Güeros (2014)
This critically acclaimed film, written and directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios (Museo), tells the story of three restless teenagers searching for a folk-rocker during the Mexican City student strike of 1999.
Cinemateca Biennial Film Series
A celebration of Latino, Latin American and Spanish film, presented by Film Streams and OLLAS.
ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL
Series: 2020 | 2018 | 2016 | 2014 | 2012 | 2010 | 2008
CINEMATECA 2025
Cinemateca, held at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, celebrates Latino, Latin American, and Spanish film while offering a rich cultural experience. Arrive before each screening to enjoy tasty appetizers from local Latino/Latina restaurants, then stay after the film for a lively discussion led by faculty from UNO’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS).
Beatriz at Dinner (2017)
Directed by Miguel Arteta, the film follows Beatriz (Salma Hayek), a holistic medicine practitioner, as she accidentally finds herself at a dinner party with a selfish, rich, egotistical businessman (John Lithgow).
Neighboring Sounds (2012)
Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, the film explores how life in a middle-class neighborhood in present day Recife, Brazil, takes an unexpected turn after the arrival of a private security firm.
Wild Tales (2014)
One of the most popular Argentinian films of all time, director Damián Szifron’s (Los Simuladores) deliciously morbid dark comedy explores the darker side of humanity with hilarious aplomb.
CINEMATECA 2020
Due to COVID-19, OLLAS and Film Streams decided to bring you Cinemateca 2020 Sneak Peek! Where we were able to show “The Mole Agent” as our sneak peek film, and people were able to watch the film from the comfort of their homes.
OLLAS and Film Streams held a Panel Discussion on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 6:00 PM with UNO and Omaha Community Members.
To watch the panel discussion visit the Film Streams Youtube Page.
The Panelists included:
Dr. Julie Blaskewicz Boron (Doctoral Program Chair Gerontology, Associate Professor), Dr. Cristián Doña-Reveco (OLLAS Director & Associate Professor of Sociology & Anthropology), and Carolina Padilla (Executive Director, Intercultural Senior Center). Moderated by Dr. Eugenio Di Stefano (OLLAS Faculty & Associate Professor, Foreign Languages and Literature).
Thank you to everyone who participated! We hope that the next Cinemateca we are able to see you all in person to enjoy amazing films accompanied by tasty food!
CINEMATECA 2018
Tuesday, August 30, 2018 - Thuesday, October 4, 2018
ZAMA 2017Dir. Lucrecia Martel
Argentina; 115 min
Strained by his unending assignment in a remote corner of the Spanish Empire, an officer volunteers for a desperate mission. A hallucinogenic period piece from a star of world cinema.
Special One Night Screening with a post-film talk led by OLLAS and Foreign Languages and Literature professor at UNO, Claudia Garcia.
LA NOVIA 2015
Dir. Paula Ortiz
Spain; 96 min.
On what was supposed to be her wedding day, a woman runs off with her lover. Dire consequences follow in this adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding.
Special One Night Screening with a post-film talk led by Foreign Languages and Literature professor at UNO, Ana Carballal.
TEMPESTAD 2017
Dir. Tatiana Huezo
Mexico; 105 min.
A remarkable documentary on the parallel journey of two women, both impacted by the violence and impunity that afflict Mexico.
Special One Night Screening with a post-film talk led by UNO Adjunct Sociology Professor, Elisha Novak.
PRIMAS 2017
Dir. Laura Bari
Argentina; 100 min.
With the help of their aunt, two cousins use performance art as a tool to overcome deep traumas. A deeply moving film about the will to survive.
Special One Night Screening with a post-film talk led by Mental Health Therapist from Project Harmony, Brenda Jewell.
VAZANTE 2018
Dir. Daniela Thomas
Brazil; 116 min
Feminism, colonialism, and race intersect in this moody period piece about a girl forced to marry a slave trader and live on his isolated estate with his captive inhabitants.
