curator and educator working on digital educational videos who investigates the role of nation-building and land possession in US and Mexican cinema, art and visual culture. He is the co-creator and producer of UNSETTLING JOURNEYS, an educational YouTube channel dedicated to deconstructing Mexican, Latin American and Latinx identities through Art History.
