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Pragda Spanish Film Festival: Paradise

Pragda Spanish Film Festival: Paradise

Pragda Spanish Film Festival: Paradise

School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures | Spanish and Portuguese | Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center Tuesday, October 20, 2015 7:15 pm - 10:00 pm St. Mary’s Hall, Multipurpose Room

Director: Mariana Chenillo / 105 min / 2013

Drama Language: Spanish with English subtitles

Nationality: Mexico

Cast: Andres Alameida, Daniela Rincon, Camila Selser, Beatriz Moreno, Jose Sefami

Teaser (YouTube)

Paradise [Paraíso] is the second film in the 2015 Pragda Film Festival.

Based on a short story written by Julieta Arévalo, Paraíso is a film about change. It is about the fear we feel when our life changes causing things to slip out of our control.

Childhood sweethearts Carmen and Alfredo live a life of quiet bliss in Satélite, a sleepy suburb outside of Mexico City. When Alfredo is offered a promotion, the lovebirds make the move into the bustling metropolis.

It’s a rude awakening for Carmen, who until now has not really worried about the fact that she and Alfredo are both overweight.

After overhearing gossip about their bodies at a company party, she decides that it is time to swap donuts for salads, and urges Alfredo to join her in a weight-loss program. But when only one of them actually starts to slim down, a rift emerges in their relationship.

Portrayed with undeniable charm by newcomer Daniela Rincon and well-known Andres Alameida, Paradise touches upon issues of body image, self-confidence and happiness with candor and humor. The film is executive-produced by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal.

Dr. Ryan Long, Director of Graduate Studies of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, will give a brief introduction before the film showing.

The 2015 Festival is presented by Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz, Director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Dr. Laurie Frederik, Director of the Latin American Studies Center, and Dr. Eyda Merediz, Head of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The Festival Coordinator is Dr. José M. Naharro, also of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

NOTES ON FILM
 
Based on a short story written by Julieta Arévalo, Paraíso is a film about change. It is about the fear we feel when our life changes causing things to slip out of our control.
 
Throughout her journey, Carmen will have to understand that sometimes it is not only us who change, but also our surroundings and those close to us. And although this might generate in her a lot of fear, it also gives her the courage to ask herself, for the first time, what she really wants out of life.
 
For me, the two pillars that sustain the story are love and life’s own irony. Love as the only real and tangible thing that exists. And life’s irony as the moment when we realize that situations in our own lives that, while not immediately funny because they embarrass us and they expose us, when they are revisited and retold start to have another meaning and function. It is something that allows us to take a step back and look at ourselves from the outside and understand the journey we are on and why we are going down that path.

Learn about other films in the festival:

339 AMÍN ABEL HASBÚN. MEMORY OF A CRIME [339 Amín Abel Hasbún. Memoria de un crimen], October 13

PARADISE [Paraíso], October 20

ETERNAL AMAZON [Amazônia Eterna], October 27

THE CROW’S NEST [Malacrianza], November 3

ASIER AND I [Asier ETA biok], November 10

The film festival is made possible with support from the PRAGDA Spanish Film Club and Spain Arts and Culture.

 

Add to Calendar 10/20/15 19:15:00 10/20/15 22:00:00 America/New_York Pragda Spanish Film Festival: Paradise

Director: Mariana Chenillo / 105 min / 2013

Drama Language: Spanish with English subtitles

Nationality: Mexico

Cast: Andres Alameida, Daniela Rincon, Camila Selser, Beatriz Moreno, Jose Sefami

Teaser (YouTube)

Paradise [Paraíso] is the second film in the 2015 Pragda Film Festival.

Based on a short story written by Julieta Arévalo, Paraíso is a film about change. It is about the fear we feel when our life changes causing things to slip out of our control.

Childhood sweethearts Carmen and Alfredo live a life of quiet bliss in Satélite, a sleepy suburb outside of Mexico City. When Alfredo is offered a promotion, the lovebirds make the move into the bustling metropolis.

It’s a rude awakening for Carmen, who until now has not really worried about the fact that she and Alfredo are both overweight.

After overhearing gossip about their bodies at a company party, she decides that it is time to swap donuts for salads, and urges Alfredo to join her in a weight-loss program. But when only one of them actually starts to slim down, a rift emerges in their relationship.

Portrayed with undeniable charm by newcomer Daniela Rincon and well-known Andres Alameida, Paradise touches upon issues of body image, self-confidence and happiness with candor and humor. The film is executive-produced by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal.

Dr. Ryan Long, Director of Graduate Studies of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, will give a brief introduction before the film showing.

The 2015 Festival is presented by Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz, Director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Dr. Laurie Frederik, Director of the Latin American Studies Center, and Dr. Eyda Merediz, Head of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The Festival Coordinator is Dr. José M. Naharro, also of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

NOTES ON FILM
 
Based on a short story written by Julieta Arévalo, Paraíso is a film about change. It is about the fear we feel when our life changes causing things to slip out of our control.
 
Throughout her journey, Carmen will have to understand that sometimes it is not only us who change, but also our surroundings and those close to us. And although this might generate in her a lot of fear, it also gives her the courage to ask herself, for the first time, what she really wants out of life.
 
For me, the two pillars that sustain the story are love and life’s own irony. Love as the only real and tangible thing that exists. And life’s irony as the moment when we realize that situations in our own lives that, while not immediately funny because they embarrass us and they expose us, when they are revisited and retold start to have another meaning and function. It is something that allows us to take a step back and look at ourselves from the outside and understand the journey we are on and why we are going down that path.

Learn about other films in the festival:

339 AMÍN ABEL HASBÚN. MEMORY OF A CRIME [339 Amín Abel Hasbún. Memoria de un crimen], October 13

PARADISE [Paraíso], October 20

ETERNAL AMAZON [Amazônia Eterna], October 27

THE CROW’S NEST [Malacrianza], November 3

ASIER AND I [Asier ETA biok], November 10

The film festival is made possible with support from the PRAGDA Spanish Film Club and Spain Arts and Culture.

 

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