Special One Night Screening with a post-film talk led by Black studies professor at UNO, Cynthia Robinson.
EL LIBRO DE LILA 2017
Dir. Marcela Rinćon
Colombia; 76 min.
Lila, a character in a children’s story book, suddenly falls out of her paper world and ends up trapped in a place she doesn’t belong.
LA ULTIMA ISLA 2012
Dir. Dácil Pérez de Guzmán
Spain; 91 min.
A young city girl spends time with an aunt she’s never met on an island where she meets interesting characters and encounters adventure.
CINEMATECA 2016
Tuesday, August 30, 2016 - Tuesday, September 27, 2016
MY BIG NIGHT 2016
It's only October, but the network's annual black-tie New Year's Eve spectacular has already been in production for a grueling week and a half, and setbacks continue to accumulate. A falling crane has just taken out an extra, and the show's hosts are at each other's throats. Oversexed pop sensation Adán (Mario Casas) discovers two women have stolen his semen, while legendary divo Alphonso (Raphael) is stalked by an armed and unstable would-be songwriter (Jaime Ordóñez). Meanwhile, just outside the studio, riot police move in as demonstrators demand the arrest of the show’s corrupt producer (Santiago Segura). Spain; 100 min.
Special One Night Screening with a post-show talk led by OLLAS and Foreign Languages & Literature professor at UNO, Steven Torres.
IXCANUL 2015
The brilliant debut by Guatemalan filmmaker Jayro Bustamante is a mesmerizing fusion of fact and fable, a dreamlike depiction of the daily lives of Kaqchikel-speaking Mayans on a coffee plantation at the base of an active volcano. Immersing us in its characters' customs and beliefs, Ixcanul chronicles with unblinking realism, a disappearing tradition and a disappearing people. Guatemala; 93 min.
Special One Night Screening with a post-show talk led by OLLAS and Foreign Languages & Literature professor at UNO, Claudia Garcia.
VIVA 2015
VIVA stars Héctor Medina as Jesus, a young hairdresser working at a Havana drag club, who dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama (Luis Alberto García), Jesus finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when his estranged father Angel (Jorge Perugorría) abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. As father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other, VIVA becomes a love story as the men struggle to understand one another and reconcile as a family. Cuba/Ireland; 100 min.
Special One Night Screening with a post-show talk led by OLLAS interim director and professor of political science at UNO, Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado and Jay Irwin, professor of Sociology and Co-Chair of UNO’s LGBTQIA+ Task Force.
EL CLAN 2015
This tense true-crime thriller recounts the astonishing true story of a seemingly normal Argentine family that secretly ran a deadly kidnapping ring. On the surface the Puccios look like most other families. Steely-eyed patriarch Arquimedes is coolly efficient, his "hits" meticulously planned, but he relies above all on his eldest son, a famed member of the national rugby team. Alex shares in the ransom money; his mother and other siblings are blissfully unaware, or else choose to ignore what is happening right under their noses. Perpetrated in the wake of the 1970s military junta, their crimes are indistinguishable from, and enabled by, political violence. Argentina; 106 min.
Special One Night Screening with a post-show talk led by OLLAS and Foreign Languages & Literature professor at UNO, Eugenio Di Stefano.
LOS SURES 1984
In the late 70s and early 80s, Los Sures was one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City. In fact, it had been called the worst ghetto in America. Diego Echeverria's film skillfully represents the challenges of its time: drugs, gang violence, crime, abandoned real estate, racial tension, single-parent homes, and inadequate local resources. The complex portrait also celebrates the vitality of this largely Puerto Rican and Dominican community, showing the strength of their culture, their creativity, and their determination to overcome a desperate situation. Rediscovered and beautifully restored just in time for its 30th anniversary, this film is even more fascinating as recent gentrification has made Los Sures – aka Williamsburg, Brooklyn – one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York. USA; 60 min.
