Hispanic Heritage Film Festival

Mid-Columbia Libraries celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Join us for a weekend of award-winning foreign language films from Latin America and Spain.

All films have English subtitles and are rated for mature audiences. Read below for the full schedule and to learn more about each film.

Sunday, Sept. 18

10:30 am: El abrazo de la serpiente: Embrace of the Serpent

2016 | 2hr 04min | CC | Not Rated

Through parallel story threads set 40 years apart, this absorbing odyssey follows two Western scientists who travel deep into the Amazon jungle looking for a rare plant that possesses healing powers, with enigmatic shaman Karamakate as their guide. Nominated to for Best Foreign Language Feature at the 2016 Academy Awards, Best International Film at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and winner of the Sundance Film Festival's Alfred P. Sloan Award. Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival.

1 pm: Tote_Abuelo

2019 | 1hr 20min | CC | Not Rated

This film portrays an unexpected encounter between an old Tzotzil man, who is going blind, and his granddaughter, who does not remember her childhood well. The granddaughter, having grown up in the city estranged from her grandparents, returns to visit her grandfather’s village. While he weaves a traditional hat, the threads of family history unwind and are rewoven. In between silences and unspoken words, the renewed possibility of understanding the meaning of "love" in Tzotzil opens up. This quiet story of intergenerational reconciliation within an indigenous Mexican community speaks to universal themes of love, gendered violence and forgiveness.

2:30 pm: Biutiful

2010 | 2hr 28min | CC | R

This is the story of Uxbal, a man living in this world, but able to see his death, which guides his every move. Nominated for two Academy Awards. Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.