Film Series: BAD HAIR (PELO MALO)
Mar 25
Free Virtual Event
Mar 25
Free Virtual Event| Thursday, Mar. 25 | 6:30 PM | Register |
Hosted by the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures
The films in this virtual festival shed light on important cultural, social, and intersectional topics from the Spanish-speaking world. We are pleased to be able to feature these award-winning and critically acclaimed films at Saint Mary’s College.
Each film will have a live introduction, screening, and follow-up discussion via Zoom on the screening date indicated. After the initial screening, the films will be available to stream for one week. This festival has been made possible through the generosity of the Spanish Film Club PRAGDA Grant as well as the co-sponsorship of the following departments and offices at Saint Mary’s College: English, Gender and Women’s Studies, Global Studies, History, The Office of Inclusion and Equity, The Office of Multicultural and International Student Services, The Student Diversity Board, and The Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership.
Mariana Rondón / Venezuela / 93 min / 2013
SYNOPSIS
A nine-year-old boy’s preening obsession with straightening his hair elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother, in this tender but clear-eyed coming-of-age tale. Junior is a beautiful boy, with big brown eyes, a delicate frame, and a head of luxurious dark curls. But Junior aches to straighten those curls, to acquire a whole new look befitting his emerging fantasy image of himself as a long-haired singer. As the opportunity approaches to have his photo taken for the new school year, that ache turns into a fiery longing. Junior’s mother, Marta (Samantha Castillo), is barely hanging on. The father of her children has died, she recently lost her job as a security guard, and she now struggles to put a few arepas on the table for Junior and his baby brother. Junior doesn’t even know yet what it means to be gay, but the very notion prompts Marta to set out to “correct” Junior’s condition before it fully takes hold. This is a story of people doing what they feel they have to, partly out of fear, but also out of love.
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 25, 2021, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.
STREAMING ACCESS
After the initial screening, you may still watch this film between 03/25/2021 and 04/01/2021.
Afrolatinos: An Untaught History, February 18
The Infiltrators, February 25
Embrace of the Serpent, March 4
Spider Thieves, March 11
Wilaya, March 18
Bad Hair, March 25
The Spanish Film Club series was made possible with the support of Pragda, The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Spain, and SPAIN arts & culture.
