Latin America has given rise to several auteurs whose films are characterized by disturbing, dream-like imagery, absurdist juxtapositions, and other devices characteristic of Surrealism (including Alejandro Jodorowsky and Rafael Corkidi), while many European Surrealists fled to Latin America to escape from fascism (most famously, Luis Buñuel). This program highlights some less familiar short films that share surrealist preoccupations, including the Colombian treasure THE BLUE LOBSTER, Argentine photographer Horacio Coppola’s TRAUM (SUEÑO) (made while he was studying at the Bauhaus), and THE SUITCASE by renowned Chilean director Raúl Ruiz. The late Luis Ernesto Arocha contributes a study of Bernando Salcedo’s assemblage sculptures, while Mariana Botey’s EL DEDAL DE ROSAS represents more contemporary practices.

Álvaro Cepeda Samudio & Gabriel García Márquez THE BLUE LOBSTER / LA LANGOSTA AZUL (olombia, 1954, 29 min, 16mm)
Raúl Ruiz THE SUITCASE / LA MALETA (Chile, 1963-2008, 20 min, 16mm-to-digital)
Horacio Coppola TRAUM (SUEÑO) (Argentina, 1933, 2 min, 16mm-to-digital, silent)
Luís Ernesto Arocha LAS VENTANAS DE SALCEDO (Colombia, 1966, 6 min, 16mm)
Mariana Botey EL DEDAL DE ROSAS (Mexico, 1998, 13 min, Super-8mm-to-digital)
Total running time: ca. 75 min.