Special One Night Screening with a post-show discussion panel led by OPS Board Member, Tony Vargas and Omar Correa, Enrollment Management at UNO..
BOY AND THE WORLD 2013
No dialog is necessary in this poignant, hand-drawn story about a young country boy searching for his dad in the big city. Silent. Brazil; 85 min. Common Sense Media Rating: Ages 7+
HABANASTATION 2011
In this tale of fellowship, a privileged boy gains perspective when he gets lost in a Havana slum. Cuba; 95 min.
CINEMATECA 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014 - Tuesday, September 30, 2014
STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS 2014
An immigrant family rushes to find their teenaged son with autism, whose inner world has drawn him into the New York City subways. The film uses non-actors and nonfiction elements, like the looming Hurricane Sandy, which threatened shooting, to accomplish a rare realism. In English and Spanish with subtitles in English. USA; 102 minutes.
Special Screening: Tuesday, September 2, 7 pm, with a post-show talk led by OLLAS Director Lourdes Gouveia (UNO, OLLAS, Sociology).
ELENA 2014
A beautiful, impressionistic documentary essay from director Petra Costa about her older sister, who died when the filmmaker was a girl. Haunting and deeply personal, this elegiac film floats through memory and grief. In English and Portuguese with subtitles in English. Brazil; 80 minutes.
Special Screening: Tuesday, September 9, 7 pm, with a post-show talk led by professor Eugenio Di Stefano (UNO, OLLAS, Foreign Languages and Literature).
ANINA 2013
A lovely, hand-crafted film for movie-lovers of all ages, ANINA is the story of a little girl in a real mess. Anina Yatay Salas hates her name -- three palindromes! -- and the teasing it brings her at school. When she gets into a scuffle with a classmate, the two are given the same bizarre sentence. They must carry a sealed envelope that contains their ultimate punishment for one week without peeking. Their shared fate teaches launches them on an imaginative and delightful journey.
LA CAMIONETA: THE JOURNEY OF ONE AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS 2013
Every day, school buses make the long journey from the US to Guatemala, where they become a primary source of transportation – and a target for raiders. This film follows one such bus on its voyage to becoming one of these all-important, perilous staples. In English and Spanish with subtitles in English. USA/Guatemala; 72 minutes.
Special One Night Screening with director Mark Kendall; Q&A following.
MERCEDES SOSA: THE VOICE OF LATIN AMERICA 2013
A thrilling documentary about an artist whose music and politics made her an unparalleled figure in South America, like a combination of Nelson Mandela and The Beatles. In English, Spanish, French and Portuguese with subtitles in English. Argentina; 90 minutes.
Special One Night Screening with a performance by Juan Carlos Veloso and a post-show discussion led by professor Claudia Garcia (UNO, OLLAS, Foreign Languages and Literature).
KEEP ON ROLLING: THE FANTASY OF THE AUTOMOBILE 2011
A spirited look at our addiction to autos and its effects told through interviews, archival footage, and animation. In Spanish with subtitles in English. Spain; 56 minutes.
Special One Night Screening with director Óscar Clemente in person. Discussion with Clemente and former City of Omaha Planner Steve Jensen about the global and local implications of car culture will follow.
CINEMATECA 2012
Friday, August 29, 2012 - Tuesday, October 2, 2012
CINEMATECA 2012 PREVIEW PARTY
El Museo Latino (4701 South 25th Street)
Join us for an evening of drinks, music, and food, including brief introductions to each of the films in the Cinemateca 2012 series, followed by a salsa demonstration (free) and dancing (optional).
LOS OLVIDADOS 1950
Directed by Luis Buñuel. Mexico.
Lost for years in a dispute over rights, Buñuel’s masterpiece about a group of street kids in the slums of Mexico City returns to the big screen to kick off Cinemateca 2012!
Special Screening: Tuesday, September 4, 7pm, with a post-show talk led by Maria Arbeláez (OLLAS) including cuisine provided by María Bonita.
