BALANDRA ISABEL LLEGO ESTA TARDE, LA

 Description: Adaptation of a story by the Venezuelan writer Guillermo Meneses. A sharp portrait of the lives of blacks, mulattoes and zambos in an urban Venezuelan scenery narrated through the story of a black prostitute in love with a sailor.

Copies: 1 (DVD)

Length: 96 minutes

CHAVEZ, VENEZUELA & THE NEW LATIN AMERICA

Description: In 2004, Aleida Guevara conducted an exclusive interview with Hugo Chavez, president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, exploring Venezuela’s explosive revolutionary terrain post-April 2002 – when Chavez survived a coup attempt instigated by the United States. Featuring an interview with Jorge Garcia Carneiro, head of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, and with Venezuelans involved in the country’s many social programs, this film affords a rare opportunity to glimpse through the blockade of information imposed by the United States and into a country rich with hope, dreams and…oil. Chávez, Venezuela and the New Latin America" provides a unique insight into the changing political atmosphere in Latin America.

Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 60 minutes

FOUR SHORT FILMS BY JOSEPH FABRY

Description: A collection of four short films by Venezuelan filmmaker Joseph Fabry. The first, "Tres Encuentros del Arte Hispanoamericano" (30 min.), explores the broader contours of Latin American art by examining three specific forms: the spiritual architecture of Andean Peru, the murals of post-revolutionary Mexico, and contemporary sculpture in Venezuela. The second film, "Armando Reveron" (24 min.), profiles the life of a 20th century Venezuelan artist, while the third film, "Carmelo Fernandez" (17 min.) examines the life of 19th century artist and intellectual Carmelo Fernandez. The final film, "Toros, Caballos y Hombres de Valor" (15 min.) examines the Venezuelan sport of coleado, a rodeo-like event in which competitors grab the tail of a bull while riding on horseback. Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 85 minutes

MUSIC OF YARACUEY VENEZUELA, THE

Description: This documentary deals with the rich cultural and musical heritage of the people of the province of Yaracuey in Venezuela. It shows local people’s participation in genres as diverse as folklore music and classical and especially emphasizes the strong tradition of music instruction for children in the Casa Yaracuey. There is good footage of local dances, fiestas and interviews with poetas campesinos (farmer poets).  Produced by Cartón de Venezuela.

Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 15 minutes

ORIANA

Description: Feature film by Fina Torres, director of the international hit Celestial Clockwork, and winner of the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. An important historical milestone in Latin American cinema, Oriana is a film about Maria, a young woman who returns to the home of her aunt Oriana in the Venezuelan jungle, where she spent summers as a child. Oriana has passed away and willed the house to Maria. When Maria returns to prepare the house for sale, she is struck by various memories of her time there as a child, memories that gradually lead her to discover a secret that had been kept for decades. Copies: 1( DVD) Length: 88 minutes

OWNERS OF THE WATER: CONFLICT AND COLLABORATION OVER RIVERS

Description: The Xavante of central Brazil and the Wayuu of Venezuela are two indigenous groups who both face considerable challenges in their efforts to maintain control over and access to one of the most basic of natural resources, fresh water. In this compelling documentary an anthropologist from the United States collaborates with a member of the Xavante and a member of the Wayuu to explore the ways in which indigenous peoples are responding to threats to their environment and natural resources. The film focuses primarily on efforts by the Xavante to combat the deforestation and excessive use of agritoxins associated with the expanding Brazilian soy industry that threatens the viability of the Rio das Mortes as a viable water source. Through a focus on this particular movement, the filmmakers explore the close connection between the the goals of protecting our environment and defending the interests of indigenous peoples, as well as an growing solidarity among indigenous peoples throughout South America that is centered around mobilization with respect to environmental issues. Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 34 minutes

REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED, THE (LA REVOLUCIÓN NO SERA TELEVISADA)

Description: This daring documentary about political muscle and media manipulation captures the short-lived overthrow of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Two independent filmmakers were present in April 2002, when the president’s powerful political enemies forcibly removed him from office, and when 48 hours later he remarkably returned to power amid cheering aides. Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 74 minutes 

TOCAR Y LUCHAR

Description: To Play and To Fight presents the captivating story of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System – an incredible network of hundreds of orchestras formed within most of Venezuela’s towns and villages. Once a modest program designed to expose rural children to the wonders of music, the system has become one of the most important and beautiful social phenomena in modern history. The documentary portrays the inspirational stories of world class musicians trained by the Venezuelan system, including the Berlin Philharmonic’s youngest player Edicson Ruiz and world renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel. With interviews with many of the world’s most celebrated musicians including the great tenor Placido Domingo, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Guiseppe Sinopoli, and Eduardo Mata, To Play and To Fight is an inspirational story of courage, determination, ambition, and love showing us that… only those who dream can achieve the impossible.

Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 70 minutes

TRES NOCHES

Description: The grim and bitter detective Ferran decides the murder of a prominent mobster was not a crime of passion but the result of a deeper conspiracy. He sets out on a journey through the strange universe of Latin American nightclubs to solve the murder.

Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 105 minutes

VENEZUELA: REVOLUTION FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Description: This documentary seeks to get beyond the cult of personality of Hugo Chavez to gain a deeper understanding of what the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela has meant for many citizens at the local level. Through interviews with government officials, community memebers and scholars such as former Duke Mellon visiting professor Steve Ellner, the film examines political developments of the last twenty years from the perspective of popular participation. Beginning with a brief discussion of the Caracazo of 1988, the documentary looks at the role that grassroots mobilization in the form of cooperatives and other locally-based organizations in efforts to reshape Venezuelan economy and society.

Copies: 1 (DVD) Length: 85 minutes