César Meneghetti and Elisabetta Pandimiglio's Motoboy (Brazil, 2004, DigiBeta, 64 min.) is set in São Paulo at the time of the presidential victory of Lula, the film follows the lives of some of the 300,000 moped drivers who deliver everything from pizzas to life-saving medicines. Ever-present and unavoidable, both praised and reviled, they serve as a barometer of dramatic changes in Brazil's largest city. To further contextualize the cultural, political and social significance of the films, and analyze them within the development of a global economy, two panel discussions will gather visiting and international scholars as well as film professionals, such as Ernesto Semán, Alejandro Pelayo, Cristina Venegas, Mariana Luzzi, Gustavo Noriega, Martín Plot Randal Johnson and James Wiltgen. The first panel will focus on the growth of mega-cities, such as São Paulo, Mexico City, within the framework of globalization. The second will delve into the issue of disappearing, secret detentions and social exclusion in Latin America.
latin america's street culture profiled in a new critical cinema
Conceived by the CalArts School of Critical Studies and in collaboration with the Consulates of Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, A New Critical Cinema: Film and Social Criticism in Contemporary Latin America is a three-day film and discussion program at REDCAT from March 17-19 that looks at how Latin American cinema is addressing issues of street culture, urban violence, political conflict, family dynamics, sexual identity and class divisions. This series is curated and organized by Martín Plot and James Wiltgen. (...)