SPY KIDS 2001
Directed by Robert Rodriguez. USA.
Forever Young Meets Cinemateca! Director Robert Rodriquez reunites with actor Antonio Banderas (DESPERADO) in this action-packed adventure story about a pair of siblings called on to save their super-spy parents—and the world. Co-starring Carla Gugino, Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub, Alexa Vega, and Daryl Sabara.
Please Note: SPY KIDS replaces the previously scheduled VAMPIRES IN HAVANA, which has been cancelled.
BALLPLAYER 2012
Directed by Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin, and Jonathan Paley. Dominican Republic.
An intimate, documentary portrait of two young Dominican baseball players as they navigate the often corrupt elements that surround Major League Baseball’s recruitment of the island’s top talent.
Special Screening: Thursday, September 13, 7pm, with a post-show talk featuring director of the film, Jonathan Paley and Rob Ruck, author and professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh. With Latin American bocaditos.
MOSQUITA Y MARI 2012
Directed by Aurora Guerrero. USA.
A coming-of-age story set in Los Angeles, about the tender friendship between two high school girls forced to choose between their obligations to others and staying true to themselves.
Special Screening: Tuesday, September 18, 7pm, with a post-show talk led by Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado (OLLAS) with cuisine provided by Dixie Quicks.
A BETTER LIFE 2011
Directed by Chris Weitz. USA/Mexico.
A hardworking father lives life for a single purpose -- to provide his son with the opportunity for a better life -- in this emotional and ultimately uplifting look at the heroic struggle of immigrants striving for the American dream.
Special Screening: A talk led by Lourdes Gouveia (OLLAS) will follow the film. The special one-night-only screening includes cuisine provided by Nietos Bakery.
EVEN THE RAIN 2011
Directed by Iciar Bollain. Bolivia.
An idealistic director (Gael Garcia Bernal), his cynical producer (Luis Tosar), and their film crew land in Bolivia to make a revisionist epic about the conquest of Latin America just as riots break out over the privatization of the country’s water supply.
Special Screening: A talk led by Steven Torres (OLLAS) will follow the film. This one-night-only event includes cuisine provided by Taita.
CINEMATECA 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010 - Thursday, September 30, 2010
In the Fall of 2010, Film Streams in collaboration with the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies presented the second biennial Cinemateca Spanish-language film series.
Series generously sponsored by Sam Walker and Elizabeth Emlen Walker. Curated by OLLAS faculty and staff members Lourdes Gouveia, Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, María Arbelaez, Michael Carroll, Ramón Guerra, Steven Torres, María Elvira Villamil, Andrea Dominguez, Alejandra Toledo, Yuriko Doku, Lucy Garza, and Film Streams Board Member Betiana Simon.
SIN NOMBRE 2009
Hoping to start new lives, a young Honduran woman and a teenaged Mexican gang member must rely on faith, trust, and street smarts to survive their perilous journey to the United States. Mexico/USA.
NINE QUEENS 2000
Nothing is quite as it seems in this clever, Mamet-esque story about a pair of con men struggling to unload a sheet of counterfeit stamps. Argentina.
MEMORIAS DEL SUBDESARROLLO 1968
A landmark of Cuban cinema and stylistically innovative portrait of an intellectual adjusting to life after the revolution and a country in transition.
I AM CUBA 1964
One of the most dazzlingly shot films of all time, this politicized portrait of Cuban life before and after the revolution is an absolute must-see on the big screen. Cuba/Soviet Union.
TALK TO HER 2002
An Academy Award-winning masterpiece from Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar, weaving melodrama and humor into an intoxicating tale of loneliness, companionship, love, and obsession. Spain.
Special Screening: Tuesday, September 14, 7pm, with a post-show talk led by Steven Torres (OLLAS). Complimentary cuisine provided by España Tapas Bar.
GIGANTE 2009
A sweet-natured story about a security guard who falls in love via surveillance monitor and, too shy to approach his crush in person, begins to follow her from a distance. Uruguay.
