All Events
Discovery Days
La Misa Negra
MCC COURTYARD
La Misa Negra is a 9-piece band from Oakland, California that plays a unique blend of 1950's and 60's style cumbia and high energy Afro-Colombian dance music. Powered by horn and accordion-driven riffs, a fierce rhythm section, and a vintage Colombian sound, La Misa Negra delivers an electrifying performance that explodes with infectious dance grooves and punk rock energy.
Music: Cumbia, Porro y Gaita
Cup of Culture
Golden Gate Girls
MCC Theater
Author S. Louisa Wei’s Golden Gate Girls goes behind the camera to reveal the untold story of Esther Eng, one of the first female Chinese American directors in the U.S. A San Francisco native and out lesbian, the slick-haired Eng drew her inspiration from the traditional Chinese opera, directing and producing her first films by the age of 19. Her contribution to film history is sadly overlooked—her 11 feature films mostly lost. Wei’s documentary paints a fascinating picture of how Eng’s career in filmmaking broke through gender and racial boundaries in Hollywood and Hong Kong, a time when opportunities for Chinese women were few and far between. With captivating archive of newly discovered images and interviews with those who knew her, Wei uncovers a rich chapter of film history that challenges both gender hierarchies and national narratives. 90 min., English, 2013.
View: Trailer
Cup of Culture
Cartel Land
MCC THEATER
Hailed by The New York Times as “urgent and unnerving,” Cartel Land is a chilling meditation on the breakdown of order. Jose Mireles, a Michoacán physician known as 'El Doctor,' leads the Autodefensas, a citizen uprising against the Knights Templar drug cartel that has wreaked havoc on the region. Across the border, U.S. vet Tim 'Nailer' Foley heads Arizona Border Recon, a paramilitary group determined to keep cartel activity out of the U.S. Filmmaker Matthew Heineman embeds himself in the heart of darkness as Nailer, El Doctor, and the cartel vie to impose their own brands of justice where social institutions have failed. (98 min, English and Spanish w/ subtitles, 2015)
View: Trailer
Race Matters Series
Weapons of the [Not So] Weak: Immigrant Mass Mobilization in the U.S. South
MCC LOUNGE
Research shows that foreign-born Latino/as are among those least likely to participate in political activism. Yet during the spring of 2006, up to five million immigrants and their allies took part in a historic national protest wave. Utilizing the case of Fort Myers, Florida, this presentation examines why and how anti-immigrant legislation can motivate unconventional protest participants (soccer players, nannies, agricultural workers) to take action and utilize pre-existing community resources for the purpose of mass mobilization. Dr. Chris Zepeda-Millán is Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley.
