What’s On Today! Salsa Saturday Jan 31st

Is it cold and dreary outside?  Gee, we didn’t notice because it’s SALSA SATURDAY and the movies are hot and spicy all day and alllll night!!!!

12pm Salsa Saturday January 30th

THE NEW MAN (El Hombre Nuevo)

Documentary. 2015. Uruguay/Chile. 79mins. Director Aldo Garay

At the tender age of twelve, Roberto supported the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua and fought for education and social reforms. He was to continue his political struggle fighting alongside the communist Tupamaros in Uruguay. Thirty years later he is struggling to live his life as a woman named Stephanía and striving to be accepted by both society and his family. Documentary filmmaker Aldo Garay has followed Stephanía for over twenty years. In El Hombre Nuevo he provides a personal and tender portrait of a woman who can look back on a tempestuous life in which violence, drugs, prostitution and political commitment all found its place. Scenes from her day-to-day life are interspersed with interview material that includes conversations with old friends, fellow-travellers and siblings, as well as a passionate, heated exchange with her mother. The picture of society that emerges is as diverse as it is intimate, and spans a time of great political upheaval in the 1970s to the present day.

2pm Salsa Saturday Jan 30th VELOCIRAPTOR

CANADIAN PREMIERE

On the eve of an imminent apocalypse, two buddies – one gay, one “undecided” – wander the streets. Deep in conversation, Alex and Diego bond while sharing their fears and desires about sex and intimacy. Once they make their way to Alex’s bedroom, the true nature of their relationship is made clear. The strength of their unbreakable friendship helps them test the limits of trust and loyalty while pushing one another into exciting new realms of sexual exploration. A smart, heartfelt mix of drama, science fiction and romance, Velociraptor is a brilliant evocation of what it means to be a young man, exploring male friendship and desire in an entirely fresh way.

Drama/Comedy/Fantasy. Director Chucho E. Qunitero.2014. Mexico. 95min.

Preceded By: 7 LETTERS 2014. (Spain. 3:50 min) By Eduardo del Olmo

Jesús has a secret and he’s about to share it.

4pm Salsa Saturday Jan 30th

CANADIAN PREMIERE

CARMIN TROPICAL

This is a story about coming back. Mabel , a Mexican muxe (a cultural interpretation of transgender and two-spirit identity) returns to her hometown to investigate the death of her muxe -friend Daniela. Soon, Mabel finds herself on a journey that takes her through nostalgia, love, and betrayal in a town where gender identity takes on an unusual dimension. This is the second feature film by Rigoberto Perezcano (Northless) and features beautiful cinematography by Alejandro Cantu of the coastal town of Juchitan and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Drama. Mystery. 2014. Mexico. 80min. Director Rigoberto Perezcano

Preceded By: Tremulo (Trembling) D. Robert Fiesco. 2015. Mexico. 20 min

Carlos sweeps and mops the floor of an old-time barbershop. The day before Independence Day. Among the customers is Julio. Their eyes meet, and when the barber shop closes Julio comes back for Carlos. They spend the night together, eating chatting and even dancing, knowing full well that this encounter will be brief and short-lived.

7pm Salsa Saturday Jan 30th

SAND DOLLARS (Dolares De Arena)

Legendary actress Geraldine Chaplin gives a riveting performance as a lonely and vulnerable French tourist desperately clinging to her love-for-money relationship with a young Dominican woman, in this nuanced portrait of power dynamics and dependence.

In order to rise above the grinding poverty in the Dominican tourist haven of Samana, Noeli trades on her youth and good looks to court rich elderly tourists. Noeli lives with her boyfriend but for the past three years she has been in a relationship with Anne (Chaplin), who is completely in love with her young companion. Anne holds out a promise of a move to Paris, while Noelí holds out the possibility of returning Anne’s love.

Best Actress (Geraldine Chaplin), 2014 Chicago International Film Festival

Drama. 2014. Dominican Republic/Argentina/Mexico. 82min. Directors Laura Amelia Guzman & Israel Cardenas

9pm Salsa Saturday Jan 30th

CANADIAN PREMIERE

LONELY STARS (ESTRELLAS SOLITARIAS)

From Mexican director Fernando Urdapilleta comes this outrageous melodrama that mixes the bitchiness of Showgirls with the offensive camp of early John Waters. To the beat of punk & pop, Valentina (Dana Karvelas) & Joana (Jorge Arriaga) pursue their most intimate and deepest dreams. On the road to success, they will find obstacles that will test their friendship. The harshness and absurdity of their lives, fuses with the sweet and sour story of a world where the party seems to go on forever.

Dark Comedy/Thriller. 2015. Mexico. 90min. Directed by Fernando Urdapilleta

10pm SALSA SATURDAY RECEPTION

La Hacienda Restaurant (337 Princess St.)