Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles (LACLA) will soon present virtual screenings of their Nueva Onda (new wave) selections. The virtual screenings will be available May 6 – 13, 2022, to be streamed for free on http://www.laclastream.com

The films’ unifying theme is Fantasías y Sueños (Fantasies and Dreams). In two one-hour-long programs, the films offer a glimpse into today’s world and its varied experiences. They are heartfelt narratives, different in aesthetics and scope, but all of them have one thing in common – imagination as a powerful tool to transcend our reality and strive towards a fair and free existence.

PART 1: SUEÑOS

Señora Genovese, from Guatemalan director Daniela Argüello. 10:00

After watching an infomercial about traveling an old woman decides to escape from the retirement home to make her dreams come true.

The Burning Plain, directed by Andrés Vázquez from Los Angeles, CA. 5:55

An incarcerated firefighter struggles to find emotional stability as he relives searing memories of his traumatic past. El Llano En Llamas is a meditation on trauma, the fluidity of memory, and the isolation experienced by those suffering from mental illness.

Modernica, from Chilean director Vicente Manzano. 11:08

An introspective musical journey into the emotional mind of Felipe. Are we able to choose the memories we keep and the ones we let go of?

Ke Petiu Hein+?, by Mexican director Catalina Loret de Mola. 1:45  

A tender exploration of the relationship the Wirarika community, an indigenous community living in Mexico’s Sierra Occidental, has to the act of dreaming.

Preggers, by director Sylvia Ray from Barstow, CA. 9:33 

After Isabella’s encounter with a curandera, she takes a pregnancy test and decides to have an abortion. Her boyfriend Carlos berates her for it but once he is confronted by children in a nightmare, he finally understands his partner’s decision.

Güero y Prieto, by Mexican director Mario Garza. 13:07 

A young, newly Mexican immigrant in Miami is in for a rude awakening when he finds himself with no money and no support from his family back home, until he meets an undocumented young man who offers him the possibility to start a new life away from his chaotic family.

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PART 2: FANTASÍAS

Yoruga, by Colombian director Federico Torrado Tobón. 6:22

A lonely old man pays a visit to Yoruga, one of the last animals on Earth.

El Triste, from Mexican director Manuel Del Valle. 14:02

On the backstage of a show, El Triste, an old used ragdoll-like marionette, decides to prove to himself and his fellow puppets that he is valuable and worthy of admiration.

The Little Thief, by Mexican director Nicole Vanden Broeck 3:08

After stealing a bean from a local market, a young boy experiences guilt for the first time.

Soul and Life, directed by Francisco Infante of Los Angeles, CA. 6:34

Mischievous bandits come to grips with their future lives while on the run from the police, clashing over the meaning of love, wealth, and revenge.

Evaporated, from Mexican director Jimena Muhlia. 15:00

A young man falls in love with his best friend’s mom, setting the limit of his friendship.

In Case I’m next, directed by Gabriela Ortega of the Dominican Republic 4:50 A gut-wrenching manifesto responding to decades of systemic attacks on Black lives in the name of law and order.

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About LACLA

Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles (LACLA) is a California non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural exchange through film by screening classic and contemporary films from Latin America and by USA Latinas and Latinos. LACLA also supports the film and media efforts of Los Angeles inner-city middle and high school students with its annual student film festival.

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