NOVA Alexandria will host a second annual Spanish and Latin American Film Festival, September 20-28, 2016. This has been made possible with the support of Pragda, SPAIN arts & culture and the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain and an NVCC Educational Foundation grant. We look forward to building on the success of last year’s festival, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students, faculty and staff who attended. We hope to see you there!

Included below is general information about each film with links to trailers and more details. All the films are award-winning or nominated and have had limited release in the U.S. Please contact Prof. Martha Davis (mdavis@nvcc.edu) with questions. All films will be screened in the Bisdorf Building (5000 Dawes Ave.), include English subtitles and will be followed by a post-screening discussion.

Tuesday, September 20, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in AA160
BAD HAIR
Venezuela  / 2013 / 93 mins

“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.”
https://pragda.com/film/bad-hair/

Wednesday, September 21, 2-4:30 p.m. in AA196
THE COUNTRY OF FEAR
Spain / 2015 / 102 mins

“A festival favorite, The Country of Fear is a must see for high school and college level students. The film touches upon one of the most talk about behavioral issues happening on campus these days.”
https://pragda.com/film/the-country-of-fear/

Thursday, September 22, 1-3:30 p.m. in AA196
THE TRAVEL AGENT
Spain, Italy / 2015 / 87 mins

“From her tiny office overlooking the U.S. Interests Section, 58-year old Lourdes counsels thousands of Cubans seeking a U.S. travel visa. She coaches them on answering tricky questions, fine-tuning their stories so they have a better chance of succeeding. They come from every walk of life and from all over Cuba to unveil their own life stories at the “Oficina del amor” (Office of Love), as she’s baptized it.”
https://pragda.com/film/the-travel-agent/

Tuesday, September 27, 12:30-3:00 p.m. in AA196
SOUTHERN DISTRICT
Bolivia / 2011/ 109 mins

“La Paz’s Zona Sur neighborhood is Bolivia’s most exclusive enclave and has housed the country’s affluent elite for generations. In an adobe-tile-roofed castle, a statuesque matriarch reigns over her spoiled offspring and indigenous servants. But social change, however unwelcome, is on its way.”
https://pragda.com/film/southern-district/

Wednesday, September 28, 2-4:00 p.m. in AA196
IXCANUL, VOLCANO
France, Guatemala/ 2015 / 62 min

“Maria, a 17-year-old Mayan girl, lives and works with her parents on a coffee plantation in the foothills of an active volcano in Guatemala. An arranged marriage awaits her: her parents have promised her to Ignacio, the plantation overseer. But Maria doesn’t sit back and accept her destiny.”
https://pragda.com/film/ixcanul-volcano/

SPA 205 – Spanish for Heritage Speakers
(español para Bilingües)
Fall 2016, M/W 5:00-6:30pm
14-week (starts 9/6/16)
3 credits (Class ID 12570)

• Do you speak Spanish at home?  ¿Hablas español en casa?
• Are you a Spanish-English bilingual?  ¿Eres bilingüe?
• Do you want to improve your Spanish?   ¿Quieres mejorar tu español?
• Do you want to train for your career?   ¿Te quieres preparar para tu carrera?

“Spanish for Heritage Speakers” is a course designed for students who already have some background in the language. The main objectives for the course are to (re-)familiarize yourself with the written form of the language and to expand on your existing knowledge of Spanish-speaking cultures. The course also focuses on reading comprehension, spelling, and key grammatical structures that will help students to strategically construct well-written texts tailored to their needs.

Students will explore the past and present of Spanish-speaking societies in order to further enrich their knowledge of this heritage. Students should have completed through Spanish 202 or have the equivalent ability in Spanish. Concurrent enrollment with SPA 201 and 205 are possible with instructor approval. This course is also an ideal option for students who have completed an AP or IB course in Spanish in high school. Non-heritage speakers with the appropriate level are also welcome!

For more information: contact Professor Arana at earana@nvcc.edu or call(703)933-3986