MACHUCA 2004
Set in Santiago, Chile in 1973 (and based on the director’s own childhood), MACHUCA is a poignant coming-of-age story about a young friendship left in ruins following that country’s military coup.
Special Screening: Tuesday, September 21, 7pm, with a post-show talk led by community member and Chilean-born Ricardo Perez. Complimentary pre-show cuisine provided by Perú, Mucho Gusto, and pre-show music performed by Chilean guitarist Juan Carlos Veloso.
OBLIVION 2009
A searing documentary contrasting the empty promises of Peruvian politicians with the real-life struggles confronting everyday citizens living and working in the country’s capital. Peru/Netherlands.
CENTRAL STATION 1998
A self-centered, cynical woman (Fernanda Montenegro, in an Oscar-nominated performance) finds herself looking out for an orphaned boy in this true-to-life tale from writer-director Walter Salles. Brazil.
Special Screening: Tuesday, September 28, 7pm, with a post-show talk led by Andrea Dominguez (OLLAS) and Jonathan Bruce Santo (UNO Department of Psychology). Complimentary cuisine provided by Latino Restaurant.
THE VIOLIN 2005
Three generations of an impoverished Mexican family -- an elderly violinist, his son, and grandson -- travel town to town playing music for change while smuggling weapons to a peasant rebellion in this remarkable drama. Mexico.
CINEMATECA 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008 - Thursday, October 2, 2008
In 2008, Film Streams in collaboration with UNO's Office of Latino and Latin American Studies presented the first biennial Cinemateca, an exciting new repertory series intended to bring some of the best Latino, Latin American, and Spanish films ever made to Omaha. Cinemateca featured 10 films from six different countries, with post-show discussions occurring every Tuesday evening throughout the series.
Series generously sponsored by Sam Walker and Elizabeth Emlen Walker. Curated by Film Streams and OLLAS faculty members Lourdes Gouveia, Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, Maria Villamil, Steven L. Torres, Maria Arbelaez, Michael Carroll, and Alejandra Toledo.
BLACK ORPHEUS 1959
An Academy Award-winning adaptation of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in contemporary Rio de Janeiro during Carnival.
DEATH OF A CYCLIST 1955
A university professor and his bourgeois mistress accidentally run over a cyclist and abandon him in this oppositional film made during the Francoist regime in Spain.
MOTHERS OF THE PLAZA DE MAYO 1985
Oscar-nominated documentary about the mothers of Argentina’s desaparecidos, young activists taken prisoner by the country’s military regime between 1976–1983 and never seen again.
THE OFFICIAL STORY 1985
A mother suspects that her adopted daughter’s birth parents may have been victims of Argentina’s “Dirty War” (1976-1983) in this Academy Award-winner for Best Foreign Language Film.
RAISE RAVENS 1976
Made during the last year of Franco’s life and rule in Spain, CRÍA CUERVOS blends fantasy, reality, and political allegory in the story of an 8-year-old girl mourning the death of her mother.
UNDER THE SAME MOON 2007
A touching story of love and family about a mother working illegally in the United States to support her 9-year-old son in Mexico, and the courageous journey that brings them together.
RAQUEL'S SHOE SHINE MAN 1957
The “Charlie Chaplin of Mexico,” Cantinflas stars in this treasured slapstick comedy about a shoeshine man left in charge of his best friend’s son.
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE 1973
Haunted by a scene from FRANKENSTEIN (1931), a young girl drifts between the dream world of her imagination and the adult world of her surroundings in this lyrical, gorgeously shot masterpiece.
MARIA FULL OF GRACE 2004
A 17-year-old Colombian girl agrees to smuggle drugs into the United States in hopes of making a better life for herself.
LUCIA 1968
Three periods in Cuban history (the turn-of-the century war of independence, the 1930s, and the 1960s) told through the experiences of three different women sharing the same name.