SPOTLIGHT:LATINAMERICAN&HISPANICFILMS

7GramsElCacaoFloweroftheSeaTheGoodLife(LaBuenaVida)KingsofNowhereLearningtoSeeThePearlButtonReservadelaBiosphera–Jaragua,BahorucoYEnriquilloRiverofGoldTheSaltoftheEarthTerritoryTranscendingBoundaries:PerspectivesfromParqueInternacionalLaAmistadTheValueofLife(ValorVital)3/177:00p.m.CarnegieInstitutionforScienceEricMoeSustainabilityFilmAwardRunner-Up:ELCACAO(USA/Panama,2015,19min.)OnhisfarmintherainforestofPanama’sBocasdelToro,anindigenouscacaofarmerrevealshiddeninequalitiesinchocolateproduction,challengingnotionsofethicalsourcing,sustainability,themeaningof“FairTrade,”andthegeopoliticsofluxury.DirectedbyMichelleAguilar.InSpanishwithEnglishsubtitles.Tickets,$10.Purchaseathttp://moeprogram.bpt.me/CarnegieInstitutionforScience,1530PSt.,NW(Metro:DupontCircle)

3/187:00p.m.GALAHispanicTheatreEnvironmentalConsciousness&NaturalBeautyofDominicanRepublicPresentedwiththeGlobalFoundationforDemocracyandDevelopment

7GRAMS(DominicanRepublic,2015,12min.)U.S.PremiereWhenaHispaniolanEmerald,oneoftheworld’ssmallestbirds,buildsitsnestinaconstructionsite,aruralcommunityintheDominicanRepublicfacestoughdecisionsaboutconservation.DirectedbyJonatánVilaandHadzaelGómez.THEVALUEOFLIFE(VALORVITAL)(DominicanRepublic,2015,22min.)U.S.PremiereTheDominicanRepubliccontainsaplenitudeofnaturalresources,yetthisabundanceisrarelyfiguredintoprojectionsofthecountry’sdevelopment.Howcanordinarypeople–letalonebigbusinesses–quantify“naturalcapital”?TheValueofLifearguesforaneconomicsthatfiguresintheecosystemsthatallowustosurvive.DirectedbyNatashaDespotovicandAlexandraTabar.ProducedbyAlexandraTabar.RESERVADELABIOSFERA:JARAGUA,BAHORUCAYENRIQUILLO(DominicanRepublic,2009,45min.)U.S.PremiereThreeradicallydifferentnationalparkswithintheDominicanRepublicmakeupaUNESCO“BiosphereReserve,”acornucopiaofbiodiversitywherecountlessendemicspeciesinhabitawidevarietyofecosystems.TheReservadelaBiospheraseriesspotlightseachoftheseparksinindividualfifteen-minuteepisodes:Jaragua,oneoftheCarribean’slargestcoastalprotectedareas,theiconicmountainlandscapeoftheSierradeBahuroco,andthepristinesaltlakeofEnriquillo.DirectedbyMáximoJoséRodríguez.InSpanishwithEnglishsubtitles.DiscussionwithfilmmakerNatashaDespotovic,ExecutiveDirector,DominicanRepublicEnvironmentalFilmFestival,followsscreenings.FREE.Reservationsrequired.Reserveathttp://dreff.bpt.me/GALAHispanicTheatre,333314thSt.,NW(Metro:ColumbiaHeights)

3/187:00p.m.GeorgeWashingtonUniversityPresentedbyTheDocumentaryCenteratGeorgeWashingtonUniversityandtheGoethe-Institut.THEGOODLIFE(LABUENAVIDA)Washington,D.C.PremiereJairoFuentesistheyoungleaderofthecommunityofTamaquito,avillageintheforestsofnorthernColombia.ButtheWayúucommunity’swayoflifeisbeingdestroyedbytheElCerrejóncoalmine.Thisvastchasmextendsfor700squarekilometers,makingittheworld’slargestopen-castcoalmine.Everyday,thepitgetsdeeper,gnawingawayatthepreviouslyunspoiledlandscape.Determinedtosavehiscommunityfromtheforceddisplacement,JairoFuentessetsouttonegotiatewiththemine’soperators.DirectedbyJensSchanze.ProducedbyJensSchanzeandFrankMatter.FREE.Reservationsrequiredathttp://goodlife.bpt.me/GeorgeWashingtonUniversity,TheDocumentaryCenter,RoomB07,80521stStreetNW(Metro:FoggyBottom-GWU,FarragutWest)

