03/04/05 - DPI Website Launched

 

Our website has been finally launched...

 

02/17/05 - Film Cycle

Our Lady of the Assassins (La virgen de los sicarios)

 

DPI: Colombia brings you another quality film portraying love and life in conflict-ridden Colombia; reception to follow.

 

Our Lady of the Assassins is an exploration of morality and mortality in Medellín, Colombia.  Returning to his hometown after a 30-year exile, Fernando is introduced by a mutual friend to a teenage boy, Alexis, who quickly becomes Fernando's lover. Alexis has grown up in a very different Medellín than the one Fernando remembers--one that is ruled by the drug trade. No one is safe in this crime-ridden city where car jacking, drive-by shootings, and spontaneous murders are part of everyday life. Although Fernando is disgusted by the constant violence, young Alexis perpetuates the cycle by shooting anyone who bothers Fernando. Ultimately, Alexis's tactless actions catch up with him and Fernando is left alone to deal with the sad consequences of the violence and poverty that are so prevalent in the city.

02/10/05 - Film Cycle

Maria Full of Grace (Spanish with English subtitles)

Oscar-nominated Catalina Sandino Moreno plays Maria, a bright and spirited 17-year-old from rural Colombia who is offered a job with the prospects of traveling the world and substantially more money. Maria quickly accepts unaware of the risky and ruthless business world of international drug trafficking. Her journey quickly becomes one of determination and survival, and she finally emerges with the grace that will carry her forward into a new life.

"Maria Full of Grace" will be the first movie shown as part of the 'Dialogue for Peace Initiatives: Colombia' film cycle. DPI: Colombia is a series of events focused on the armed conflict in Colombia. In addition to three film screenings, DPI will host a faculty panel and a two-day international  symposium --the largest ever held in the US on Colombia-- in which key protagonists from the entire political spectrum of the country will analyze the origins of the current war and discuss perspectives for peace.