Videos available streaming online:
Destinos – Destinos teaches speaking, listening, and comprehension skills in Spanish. This telenovela, or Spanish soap opera, immerses students in everyday situations with native speakers and introduces the cultures, accents, and dialects of Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. Understanding of Spanish and appreciation of many Hispanic cultures increase as students become absorbed in the mysterious and entertaining story.
(Students will need to register before accessing the material online)
http://www.learner.org/resources/series75.html
Videos available in the lab:
Documentaries:
Balseros – An Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, BALSEROS is the heartrending yet triumphant account of seven Cuban refugees- and their families- who risked their lives to venture towards America’s shores on homemade rafts. The Village voice raves that BALSEROS is an “engrossing documentary” with an “extraordinary sense of recording stories as they unfold!”
In Spanish with English subtitles / 120 minutes / Not Rated
Cuba Feliz – This is a joyful and uninhibited journey into Cuba’s musical soul. The film follows Miguel Del Morales, a 76-year-old troubadour known as El Gallo (The Rooster) as he wonders the country meeting people of all persuasions who share the passion of music that is central to the life and dreams of the Cuban people.
In Spanish with English Subtitles / 95 Min./ Not Rated
The Devil’s Miner – The Devil’s Miner is an astonishing portrait of two brothers, 14-year-old Basilio and 12-year-old Bernardino, who work deep inside the silver mines of Cerro Rico, Bolivia. Raised without a father and living on the slopes of the mine, Basilio and his brother must work the mines when they are not in school to help support their family and afford supplies vital to their education.
In Spanish with English subtitles / 82 minutes / Not Rated
Travelogues:
Argentina (Travel Guide DVD) – Argentina is the world’s eighth largest country and one of remarkable variety. The magnificent desolation of Patagonia and the High Andes contrast dramatically with the urban frenzy of Buenos Aires – one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan cities.
In English/ 60 minutes/ Not Rated
Central America (Travel Guide DVD) – The stretch of land separating North and South America is a diverse assembly of countries and culture. While hundreds of ruined cities throughout the jungles of Central and Meso-America reveal the secrets of the ancient Maya, the ruins in Nicaragua reveal more recent atrocities. Through this contrast, shines some of the most naturally beautiful landscapes in the world.
In English / 120 minutes / Not Rated
Chile and Easter Island (Travel Guide DVD) – Chile is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, and separated from the rest of South America by the Andes Mountains. Nearly three thousand miles in length and rarely more than a hundred miles wide, Chile stretches virtually from the tropics to Antarctica.
In English/ 60 minutes/ Not Rated
Ecuador (Travel Guide DVD) – Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean countries that stretch along the western coast of South America. Despite its size, Ecuador has an incredible landscape and climate, making it one of the world’s greatest geographical wonders.
In English/ 60 minutes/ Not Rated
Peru (Travel Guide DVD) – Peru is situated on the northwest corner of South America. The Peruvian Andes contrast dramatically with the lush tropical rain forests making it one of the most geographically and culturally diverse countries on earth.
In English/ 60 minutes/ Not Rated
Spain (Travel Guide DVD) – Spain is one of Europe’s most popular destinations and best known for its plethora of colorful fiestas, great beaches and unbelievably vibrant nightlife. Take a trip off the tourist trail and you will also find a spectacularly beautiful country full of delicious food and charismatic people.
In English/ 120 minutes/ Not Rated
Movies:
Aladdin – In the heart of an enchanted city, a commoner named Aladdin and his mischievous monkey Abu battle to save the free-spirited Princess Jasmine from the schemes of the evil sorcerer Jafar. Aladdin’s whole life changes with one rub of a magic lamp as a fun-loving, shape shifting Genie appears and grants him three wishes, setting him on an incredible journey of discovery.
French and Spanish Language Tracks / 90 Min. / Rated G
Guantanamera – In this romantic comedy from the directors of Strawberry and Chocolate, Yoyita, a now world famous diva, returns to her home town of Guantanamo for an elegant reception in her honor and a surprising reunion with her once beloved, Candido. Overjoyed with the rekindled memories of her first love, Yoyita’s elated heart fizzles while in Candido’s doting embrace. Joining Yoyita’s funeral procession back to Havana are her sexy niece Gina, a former professor blacklisted for political nonconformity, and her husband Adolfo, a tasteless government official in charge of the funeral’s proceedings. As the cortege winds westward across Cuba, its path keeps crossing that of Mariano, a gallant truck driver who once had a student crush on Gina and whose recurring presence crystallizes her doubts about her marriage.