3/192:00p.m.ThePhillipsCollectionTHESALTOFTHEEARTH(France,2014,109min.)Overthepastof40years,photographerSebastiãoSalgadohasbornewitnesstotheplightsofmarginalizedcommunitiestheworldover,fromfaminestocivilwarstounsafelaborconditions.Nowheturnshiscameratowardanothersubjectunderthreat–ournaturalworld–framingpristinelandscapesandbountiesofbiodiversitywithinahugeprojectcelebratingtheenvironment.SaltoftheEarthisco-directedbylegendaryfilmmaker(andphotographer)WimWendersandSalgado’ssonJuliano.DirectedbyWimWendersandJulianoRibeiroSalgado.FREE.Noreservationsrequired.ThePhillipsCollection,160021stStreet,NW(Metro:DupontCircle)3/1912:00noonCarnegieInstitutionforScienceShortChange–ShortsProgramFLOWEROFTHESEA(Venezuela/Canada,2015,24min.)Washington,D.C.PremiereOnaVenezuelanislandsittheruinsofthefirstSpanishcityinSouthAmerica,abandonedwiththedepletionofitspearlbeds.Agovernmentplantocreateatouristsitestalled,andarcheologistJorgeArmandfindsdeepermeaninginthisrefusaltoacknowledgethenation’sfraughthistory.DirectedbyJorgeThielenArmand.FREE.Reserveathttp://www.shortchange.bpt.me/CarnegieInstitutionforScience,ElihuRootAuditorium,1530PSt.,NW(Metro:DupontCircle)

3/2012:30p.m.CarnegieInstitutionforScienceTERRITORY(UK,2015,17min.)OntherockofGibraltar,themunicipalgovernmenthiresworkerstokeepmacaquesfromrunningrampant–butthesemonkeyshavelivedtherefarlongerthantheBritshave,andtheyresenttheseattemptsatgovernance.DirectedbyEleanorMortimer.ProducedbyEleanorMortimerandJacobThomas.FREE.Reservationsrequired.Reserveathttp://visionarygreen.bpt.me/CarnegieInstitutionforScience,ElihuRootAuditorium,1530PSt.,NW(Metro:DupontCircle)

3/2312:00noonWoodrowWilsonInternationalCenterforScholarsTRANSCENDINGBOUNDARIES:PERSPECTIVESFROMPARQUEINTERNACIONALLAAMISTAD(Andorra,2016,14min.)WorldPremiere

LaAmistad,onthemountainousborderofPanamaandCostaRica,isthelargestprotectedareainCentralAmericaandaUNESCOWorldHeritageSite.Cooperativelybalancingtheconservationofitsstaggeringbiodiversitywiththeinterestsofitsthreeunderservedindigenouscommunitiesprovesadelicatechallenge.DirectedandproducedbySaraCanals.FREE.Reserveatecsp@wilsoncenter.orgWoodrowWilsonInternationalCenterforScholars,RonaldReaganBuilding,OneWoodrowWilsonPlaza,SixthFloorAuditorium,1300PennsylvaniaAve.,NW(Metro:FederalTriangle)

