Pocatello mayor kicks off Hispanic Film Festival at ISU

On October 1, Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad officially kicked off the 2024 Hispanic Film Festival at Idaho State University at the Bengal Theater. The festival, which coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month, aims to celebrate and highlight the rich cultural and artistic contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities, both locally and globally.

As part of the opening ceremony, Mayor Blad introduced the Bolivian film Sun and Daughter (2022), directed by Catalina Razzini. This poignant drama interweaves Spanish and Aymara, the indigenous language spoken by the characters, providing a deep cultural context rooted in Bolivia's Isla del Sol. The film touches on themes of hope, family and resilience, reflected in the story of Luci, a young girl navigating life as her father leaves for La Paz in search of a better future.

For those who have not yet had the chance to see Sun and Daughter (2022), the film is available on the festival's virtual event page:

Virtual event link: https://pragda.com/sfc-event/sfc-idaho-state-university/

UserID: SFC@IdahoStateUniversity

Password: IdahoStateUniSFC2024!

A special highlight of the festival will be a virtual Q&A session with director Catalina Razzini on  October 10th at 17:00 (Idaho time) / 19:00 (Bolivia time). Members of the Bolivian Embassy in Washington, D.C. will also participate in this session, further enriching the cultural dialogue surrounding the film.

Zoom link to the Q&A: https://isu.zoom.us/j/89357115556?pwd=9CwoJkcWYHCXIfQIJanSbBhOIplR6a.1

Looking ahead, the festival will continue with screenings every Tuesday throughout October. The next film, Luchadoras, will be screened on October 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bengal Theater. This documentary offers an intimate look at female wrestlers in Ciudad Juárez, a city plagued by violence against women, and their struggle for recognition and empowerment through the art of lucha libre.