Caribbean Semester Passport

SUGAR CANE ALLEY

STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE

Tuesday, Sept. 8 | 7 p.m.

Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Tuesday, Sept. 15 | 7 p.m.

Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Based on the semi-autobiographical novel La Rue Cases-Nègres (“Black Shack Alley”) by

Diego, a gay man living in Cuba, falls for David, a straight man and card-carrying

Joseph Zobel, the film follows a young boy and his grandmother as they try to escape

member of the Communist League. The conflict between the two is both sexual and

the harsh life of the sugar cane plantations in 1930s Martinique. Film critic Roger Ebert

ideological, yet they build a strong friendship through a series of darkly humorous

gave Sugar Cane Alley four stars. Rated PG.

events. Tomás Gutiérrez Alea (1928-1996) was “the greatest of Cuba’s filmmakers and

(dir. Euzhan Palcy, French film set in Martinique, 1983; 103 min.)

(dir. Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1993; 108 min.)

one of its most contradictory” according to film critic Roger Ebert, who gave Strawberry and Chocolate 3.5 stars. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards. Rated R for language and nudity.

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KINGSTON PARADISE

BAD LUCKY GOAT

Tuesday, Sept. 22 | 7 p.m. | Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Tuesday, Sept. 29 | 7 p.m. | Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Rocksy, a small-time hustler, journeys into chaos to steal a car while his lady friend,

Set on the tiny Caribbean island of Old Providence (population 5,000) east of the

Rosie, hangs a watercolor painting in their modest home and dreams of living on the

coast of Nicaragua, Colombian director Samir Oliveros worked exclusively with local

beach. Shot on the streets of Kingston where poverty, beauty, and desperation collide,

non-actors in their native Creole language. A teenage brother and sister test their

this Jamaican story illustrates how reckless acts appear to be the only road to an elusive

relationship when they wreck their father’s truck by hitting a goat. They embark on a

better life. Not rated, but some strong language.

journey of mishaps as they attempt to fix the vehicle without their parent’s knowledge

(dir. Mary Wells, Jamaica, 2013; 83 min.)

(dir. Samir Oliveros, Colombia, 2017; 76 min.)

– but each “solution” creates more problems. Not rated.

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ELZA

DANCEHALL QUEEN

Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 7 p.m. | Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Tuesday, Oct. 20 | 7 p.m. | Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Elza returns from her life in Paris to her native Guadeloupe in search of her father, but

Marcia, a vendor on the streets of Kingston, dons the persona of the “Mystery Lady” – a

discovers things are not as they seem. Based on director Mariette Monpierre’s own life

modern-day reggae Cinderella – and pits gangsters Priest and Larry against each other

experience, Elza captures the passion and contradictions of a family in transition. It also

while challenging Olivine for the title of “Dancehall Queen” and 200,000 Jamaican

provides a sampling of the island’s rich culture with an original 14-song soundtrack by

dollars. Not rated, but has some strong language and sexually suggestive dancing.

(dir. Mariette Monpierre, France/Guadeloupe, 2011; 81 min.)

(dir. Rick Elgood/Don Letts, Jamaica, 1997; 96 min.)

some of Guadeloupe’s most talented artists. Not rated, but has brief nudity.

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IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES

GUANTANAMERA

Tuesday, Oct. 27 | 7 p.m. | Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 7 p.m. | Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall

Starring Salma Hayek, the film relates the story of the Mirabal sisters as they struggle

A “road trip” film with a twist: follow a bureaucrat as he accompanies the body of a

against the regime of the brutal dictator Rafael Trujillo (1891-1961) in the Dominican

famous singer (and his wife’s aunt) from Guantánamo on the eastern edge of Cuba to

Republic. Marc Anthony has a minor role as Minerva Mirabel’s first love and the impetus

Havana. Also on the route are a pair of truck drivers – including a playboy who shares a

for her later revolutionary activities. Based on the book by Julia Alvarez. Rated PG-13.

common history with the bureaucrat’s wife. Guantanamera paints a satirical picture of

(dir. Mariano Barroso, United States/Mexico, 2001; 92 min.)

(dir. Tomás Gutiérrez Alea/Juan Carlos Tabio, Cuba, 1995; 104 min.)

Cuban life and bureaucracy. Film critic Roger Ebert gave it three stars. Not rated, but has some strong language and brief nudity.

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AYITI MON AMOUR (HAITI MY LOVE)

RICK STEVES America’s leading authority on European travel

Tuesday, Nov. 17 | 7 p.m. | Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall (dir. Guetty Felin, Haiti, 2016; 88 min.)

Filmmaker Guetty Felin flirts with several narrative styles as she weaves together a sort of modern fairytale of Haiti and its people as they continue to struggle five years after a devastating earthquake. Three stories intertwine, collide, and co-exist: a grieving teenager discovers he has a special power gained from the sea, an old fisherman thinks the cure for his ailing wife can be found in the sea, and a muse struggles to exit the story her author is writing. Ayiti Mon Amour was Haiti’s first official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. Not rated.

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The 10 students who attend the most Caribbean Semester films in Fall 2020 will receive

Rick Steves’ personal day pack for travel abroad.

Get your passport stamped every time you attend a film, and then turn it in to the Institute of International Studies in Webster Hall 337 after November 17.

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Name: S#:

The 10 students who attend the most Caribbean films in Fall 2020 will receive Rick Steves’ personal day pack for travel abroad.

Get your passport stamped every time you attend a film, and then turn it in to the Institute of International Studies in Webster Hall 337 after November 17.