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Discovering Dominga
directed by Patricia Flynn, fl. 2002; produced by Patricia Flynn, fl. 2002, Jaguar House Films (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2002), 57 mins
This unforgettably dramatic and powerful documentary relates the extraordinary story of a young Iowa housewife who discovers she is a survivor of one of the most horrific massacres in Guatemalan history, committed in 1982 against Maya Indian villagers who resisted a dam project funded by the World Bank. The film f...
Sample
directed by Patricia Flynn, fl. 2002; produced by Patricia Flynn, fl. 2002, Jaguar House Films (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2002), 57 mins
Description
This unforgettably dramatic and powerful documentary relates the extraordinary story of a young Iowa housewife who discovers she is a survivor of one of the most horrific massacres in Guatemalan history, committed in 1982 against Maya Indian villagers who resisted a dam project funded by the World Bank. The film follows her remarkable journey of transformation and discovery as she returns to Guatemala in search of her heritage and ultimately join...
This unforgettably dramatic and powerful documentary relates the extraordinary story of a young Iowa housewife who discovers she is a survivor of one of the most horrific massacres in Guatemalan history, committed in 1982 against Maya Indian villagers who resisted a dam project funded by the World Bank. The film follows her remarkable journey of transformation and discovery as she returns to Guatemala in search of her heritage and ultimately joins efforts to bring the perpetrators of the massacre to justice and to promote peace and reconciliation in her native country.Dominga Sic Ruiz was nine years old when, during the bloody Guatemalan civil war, she escaped while paramilitary and army forces murdered her mother and 76 other women and 107 children in the Maya village of Rio Negro. She was eventually adopted and grew up in small-town America, where she became a "normal" teenager named Denese and later married. She buried her past so deeply it became transformed in adulthood into doubts and nightmares, until events brought her to face the truth.Beautifully photographed in Iowa and amid the stunning landscapes of the Guatemalan highlands, the film follows her emotional reconnection with lost relatives, with a rich indigenous culture, and with the violent history in which her beloved adopted country -- the United States -- played a sinister role. Dominga joins the Maya community in the dangerous effort to demand the exhumation of a clandestine mass grave, and later provides testimony in a landmark genocide case, thus becoming part of a global grassroots struggle for justice and human rights."Discovering Dominga" is a compelling and inspiring story that will engage student interest and provoke reflection and discussion in a wide variety of courses in Latin American studies, cultural anthropology, Third World studies, human rights, women's studies, American history and studies, and sociology. It was produced and directed by Patricia Flynn and co-produced by Mary Jo McConahay for the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with KQED with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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Field of Study
Global Issues
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Patricia Flynn, fl. 2002, Jaguar House Films
Author / Creator
Patricia Flynn, fl. 2002
Date Published / Released
2002
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Civil war, Peace processes, Criminal justice, Survivors, Guatemalans
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2002 Berkeley Media
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Mi Puerto Rico
directed by Sharon Simon, fl. 1995; produced by Sharon Simon, fl. 1995 and Raquel Ortiz, fl. 1981-2007 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2005), 1 hour 27 mins
This wide-ranging and much-honored documentary explores Puerto Rico's rich cultural traditions and untold history, revealing the remarkable stories of its revolutionaries and abolitionists, poets and patriots -- all of whose struggles for national identity unfold within the complex web of relations between Puerto...
Sample
directed by Sharon Simon, fl. 1995; produced by Sharon Simon, fl. 1995 and Raquel Ortiz, fl. 1981-2007 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2005), 1 hour 27 mins
Description
This wide-ranging and much-honored documentary explores Puerto Rico's rich cultural traditions and untold history, revealing the remarkable stories of its revolutionaries and abolitionists, poets and patriots -- all of whose struggles for national identity unfold within the complex web of relations between Puerto Rico and the United States. The film moves fluidly between Puerto Rico itself and New York's South Bronx barrio. By illuminating the pa...
This wide-ranging and much-honored documentary explores Puerto Rico's rich cultural traditions and untold history, revealing the remarkable stories of its revolutionaries and abolitionists, poets and patriots -- all of whose struggles for national identity unfold within the complex web of relations between Puerto Rico and the United States. The film moves fluidly between Puerto Rico itself and New York's South Bronx barrio. By illuminating the past, examining the present, and bringing Puerto Rico's vibrant cultural heritage to audiences, the film illustrates why the political fate of this tiny Caribbean island concerns all Americans. The style of the film is personal, intimate, and accessible to all students, with producer/writer Raquel Ortiz serving as on-screen host and narrator. Her participation in the process of learning about her own heritage infuses the film with an engaging dynamic of discovery and interaction. Traditional Puerto Rican music -- including storytelling plenas -- punctuates the film, while noted Puerto Rican artist Juan Sanchez's collages -- composed of striking graphics, images from the past, and symbols from popular culture -- provide an innovative method of presenting history, as visual elements from the collages are "assembled" and "disassembled" on screen.To facilitate educational use, "Mi Puerto Rico" is well-edited into 15-minute segments. It is essential viewing for many classes in Latin American studies, American history and studies, multiculturalism, and Caribbean studies. "Mi Puerto Rico" was directed by Sharon Simon and produced by Raquel Ortiz and Sharon Simon.
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Field of Study
American History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Sharon Simon, fl. 1995, Raquel Ortiz, fl. 1981-2007
Author / Creator
Sharon Simon, fl. 1995
Date Published / Released
2005
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Border Events and Areas Context, Race relations, Cultural identity, Sociology, Puerto Ricans, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2005 Berkeley Media
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