UVA Study Abroad in Mexico: Pragmatics of Cinema Community Engagement

January 24, 2020

UVA Study Abroad in Mexico: Pragmatics of Cinema Community Engagement

The University of Virginia is offering its first-ever study abroad course in Mexico. Through this two-week summer short course, June 28–July 14, undergraduates will produce a community film festival in Cholula and gain an experience beyond the academic norm. This program will give students a pragmatic perspective and approach to a Mexican city with a complex history and culture. This experience also seeks to amplify a broader understanding of immigration in order to build bridges and not walls. After the summer program, students can assist with a community film festival in Charlottesville in the fall of 2020 as a means to build transnational community and broaden the conversation around immigration.

Locations

Puebla is one of the 31 states in Mexico. It is located in East-Central Mexico. The capital city, Puebla City was founded in 1531. The city’s important sites include the oldest library in Latin America, the Museo Amparo, and the Forte de Loreto museum. We will be spending much of our time in the city of Cholula, one of the oldest preserved Mesoamerican cities in the continent with much history, culture, traditions, and art to offer.

Course and Credits

ARTS 2520 PRAGMATICS OF CINEMA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (3 CREDITS)

At the core of this course is a direct involvement and hands-on work in producing a community film festival in Cholula, Puebla. The course will emphasize the pragmatics of engagement by involving students directly in the production of the festival, working closely with filmmakers and members of the local community.

Faculty

Federico Cuatlacuatl was born in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. His research is primarily concerned with social, political, and cultural issues that Latinx immigrants face in the U.S.

To Apply

For more information and to apply for the program, please visit educationabroad.virginia.edu. The application deadline is March 1.

This course and the transnational film festival is offered in partnership with the Religion, Race & Democracy Lab.