In Spanish with English subtitles / 104 minutes / Not Rated
Luminarias – Welcome to Luminarias- where hot spicy dish gets served up with a Latin twist by four successful friends from East LA…with very discriminating taste in men! When separated divorce attorney, Andrea finds herself guilty of falling for her white and Jewish opposing council – her three single friends choose sides in the ongoing and often hilarious debate over race and sex! As they discover jest how much negative stereotypes color their relationships to men and even to each other, it becomes clear that the search for Mr. Right is not exactly Black and White!
In English with Spanish subtitles / 100 minutes / Rated R
Manolito Gafotas – A father…a son…and a few bumps in the road! The one-and-only Manolito takes a hilarious trip that disrupts his whole family in this warm hearted film full of “freshness and charm”. When the plucky boy grabs at the chance to accompany his often absent truck driving father on a job, it’s a rare chance for father and son to bond, but nothing goes right for the lovable, yet disaster-prone kid. When Manolito accidentally climbs into the wrong truck, hilarious chaos results. What started out as a simple trip gets crazier and crazier because with Manolito you never know what’ll happen next!
In Spanish with English subtitles / 85 minutes / Not Rated
Maria Full of Grace – Winner of the Dramatic Audience Award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and two major awards at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival, Joshua Marston’s MARIA FULL OF GRACE introduces to a determined young woman whose desire for a brighter future leads her into a world of unimaginable danger. Maria Alvarez (Catalina Sandino Moreno), a bright, spirited 17-year-old, lives with three generations of her family in a cramped house in rural Colombia. Desperate to leave her job stripping thorns from flowers in a rose plantation, Maria accepts a lucrative offer to transport packets of heroin – which she must swallow – to the United States. The ruthless world of international drug trafficking proves to be more than Maria bargained for a she becomes ultimately entangled with both drug cartels and immigration officials. The dramatic thriller builds toward a conclusion so powerful and revealing it could only be based on a thousand true stories.
In Spanish with English, Spanish, and French subtitles / 101 minutes / Rated R
The Motorcycle Diaries – Based on a true life story, the Motorcycle Diaries is an inspiring and thrilling adventure that traces the youthful origins of a revolutionary spirit. The film follows two daring friends, Ernesto “Che” Guevara and Alberto Granado, who hop on the back of a beat-up motorcycle for a breathtaking and exciting road trip across Latin America. From executive producer Robert Redford and acclaimed director Walter Salles comes a life-changing journey that critics are hailing as “Magnificent!”
In Spanish with English subtitles / 2 hours 7 minutes / Rated R
The Official Story – Winner of an Academy Award and a golden Glove for Best Foreign Film, The Official Story is a compelling portrait of the life of a history professor and her awakening to the evils perpetrated by her country’s government. An argentine teacher, Alicia (Norma Aleandro) begins to suspect that her adopted daughter may have been the child of a murdered political prisoner. When she attempts to uncover the truth, she discovers levels of political corruption so abhorrent that the illusions of her life are irrevocably shattered.
In Spanish with English subtitles / 114 minutes / Not Rated
Sin Dejar Huella – Hoping to outrun a serial killer who’s attacking people at the factory in which she works, Aurelia (Tiare Scanda), a young mother of two, steals some cash from her drug-dealing boyfriend and heads south. She comes across Marilu (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), who’s beautiful, well-educated, and a master at selling fake Mayan art to gullible Americans. Although the two women initially blend like oil and water, they realize their common purpose in seeking a better life. Embarking on a road trip to Cancun, they have one adventure after another, exploring a side of their country they’ve never seen, dodging dangerous pursuers, and learning much about themselves along the way.
In Spanish with English subtitles / 110 minutes / Not Rated
Tango – Flamboyant. Colorful. Sensual. This is the seductive world of the TANGO, stunningly brought to life by acclaimed director Carlos Saura, Grammy-winning composer Lalo Schifrin and Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. Set against the backdrop of a director’s passionate love affair with his art and the beautiful young woman who captures his heart, TANGO is a “mesmerizing experience, a smoky, lush blend of muted light and color, of intoxicating dance and the richest tango music you could ever imagine”.
In Spanish with English subtitles / 115 minutes / Rated PG-13
Volver – Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) and her sister Sole lost their parents in a tragic fire years ago…or did they? Superstitious villagers claim that the girls’ departed mother, Irene, has been seen wandering around their Aunt Paula’s home. When Irene appears to Sole, she explains that she has returned to set right her daughters’ troubled lives and reveal shocking secrets that will impact everyone! Raimunda hers “female troubles” of her own, least of which is a corpse in the freezer!
In Spanish with English subtitles / 121 minutes / Rated R