In September 2003 Un Mundo presented the second “Cinema Campesino Film Festival” in the village of El Pital. The festival used a Latin American film and dialogue to demonstrate the life of the Latin American.
An estimated 300 people attended the festival under the stars that night. Sales of food and drink by local villagers were part of the fundraising activities and proceeds from the festival went to local educational institutions.
The festival provided a forum for public dialog about local problems and social issues, and two documentaries were made from the events; one dealing with the monopolistic grip of the North American film industry in Latin American film distribution, and another with how conceptions of nature in the area are culturally constructed.
The movies shown were, a documentary shot during the first film festival and “La Cuidad” this last film deals with the difficult live illegal immigrants could have in the United States. The film is segmented in 4 twenty minute stories with Latin Americans in a nameless role. It is clear that it could be anybody.
Tomás Crowder-Taraborrelli 