3/237:00p.m.NationalGeographicSocietyThankstotheRevaandDavidLoganFoundationforitssupportofthisevening.KINGSOFNOWHERE(Mexico,2015,83min.)TheconstructionofadamturnedtheMexicanvillageofSanMarcosintoawaterloggedghosttown,butthreefamiliesrefusetosurrendertheirhometotheflood.Eventheconstant,lurkingthreatofarmedgangsrovingthecountrysideandthelonelinessoflivingamidruinscan’tdeterthemfromtheirroutines.Theykeepthetortilleríaopen,weedthepavementinthetownsquare,androvetheinundatedstreetsinboatsoronhorseback.BetzabéGarcía’sobservationalapproachbringsoutthehumorandeeriebeautyoftheirsingularsituation.DirectedbyBetzabéGarcía.ProducedbyHugoEspinosaandBetzabéGarcía.Winner,2015GrandJuryPrize,2015FullFrameDocumentaryFilmFestival.FREE.Reserveathttp://kingsofnowhere.bpt.me/NationalGeographicSociety,GilbertH.GrosvenorAuditorium,1600MSt.,NW(Metro:FarragutNorth)3/246:00p.m.Inter-AmericanDevelopmentBankTHEPEARLBUTTON(Chile/France/Spain,2014,82min.)Chile’shistoryisinseparablefromitswaterways.Its2,670-mile-longcoastlineencompassestheworld’slargestarchipelago,andthewatersthatflowthroughitcontainthememoriesofanentirenation:thelostvoicesoftheindigenousPatagonians,theconquestsofthefirstcolonizers,andtheghostsofpoliticalprisonersdrownedduringthePinochetpresidency.Withhissingularlyricism,PatricioGuzmánsummonsthesestoriesfromthewater,demonstratingthedeepinterconnectionbetweenthenaturalenvironmentandtheeventsthattakeplacewithinit.DirectedbyPatricioGuzmánandproducedbyRenateSachse,AdrienOumhani,andVerónicaRosselot.InSpanishandKawésqarwithEnglishsubtitles.Winner,SilverBearforBestScript,2015BerlinFilmFestival.FREE.Reserveathttp://thepearlbutton.bpt.me/

Inter-AmericanDevelopmentBank,IDBCulturalCenter,EnriqueV.IglesiasConferenceCenter,1330NewYorkAve.,NW(Metro:MetroCenter)3/262:15p.m.CarnegieInstitutionforScienceLEARNINGTOSEE(USA,2016,67min.)Washington,D.C.PremiereIntheearly1990s,RobertOelmanmakesaradicalmove:heleaveshispsychologycareertopursuephotographyandmovesfromtheUnitedStatestoColombia,purchasingasmallfarminthehills.OnhisjourneysthroughtherainforestsoftheAmazonBasin,hediscoversanewandidiosyncraticpassion:takingstrikingimagesofundiscoveredinsects.Aftermorethantwentyyearsoftraveling,searching,andphotographing,hisquestculminatesinaNewYorkCitygalleryshow.Alongthewayhelearnsjusthowvitalthesetinylifeformsaretothecontinuedexistenceforallanimalspecies–includinghumankind.DirectedbyJakeOelman.ProducedbyJerryAronsonandJakeOelman.DiscussionwithfilmmakerJakeOelmanfollowsscreening.FREE.Reservationsrequired.Reserveatlearningtoseefilm.bpt.meCarnegieInstitutionforScience,ElihuRootAuditorium,1530PSt.,NW(Metro:DupontCircle)

3/264:00p.m.CarnegieInstitutionforScienceRIVEROFGOLD(USA,2016,66min.)WorldPremiereWhatwillbethefateofPeru’sAmazonrainforest,asthiscriticalregionofpricelessbiodiversityisturnedintoahellishwasteland?RonHavivandDonovanWebster,twowarjournalistsledbyPeruvianEnriqueOrtiz,embarkonaclandestinejourneyintotherainforest.Theyuncoverthesavageunravelingofapristinejungleandbearwitnesstotheapocalypticdestructioninthepursuitofillegallyminedgoldwithglobalconsequences.FlashforwardfouryearstoamassiveinterventionbythePeruviangovernment.NarratedbyAcademyAwardwinnersSissySpacekandHerbieHancock.DirectedbyReubenAaronson.ProducedbySarahduPontandJamesCavello.AnAmazonAidFoundationProduction.FREE.Reservationsrequired.Reserveatriverofgold.bpt.meCarnegieInstitutionforScience,ElihuRootAuditorium,1530PSt.,NW(Metro:DupontCircle)