On September 7 and 19, 2017, two catastrophic earthquakes devastated southern and central Mexico, leaving half of thousand dead and hundreds of thousands affected by the damages in buildings and urban infrastructure.

Mexico City was severely hurt, but also many smaller cities and rural communities already suffering from extreme poverty. There are around 150 thousand destroyed or damaged buildings in six states, and the Mexican government estimates that reconstruction efforts will cost more than 2 billion dollars.

Citizen participation in salvage and relief efforts have been widely spread around the country and Films for Mexico is a collaborative effort to help from New York City. We worked with Mexican filmmakers, distribution companies, and several sponsoring organizations at the Graduate Center, including the Comparative Literature, History, and LAILAC departments, to create a series of screenings of contemporary films from Mexico to raise awareness and promote donations to NGOs working on reconstruction in Mexico City, Puebla, Morelos and Oaxaca.

Film screenings will take place at the Segal Theater and rooms 9207, C201, and C205 at The Graduate Center every Thursday and Friday in October 2017 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

 

Films and dates:

Heli (Mexico, 2013). In Spanish with English subtitles.

Directed by Amat Escalante. It premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Festival where Escalante won best director in 2013.

Heli tells the story of how the family of Estela—a young girl of 12 years—is caught in a spiral of violence when she falls in love with a police officer involved in drug trafficking, and of what his brother Heli—a young worker in a car assembly factory—has to do to protect his family.

Thursday, October 12, 6-8 pm, Segal Theater, The Graduate Center, CUNY.

 

 

Carmín Tropical (Mexico, 2014). In Spanish with English subtitles.

Directed by Rigoberto Pérezcano. It won Best Feature Film at the Morelia International Film Festival.

Carmín Tropical tells the story of Mabel, a muxe, third gender people in Zapotec communities, that returns home to her village in Oaxaca, Mexico to find her friend’s killer.

Friday, October 13, 6-8 pm, Segal Theater, The Graduate Center, CUNY

 

 

The Good Herbs (Las buenas hierbas, Mexico, 2010). In Spanish with English subtitles.

Directed by María Novaro.

Las Buenas hierbas portrays the lives of Lola, an ethno-botanist suffering from early Alzheimer’s symptoms, and her daughter Dalia. Director Maria Novaro uses the story to showcase the rich Mexican herbalist healing tradition.

Thursday, October 19, 6-8 pm, Room C205, The Graduate Center, CUNY.

 

 

All of Me (Llévate mis amores, Mexico, 2014). In Spanish with English subtitles.

Directed by Arturo González Villaseñor.

All of Me is a documentary that tells the stories of the women living in Guadalupe La Patrona, a Mexican village situated by the tracks of a train from Central America, known as “the beast”.  These women cook and share free food for migrants traveling north to the U.S.

Friday, October 20, 6-8 pm, Room 9207, The Graduate Center, CUNY.

 

 

In the Pit (En el hoyo Mexico, 2006). In Spanish with English subtitles.

Focusing on the plight of the invisible worker, this documentary shows the stark realities and human struggles of hundreds of Mexican construction laborers as they toil to build Mexico City’s enormous Periférico Freeway.

Thursday, October 26, 6-8 pm, Room C201, The Graduate Center, CUNY.

 

 

Güeros (Mexico, 2014). In Spanish with English subtitles.

Directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios. Many prizes including Five Ariel Awards in 2015 and Best First Feature Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Tomás moves in with his older brother Federico, AKA Sombra, to Mexico City. Along with their friend Santos, they explore a city stalled by the student strike at the National University, looking for a long-missing musician they listened to in their childhood.

Friday, October 27, 6-8 pm, Room 9207, The Graduate Center, CUNY.

 

ONG’s

We endorse money donations to the following reliable organizations:

• Tamakepalis http://tamakepalis.com/

Tamakepalis is an initiative by education institutes and civil organizations represented by the Union of Cooperatives Tosepan Titaniske together with the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla that has been working for more than 40 years in the state of Puebla.

Your donation is tax deductible. You can donate through their PayPal account (https://www.paypal.me/tosepan). Please send your receipt to fundacion@tosepan.org

 

• The independent organization Semillas https://semillas.org.mx/en//forma-parte-la-reconstruccion-mexico/

Semillas contributes to the reconstruction of community infrastructure and Economic recovery of the affected communities through women-led income-generating projects. Your donation is tax deductible. You can donate through the following options:

1. Through the Global Fund for Women. If you would like a tax-deductible receipt valid in the United States, you should choose this option. https://act.globalfundforwomen.org/donate-to-semillas
2. PayPal (follow the link in their webpage).

Please send your receipt to Karina De la Torre, karina.delatorre@semillas.org.mx