BISBEE — The Mexican Consulate in Douglas is organizing a film festival from June 26-29 in Bisbee that is intended to let viewers get closer to Mexican culture.

The object of the event is to sensitize the audience regarding the lives of immigrants, the reasons they illegally cross the border, and their dreams and difficulties.

“We firmly believe that artistic samples are not only a path to promote culture, but also a way to present different points of view regarding social situations and, in this case, to contribute in the creation of a deeper understanding in a receiving-migrants community,” says a statement from the Mexican Consulate.

The festival will feature four films. “Al Otro Lado,” which means “To the Other Side,” was directed by Gustavo Loza in Mexico in 2005. “De Ida y Vuelta,” which means “Back and Forth,” was directed by Salvador Aguirre in Mexico in 2000. “El Jardin del Eden,” which means “The Garden of Eden,” was directed by Maria Novaro in Mexico, Canada and France in 1994. “Al Norte,” which means “To the North,” was directed by Stephanie O’Neal in Switzerland in 2007.

“Al Norte” will be played on the last night of the festival because it is a premiere showing of the film.

“The Mexican Consulate is helping bring the movies. But this is a project of the community of Bisbee,” Oscar De la Torre, Mexican Consul in Douglas, said during an interview.

The films will be presented for free from 7 to 9 p.m. each evening at Central School Project located at 43 Howell Ave. An introduction will be made prior to each film.

Refreshments will be served, such as coffee, tea, lemonade, cake and cookies.

The Citizens for Border Solutions and Humane Border Solutions groups are co-sponsors of the receptions, said Tom Carlson, who is helping organize the event.

St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Calumet and Arizona Guest House will assist with providing refreshments on June 26 and 27.

Businesses, churches, clubs and organizations that are interested in sponsoring the event by providing refreshments for June 28 or 29 should call 432-5421.

The consulate held a similar film festival two years ago in Douglas.

The event did not take place last year due to difficulty finding a venue. Officials hope to hold it on an annual basis in the future.

About the films

Descriptions of movies to be shown during the Mexican Consulate’s film festival in Bisbee.

• “To the Other Side,” or “Al Otro Lado,” is a drama that features three stories about the bonds between children and absent parents. A Cuban boy who lives in poverty with his mother longs to visit his father in the United States, a Spanish girl is reunited with her father, and in Mexico a boy disobeys his father to visit a strange lagoon.

These related vignettes showcase the powerful hold that parents have upon their children, which often remains strong despite their absence.

• “Back and Forth,” or “De Ida y Vuelta,” is a sharply designed social tragedy that speaks about the unjust battle between powerful landlords and migrant workers and shows how despair can ruin one’s relationship and self-esteem.

Filiberto returns to his hometown in Mexico after working for three years in the United States.

In his struggle to gain recognition, he’s vanquished by ambition. Now, he must deal with rejection, betrayal and displacement and somehow regain his identity.

• “The Garden of Eden,” or “El Jardin del Eden,” is a trio of crisscrossing tales about displaced individuals looking for a better life that takes place along the U.S.-Mexico border.

A Chicano widow and her children seek a new life for themselves, a young white woman searches for her brother, and a migrant farm worker attempts to cross the border. Their lives intersect by chance at the border near Tijuana.

• “To the North,” or “Al Norte,” is a documentary that speaks about the situations and obstacles of migrants during their trip through Mexico, crossing the border and then settling in the United States.

Source: Mexican Consulate