Courtesy/Katie Rooke
NMDCA News:
ALBUQUERQUE — The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) invites visitors to its Bank of America Theatre for a series of three films throughout the summer that explore the challenges faced by immigrants and undocumented workers in the United States.
“The Center works to preserve, promote, and advance the multiple forms of arts and culture among our community, and cinema is a key part of that effort,” NHCC Event and Film Coordinator Anna Lee DeSaulniers said. “Our 2025 Summer Film Series highlights a wide range of films that pertain to the challenges our communities experience both historically and in the present day.”
The 2025 NHCC Summer Film Series kicks off on Friday, June 13, with Problemista (2024). Directed by Julio Torres and starring Tilda Swinton, Problemista tells the story of an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. This surreal adventure through the equally treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system will be shown at the NHCC Bank of America Theatre.
The series picks back up on Thursday, July 17, with the second film in the series: El Norte (1983). Directed by Gregory Nava, this classic film tells the story of a pair of siblings’ harrowing journey to a new life in the United States. After an unsuccessful attempt by a community of Mayan Indians to improve their living conditions, the Guatemalan army destroys their village. Brother and sister are able to escape and begin their challenging journey.
The film series concludes with Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors (2013) on Monday, Aug. 14. Stand Clear of the Closing Doors focuses on an undocumented Mexican maid who searches for her autistic son in the NYC subway system as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the Eastern seaboard. Along the way, the desperate mom gets some unexpected help from members of her community.
Each of the films start at 7 p.m. Before each screening, enjoy music and treats from Pop Fizz starting at 6 p.m. Visit nhccnm.org/events to learn more and register.
More about the National Hispanic Cultural Center
The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities. The NHCC presents mission-related events throughout the year, some produced by its history, literary, performing, and visual arts programs, and others by partnering with external organizations. Events take place at its 20-plus-acre campus, which includes a plaza, an art museum, a historically designated building, a library, and a genealogy center. The NHCC is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is further supported by the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.