Sep
25
Wed
Innocent Voices @ Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston
Sep 25 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Country: Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA 2004
Plots keywords: Drama | Civil War El Salvador
Language: Español – English subtitles
Director: Luis Mandoki
Writer: Óscar Torres, Luis Mandoki
Production Co: Coproducción México-EE UU-Puerto Rico; Lawrence Bender Productions / MUVI Films / Organización Santo Domingo / A Band Apart / Altavista Films / Santo Domingo Films
Runtime: 120 min.
Cast: Leonor Varela, Carlos Padilla, Ofelia Medina, José María Yazpick, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Paulina Gaitan
Awards: 2004: 3 Premios Ariel, incluyendo Mejor maquillaje y Coactuación femenina (Medina)

Voces Inocentes

En un pueblo de la periferia de San Salvador, vive Chava (Carlos Padilla), un niño de 11 años, que se encuentra atrapado entre el ejército y la guerrilla salvadoreña. Cuando su padre abandona a la familia, en plena guerra civil, Chava pasa a ser “el hombre de la casa”. En esta época, el gobierno de El Salvador reclutaba niños de doce años. Así que a Chava sólo le queda un año de escuela antes de ser movilizado.

Innocent Voices

A young boy, in an effort to have a normal childhood in 1980’s El Salvador, is caught up in a dramatic fight for his life as he desperately tries to avoid the war which is raging all around him.

FILM SERIES:  The History Through Cinema

Sep
27
Fri
Ismael Torres in Concert @ Institute of Hispanic Culture
Sep 27 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Ismael Torres is an artist, Singer and songwriter from Rosario, Argentina. He is 32 years old and already has 3 albums, 3 EPs and 1 DVD.

He began his professional career at the age of 16, accompanying with his voice and his guitar artists of the so-called “Trova Rosarina”. At age 18 he released his first solo album “Ciudad Manantial (spring city)”. Today with more than 14 years of experience he has toured multiple cities around the country and the world. He has shared stage and songs with Argentine artists such as León Gieco, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Lito Nebbia, Javier Malosetti, and from other countries: Jaime Ross, Ruben Rada (Uruguay), Ismael Serrano, Pedro Guerra (Spain), Leonel Soto, David Aguilar , Miguel Inzunza (Mexico), Roly Berrío, Augusto Blanca, Vicente Feliú, Amaury Pérez (Cuba) among others.

In 2015, Ismael released his third album titled “Vivo en Cuba (live in Cuba)”

recorded live in the city of Havana and published worldwide by the Mexican label Casete. With this album he toured the stages of Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, USA, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Uruguay.

In 2016, a tour of Mexico and the USA included concerts such as the “Festival Quimera 2016”, the ”Aula Magna Theater of the Civil College“ in Monterrey, the ”RockWood Music Hall“ in New York and the ”Blackerby Recital Hall“ in Austin among many others.

In 2017, the consolidation of Ismael as a Latin American singer-songwriter expanded the horizons of an important tour called “Una sola América 2017 (Only one America 2017)” touring numerous cities in Mexico, Costa Rica, USA, Panama and Guatemala with more than 60 concerts. The closing of the year was marked with the artistic collective “Rosario 50 years of Rock in Castellano” in a memorable concert at the prestigious “Trovafest” festival in the city of Querétaro (Mexico) with more than 5,000 people, a festival that also hosted artists like Ismael Serrano, Armando Manzanero, Pedro Guerra, Amaury Perez, among others.

We can hear Luis A. Spinetta, Fito Paez, Charly Garcia, Sting, John Mayer, and Djavan as his main influences among others.

The essence of Ismael, though, is that he presents his art and talent via the stories in which he immerses us, through the beauty reflected in his music, and by inviting us to join his collective optimism. In his shows, he presents himself with a unique style and warmth.

This character is present whether he is alone on stage with his guitar, or with a powerful band of musicians without losing his essence.

Oct
9
Wed
La Vida Loca @ Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston
Oct 9 @ 6:00 pm – 7:45 pm

Country: Spain 2008
Plots keywords: Documentary | Gangs
Language: Español – English subtitles
Director and Writer: Christian Poveda
Production Co: Coproducción España-México-Francia; Aquelarre Servicios Cinematograficos / El Caiman / La Femme Endormie
Runtime: 91 min.

La vida loca

Documental sobre la Mara 18 y, colateralmente, sobre su enconada rival, la Mara Salvatrucha, bandas creadas a partir de modelos surgidos en la ciudad de Los Ángeles, que siembran el terror en El Salvador. Una historia de una imaginería contemporánea creada en un mundo globalizado y que describe los orígenes de uno de los probables mitos fundadores del crimen organizado. Por último, como dato trágico y escalofriante, su director, Christian Poveda, fue asesinado de un tiro en la cabeza en septiembre del 2009 por un miembro de las maras.
Esta película contiene lenguaje e imágenes que pueden afectar su sensibilidad.

 La vida loca

“La Vida Loca” reflects a depressing and hopeless reality. The documentary, by photojournalist and filmmaker Christian Poveda, follows some of the members of “la dieciocho”, the so-called 18th Street gang in a poor San Salvador neighborhood.
This movie contains language and images that can affect your sensitivity.

 

FILM SERIES:  The History Through Cinema