Enrique Bernales, a new professor at UNC, held his first film screening Thursday evening in hopes that students would get the chance to experience a different university environment.
All the way from Peru, Bernales, an assistant professor of Latin American studies, screened the 2014 Mexican movie “Gueros” as part of the Latin American Film Series. The film follows three agitated teens searching for folk-rocker, Epigmenio Cruz, on the streets of the infamous Mexico City during the 1999 student strikes. “Gueros” has won over 21 awards and has received an additional 12 award nominations.
Bernales plans to screen a total of four films throughout the semester. Very emotional about the support of the students, Bernales explained how he wanted to shake things up at UNC. Bernales said his primary focus was to see what interested and related to students the most. He hopes that one day he can collaborate with the film studies program to create a class specifically dedicated to Latin American films.
“Gueros,” directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios, is a culturally moving film that depicts the struggles of student life in Mexico City. In relation to this, Bernales said he wanted to expose the UNC community to diverse types of media, combining different cultural values to help students gain a better understanding of what it’s like to live in a different part of the world.
For Bernales’ last screening in November, he’s inviting a Latin American professor from Metropolitan State in Denver. The professor, who is originally from Columbia, will host a workshop about the final film screening.
The next Latin American Film Series screening is the 2011 Cuban horror film “Juan De Los Muertos,” or “Juan of the Dead,” at 5:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30 in Candelaria 1260.
