Streamed online October 6 through October 12
Reflecting on the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Rodrigo Reyes offers a bold docudrama exploring the legacy of colonialism in contemporary Mexico. Through the eyes of a ghostly conquistador, 499 recreates Hernán Cortés’s epic journey from the coast of Veracruz to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the site of modern Mexico City. As the anachronistic conquistador interacts with real-life victims of Mexico’s failed drug wars and indigenous communities resisting cultural erasure, the country’s current humanitarian crises are portrayed as part of a vicious and unfinished colonial project still in motion nearly 500 years later. (Rodrigo Reyes, 2020, Spanish with English subtitles, 88 minutes) Presented in conjunction with National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Film Programs: Virtual Cinema at the Gallery
Each Wednesday the Gallery shares a unique film on its website, free of charge, for one week. Join us for recent restorations, classic art cinema, exceptional documentaries, and a variety of films by artists. Click here to learn more.