Series of lectures and films offers insights into diverse Hispanic American societies
OCTOBER 27, 2015
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the University of Mississippi Department of Modern Languages is hosting its first-ever Hispanic Heritage Series of lectures and films. The series continues Thursday (Oct. 29) with a lecture by Enrique Cotelo, lecturer of Spanish, at 6 p.m. in the Turner Center, Room 205.
The lecture, “Ongoing Conquest: Equal rights in Latin America,” will be followed by the movie “Even the Rain.” This Mexican-Spanish movie was submitted to the 2011 Academy Awards.
Enrique Cotelo, lecturer of Spanish
“In 1516, the Spanish Crown appointed Bartolome de las Casas as Universal Protector of all Indians,” Cotelo said. “This Dominican friar spent the rest of his life defending the human nature of the natives and denouncing their exploitation by Spaniards. The theological arguments he held then still resonate today in current debates of universal human rights, the justification for imperial expansion and the paradox of economic progress.”
Organizers Diane Marting, associate professor of Spanish, Irene Kaufmann, lecturer of Spanish, and Karma Sanchez, instructor of Spanish, hope to provide insights into the diverse Hispanic American societies in our community and abroad. The series will explore contemporary issues such as religion, gender and immigration.
“We want to facilitate enriched understanding of our global community,” said Sanchez, an instructor of Spanish.
All events are free and open to the public. Each event takes place in the Turner Center Auditorium, Room 205, with a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. preceding the 6 p.m. lectures and screenings. Campus parking is free to guests after 6 p.m.
The lectures, delivered by UM professors, reflect upon history and current events in the Hispanic world and are followed by contemporary films from Spanish-speaking countries. All films are in Spanish with English subtitles, and the screenings end with question-and-answer sessions.
“We are really lucky to have speakers available about so many different areas of Latin America – and the films,” said Marting, associate professor of Spanish. “They are brand-new, commercially released ones, unlikely to ever be shown in Oxford in the theater.”
The lecture series is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities through the Mississippi Humanities Council. The Spanish Film Club series is made possible by Pragda, SPAIN Arts and Culture and the Secretary of State for the Culture of Spain. The reception is made possible by the UM College of Liberal Arts.
Click here for a complete list of events, or contact Marting at dmarting@olemiss.edu for more information.