Latin American Film Festival screening: Segredos do Putumayo

In our current global situation of climate change and environmental catastrophe, many environmental humanities scholars are turning to indigenous ontologies to seek out answers and guidance. The five movies curated for the festival showcase narratives from indigenous communities from several Latin American countries and portray their struggles and strategies of survival. With the festival, we hope to honor their voices by showcasing their work to our Rutgers community. 

The 2023 Latin American Film Festival screening is organized by Mentoring for Social Justice and Community-Building Project participants Ariela Parisi, Rachel Perez, Celín Hidalgo, and Ivy Lopez-Flores.

Questions? Contact Ariela Parisi at aparisi@spanport.rutgers.edu.

 Screening of Segredos do Putumayo

April 5, 2023

Voorhees Hall, 105

7:00pm

Reserve your free ticket: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3hiv-dvr6qUR5ym79v_0ThlGF-IEzpRFw3bpQMFVFxTgI2Q/viewform

English, Spanish, and Portuguese with English Subtitles

By Aurélio Michiles

This is a documentary about the man widely considered to be the pioneer of international human rights inquiries, Roger Casement (1864-1916). His work in Africa, Brazil, and his native Ireland still has repercussions today.

In 1910, the British Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, Roger Casement, undertook an investigation into allegations of crimes against indigenous communities committed by the British-registered Peruvian Amazon Company. Narrated from his journals, Secrets from Putumayo recounts the horrific treatment he uncovered there: an industrial-extractive system based on killings and slave labor in the midst of the Amazon rainforest, “a real green hell.” Shocked by his discoveries, and despite a heavy personal toll, Casement was determined to bring awareness to the British of their own colonial atrocities by revealing the appalling human cost of the rubber industry. Blending unflinching passages from his journal (powerfully narrated by Stephen Rea) with unforgettable archival images, the film makes space for the Indigenous relatives of the survivors to share the oral stories passed down by the family members, who also recount current struggles for self-determination against today’s multinational corporations, just as fixated on extracting the resources of the Amazon. Casement’s pursuit of justice continued when he returned to his native Ireland where he became an active Irish nationalist, to be executed for treason during World War I by the British government.

Check out the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8j6vf_B2as

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This film festival is possible thanks to the sponsorship and collaboration of:  Center for Latino Arts and Culture, Cinema Studies, Center for Latin American Studies (Indigenous Studies Group), Spanish and Portuguese Department, History Department, Rutgers Union of Cuban American Students 

This festival was awarded a grant by PRAGDA

Event Organizers:

Rachel Perez is a junior at the school of Arts and Sciences double majoring in philosophy and Spanish with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She is a future human rights lawyer and current advocate for women’s rights and the decolonization of latinx communities. Rachel sees herself working with domestic violence victims and child abuse cases. Rachel is an immigrant, a first-gen and ESL student. As a student leader on campus Rachel founded RUCAS, Rutgers Union of Cuban American Students and is currently the mentorship chair of Chi Alpha Epsilon, the EOF National Honor Society. Rachel describes herself as a high-achiever and a community builder and a great dancer too.

Celín Hidalgo is a senior double majoring in Astrophysics and Art History and minoring in Mathematics. She will be graduating from Rutgers University in May 2023. Celín was born in Cuba, the largest island of the Caribbean and came to the United States ten years ago. On campus she is a research assistant (RA) with the Aresty and L.S.A.M.P programs, secretary and founding member of RUCAS (Rutgers Union of Cuban American Students), FIGS Instructor teaching Exploring Art History, and a guide tour for the Collective Yearning Exhibition of the Douglass College.

Ivy Lopez-Flores is a sophomore at the School Of Art and Sciences double majoring in Sociology and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is a first-gen Mexican American student who is passionate about advocating for the Latinx community and Women’s rights. Ivy hopes to be able to continue her education and hopes to teach higher education or work for a Nonprofit organization. She describes herself as a hard-working and driven student. 

Ariela Parisi is an international PhD Candidate from Argentina. She is completing her dissertation at the Spanish and Portuguese department. Ariela’s research project studies the intersection between Memory Studies and Speculative Fiction in the Southern Cone and Brazil. Ariela is particularly interested in the representation of human rights violations in science fiction, horror stories and movies.