GRAPHIC: Illustration of film camera and group of people around a table. Graphic by The Signal Audience Engagement Coordinator Arturo Guerra. — The “Film and Speaker Series” recently changed to the CAB “Film Committee” and also co-hosted an event with LISTA for Hispanic Heritage Month. le. Graphic by The Signal Audience Engagement Coordinator Arturo Guerra.

Following suspension, Film and Speaker Series returns with student-centered focus

By Arturo Guerra, Audience Engagement Editor On Sep 30, 2019 222 1

Formerly known as the “Film and Speaker Series,” the Film Committee is now a part of the Campus Activities Board (CAB), housed in the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership (OSIL). CAB also oversees the Sports and Outdoors Committee, the Special Events Committee, and the Marketing Committee. The change from the Film and Speaker Series to the Film Committee was introduced Aug. 22 as an announcement on the GetInvolved platform on CAB’s webpage.

The co-president of CAB, Natalia Marfil, explained that besides the name change, the Film Committee is now run by students instead of OSIL employees and events are free for students and community members alike. The Film Committee hopes to provide a platform for collaboration between organizations organically while increasing their visibility to students.

“Students don’t have to be in an organization to suggest a movie or documentary, just fill out the Film Committee Form on GetInvolved,” Marfil said. “The movies are then selected by the executive board members of CAB after looking over submissions and considering what fits the schedule best. We try to show three films per month with one of them having no speaker.”

With the addition of a residence hall on campus, students will spend more time on or around campus and are expected to make up a majority of the audience.

“CAB wants to highlight and provide opportunities on campus to enhance the student culture as our university grows,” Marfil said. “The events are meant to be fun and casual enough to have a good time even with speakers discussing serious topics. Food and snacks are usually involved somehow.”

The Film Committee recently co-hosted a showing of the horror film, “The Curse of La Llorona” in collaboration with the student organization Latinx and Indigenous Students Taking Action (LISTA). Erica Solis, president of LISTA, said she was disappointed with the lack of Latinx cultural films or documentaries available from the media list provided to CAB.

“The portrayal of Latinas as hysterical and Latinos as cheaters is a common theme in media, as well as the white savior coming to save the savage myth present in many stories carrying cultural significance,” Solis said. “Even though the film was chosen for entertainment purposes, the conversation stemming from it was a chance for students to dispel myths about cultural values and talk about how people from the culture feel about being represented in a particular story.”

“La Llorona” is one of the most well-known legends from Latin America, where a woman is abandoned by her husband and left with her two sons. She drowns them in a river out of grief and then wanders aimlessly looking for other children to drown. The discussion after the film was centered around the lack of Latinx representation in Hollywood and an open conversation about cultural appropriation versus appreciation.

The dedicated speaker after the film was Desdamona Rios, associate professor of social psychology and director of the Latina/o and Latin American Studies (LLAS) program.

“For Latinx people who have historically been invisible, misrepresented or stereotyped in the media, culturally relevant representation is important for Latinx people to feel a sense of pride about our history, including struggles and successes,’” Rios said.

Rios said events that encourage discussion about stereotypes and how they are used in media allow students to become critical consumers.

“Attending campus events also helps build a community where you will hear a perspective that you may not have considered,” Rios said. “For non-Latinx people interested in joining the conversation, listening to Latinx people unpacking a movie scene can provide background information as to why stereotypic images are problematic.”

The Film Committee will be hosting similar events throughout the semester covering themes that highlight cultural, educational and social justice issues. The most recent events include a showing of the Hulu documentary “Ask Dr. Ruth” Sept. 26 in Hunter Hall to discuss sexual health and “Detective Pikachu” Sept. 28 without a speaker.

For a complete list of movies selected for the fall semester, visit CAB’s GetInvolved platform. The webpage also includes a Film Committee Form to submit movie suggestions.