The Gainesville Latino Film Festival kicked off at Museum Nights, “Noche de Museo” at the Harn Museum of Art on Thursday. Although it was among many other activities, the screening of the first film, “La Frontera,” was the main event.
The Latina Women’s League of Gainesville, a non-profit cultural organization, organizes the film festival, which runs through Sept. 28 this year. The festival will host 20 events at several local venues, from iconic music halls like Heartwood Soundstage to the Center for Independent Living.
“The Gainesville Latino Film Festival has been going on for 21 years and the organization, the Latina Women’s League, created it as a way to communicate and share the arts,” said Ericka Ghersi, president of the Latina Women’s League.
The opening night’s film depicts the journey during a pivotal time in the life of an indigenous woman. The film explores the borders she faces, both the walls in her own life and the physical ones that surround her.
“I realized that it is not only about the physical border that we have from one person to another, but these borders that are created politically by nations,” said David David, the director of the film.
The dilemma for Diana, the main character, to stay or to go also represents the struggle many immigrants face in having to leave behind a life of joy they once knew.
David, himself an immigrant from Colombia, addressed the crowd after the movie and answered questions.
Audience members were eager to share their experiences as Colombians and some were from the area in the Colombian-Venezuelan border portrayed in the film. David said he does not have Guayana ancestors, but he still feels passionate about shedding light on their experiences.
“I have felt very connected to it since I was a little boy because my parents are from La Guajira, the place where the Guayu indigenous people live,” David said.
The film festival’s theme this year is “enriching cultures and empowering communities,” something David says is close to his heart.
“One way to be disconnected from your culture is when you are taken out of your environment and forced to move away, and another is when you are disconnected because you are not familiar with your history,” David said.
David said he hopes that his storytelling can help shed light on the history and experiences of indigenous people, immigrants and Latinos everywhere.
Aside from working on the film festival year-long, the Latina Women’s League also offers English classes, citizenship classes and most recently, Spanish classes, all free for community members.
“Everybody is a volunteer; we don’t get a penny for it. It’s just for the love of serving the community and promoting Latino culture,” Ghersi said.
The Latino Film Festival has scheduled events almost every day in September to honor Hispanic heritage and promote community connection over shared love for their Hispanic roots.