Once again the Houston Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH) Latin Wave: New Films from Latin America, this is the 19th edition and in which films that reflect the vibrant cinematic landscape of the region will be screened.
The film festival is organized by MFAH, in collaboration with the PROA Foundation of Buenos Aires, its creative partner, and is sponsored by Tenaris and American Friends of Fundación PROA, Inc.
The broad programming this year includes nine acclaimed recent premieres from Latin America, including “The Secret Agent,” by Kleber Mendonça Filho, Oscar-nominated; “The Virgin of the Tosquera,” by Laura Casabé and “Camisea,” by Enrique Bellande, which has been digitally restored and makes its United States debut at the MFAH.
The Mexican filmmaker Úrzula Barba Hopfner presents “Corina” and the Peruvian filmmaker Augusto Zegarra arrives with “Runa Simi” and will attend in person to present their films.
Carlos A. Gutiérrez returns as artistic director of the event; he is cofounder of Cinema Tropical, the leading organization dedicated to the diffusion of Latin American cinema in the United States. The Latin Wave 19 programming has been developed in collaboration with Cinema Tropical.
To view the full program and the list of special guests, visit www.mfah.org.
CORINA
Director: Úrzula Barba Hopfner
Country: Mexico
Running time: 96 min
Screening: Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m.
Description: The story follows “Corina,” a young woman who has barely left her home in 20 years, aside from her job at a local publisher. After making a grave error with the company’s most famous saga, Corina must confront her fears to save her job, and she sets out on a journey to track down a mysterious writer.
LA VIRGEN DE LA TOSQUERA
LA VIRGEN DE LA TOSQUERADirector: Laura Casabé
Country: Argentina
Running time: 93 minutes
Screening: Friday, April 24, 9:15 p.m.
Description: Natalia, Mariela, and Josefina are bonded by their youth and a shared crush on their friend Diego, until an older, more experienced woman captures his attention. Desperate and with a broken heart, Natalia turns to ancient spells and charms in an attempt to win back their love; what begins as jealousy soon becomes something much more sinister.
EL SENDERO AZUL
EL SENDERO AZUL Director: Gabriel Mascaro
Country: Brazil
Running time:85 minutes
Screening: Saturday, April 25, 3 p.m.
Description: Teresa, 77, refuses to accept involuntary retirement and instead embarks on a clandestine journey through the Amazon, finding unlikely companions who help her reaffirm her freedom. With a powerful leading performance by Denise Weinberg, and co-starring Rodrigo Santoro, the film celebrates resilience.
RUNA SIMI
RUNA SIMI Director: Augusto Zegarra
Country: Peru
Running time: 81 minutes
Screening: Saturday, April 25, 5:00 p.m.
Description: Fernando Valencia, a voice actor, activist, painter, and single father from Cusco, began a project to reimagine iconic animated scenes in Quechua, also known as runa simi, the ancestral language of the Inca. Fernando set out on a quixotic mission: to dub Disney’s The Lion King with the help of his lively eight-year-old son. A powerful plea for linguistic justice.
UN POETA
UN POETADirector: Simón Mesa Soto
Country: Colombia
Running time: 120 minutes
Screening: Saturday, April 25, 7:15 p.m.
Description: A failed writer who has abandoned life wanders the streets of Medellín in a perpetual drunken haze, lamenting the state of literature in Colombia and embodying all the clichés of the tormented artist. When the opportunity arises to become a mentor to a young student, he sees in her a chance for redemption, provided he does not ruin it.
UN CABO SUELTO
UN CABO SUELTO Director: Daniel Hendler
Country: Uruguay
Running time: 95 minutes
Screening: Saturday, April 25, 9:30 p.m.
Description: Santiago, an Argentine police officer on the run, crosses into Uruguay to escape his colleagues. There he faces a series of obstacles that will require both his quick wits and the kindness of strangers. As he begins to rebuild a life, he discovers a fragile sense of belonging and meets a woman who might be the love of his life.
CAMISEA
CAMISEADirector: Enrique Bellande
Country: Argentina
Running time: 68 minutes
Screening: Sunday, April 26, 1 p.m.
Description: A film that reflects on how transformations in Peru’s infrastructure redefined the country by extending natural gas along its coastal region. The narrative observes the passage of time, the physical effort involved, and the human presence embedded in a transformation of immense scale. Filmed in the depths of the jungle and in the heights of the Andes.
LA MIRADA MISTERIOSA DEL FLAMINGO
LA MIRADA MISTERIOSA DEL FLAMINGODirector: Diego Céspedes
Country: Chile
Running time: 109 minutes
Screening: Sunday, April 26, 3 p.m.
Description: Follows young Lidia as she grows within a vibrant household led by drag artists and transgender women. When a mysterious illness sows fear and hysteria, the community becomes a target of suspicion and violence. A gripping allegory about love, myth, and prejudice, reimagining the early years of the AIDS era.
EL AGENTE SECRETO
EL AGENTE SECRETODirector: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Country: Brazil
Running time: 161 minutes
Screening: Sunday, April 26, 5 p.m.
Description: Set in Recife during Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1977, it stars Wagner Moura as a widowed technologist who unexpectedly becomes the target of a political storm. Hunted by mercenary killers and haunted by his past, he must navigate a tense and unpredictable world of danger and deceit to escape the country with his young son.
