UA Little Rock Film Series Explores Sustainability Across Latin America
Supported by the UA Little Rock Sustainability Grant, the School of Human Inquiry in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, along with Spanish program faculty, students, and the Spanish Club, will launch the first Latin American Film Series on Sustainability on Friday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. The six-film series will run through April and feature guest speakers at each screening.
Each film will be shown at 1 p.m. in Room 205G of the Donaghey Student Center. The festival is free and open to the university community and the public, with snacks and drinks available.
“We hope to get two key components across of UA Little Rock’s mission,” Dr. Elizabeth Sotelo said, “to foster humane empathy among students and to empower them to utilize knowledge to contribute to society. This is precisely the foundation of the film series’ purpose. To better understand the relevance of sustainable practices, we must become more knowledgeable about what is occurring in different parts of the world. Each of the selected films communicate realities where nature and humanity are interconnected and impacted. The goal is to encourage comprehension and reflection on the effects and transcendence of our footprints in different spaces. Furthermore, through conversations with our guest speakers, we will discuss the complexities of the films and articulate actionable steps that can be taken.”
Below is the schedule for the film festival:
Event 1: February 13, 2026
Theme: Extractivism in South America
Film: Chevron vs. The Amazon (2016) by Abby Martin
Guest Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Sotelo (University of Arkansas at Little Rock)
Event 2: February 27, 2026
Theme: Extractivism in South America
Film: When Two Worlds Collide (2016) by Mathew Orzel and Heidi Brandenburg
Guest Speaker: Dr. Meloddye Carpio Rios (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
Event 3: March 13, 2026
Theme: Environmental justice in Central America
Film: Berta Didn’t Die, She Multiplied! (2017) by Sam Vinal
Guest Speaker: Dr. Rex Wilkins (University of Arkansas at Little Rock)
Event 4: April 3, 2026
Theme: Environmental justice in Central America
Film: Treasure of the Caribbean (2023) by Ana Salceda
Guest Speaker: Dr. Cornesha Tweede (Arizona State University)
Event 5: April 17, 2026
Theme: Crisis and impact in North America
Film: El tren y la península (2023) by Sky Richards & Andreas Kruger Foncerrada
Guest Speaker: Dr. Bri Romanello (University of Arkansas)
Event 6: April 22, 2026
Theme: Crisis and impact in North America
Film: The Gods of Mexico (2022) by Helmut Dosantos
Guest Speaker: Dr. Romy Cerón Canché (Texas State University)
“The Latin American Film Series on Sustainability is part of a broader goal for UA Little Rock to engage with our local community–students, friends, and neighbors alike,” Dr. Rex Wilkins said, “Watching films together and talking about them is one of the best ways to build bridges of understanding between nations, cultures, and people. Learning, like so many other things in life, has a social component. We want to return to the idea that in-person discussions can increase understanding, respect, and care for one another in a divided world. We invite all of Little Rock to come and experience that for themselves by attending this film series. We hope this will become an annual film series centering on other Latin American issues such as immigration and family life.”
For more information, please contact Dr. Elizabeth Sotelo ( [email protected] ) or Dr. Rex Wilkins ( [email protected] ).