Modern Languages Department Announces Hispanic Heritage Series for Fall

The Lyceum. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Communications

The Department of Modern Languages at the University of Mississippi is pleased to announce the Hispanic Heritage Series of Lectures and Films this fall semester as part of the celebrations honoring  Hispanic Heritage Month in October.

“We are really lucky to have speakers available about so many different areas of Latin America—and the films! They are brand new, commercially released ones, unlikely to ever be shown in Oxford in the theater,” said Diane Marting, one of the three organizers. Irene Kaufmann, another organizer, added: “While not documentaries, the lectures and films work to open minds to cultures that are integral to our community. “

The series consists of five lectures by university professors reflecting on history and current events in the Hispanic world. The lectures are followed by contemporary films from Spanish-speaking countries. All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. Q&A sessions also help to improve dialogue.

These events will be held on the University of Mississippi campus, where parking is free after 6pm, the time when the lectures begin. The location is the Turner Center Auditorium (room 205). A brief reception starting at 5:30pm precedes the formal events. Everything is free and open to the public.

The detailed schedule of lectures and screenings in the Hispanic Heritage Series is:

17 September	“Migration in and out of Latin America” Speaker: Diane marting, Modern languages free film: “chinese Take-Away” / “ Un cuento chino”
1 October	“Central America in Crisis” Speaker: Doug Sullivan-Gonzalez, Honors College, History Free Film: “La Yuma” / “la Yuma”
15 October	“The Dirty War in Argentina” speaker: Luanne buchanan, Modern Languages Free Film: “clandestine Childhood” /”infancia Clandestina”
29 October	“Ongoing Conquest” (Equal Rights in Latin America) Speaker: Enrique Cotelo, Modern Languages, History Free Film: “Even The Rain”/”Tambien la lluvia”
12 November	“Radical Political Movements and victims” Speaker: Greg Love, Political Science Free Film: “Operation E”/”operacion E”

Our goal is to enhance cultural understanding of the past and present of Hispanic peoples through the humanities. We are committed to providing unique opportunities to better comprehend the diverse Hispanic American societies abroad and in our community. By discussing these lectures and films, we can reflect upon contemporary issues, such as religious belief, gender and immigration. “We want to facilitate enriched understanding of our global community,” explained Karma Sanchez, the third organizer.

The lecture series is sponsored through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities through the Mississippi Humanities Council, and the Spanish Film Club Series was made possible by Pragda, SPAIN Arts & Culture, and the Secretary of State for the Culture of Spain. Our local sponsors include: the Department of Modern Languages, the Croft Institute for International Studies, the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, the Center For Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement, Cinema, Oxford Film Festival, Alpha Lambda Delta, Sigma Delta Pi, English, St. Peter’s Hispanic Ministry, and the Sarah Isom Center.

For more information, please contact: Prof. Diane E. Marting, dmarting@olemiss.edu