Film screening depicts Mexican human rights crusader

“Eufronisa’s Revolution” tells the story of a woman, denied the mayor’s position in a small Mexican town because of her gender, who became a grassroots activist for the rights of women and indigenous communities.

The documentary film, described by Variety as stirring and well-crafted, will be screened Monday, April 14, at ASU’s West campus, with the screening preceded by a reception and a discussion with its director.

Events begin from 5-6 p.m. with a reception featuring filmmaker Luciana Kaplan, the director of “Eufronisa’s Revolution.” The reception will take place in the Barrett Honors Suite, room 201 of the University Center Building on the West campus, 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix.

From 6-7 p.m., Kaplan will talk about documentary filmmaking in Mexico and the political trajectory of the film’s protagonist, Eufronisa Cruz Mendoza, who became one of the first indigenous women in the Mexican House of Representatives. The discussion is set to take place in the Kiva Lecture Hall, in the University Center Building.

The screening of “Eufronisa’s Revolution” is also scheduled in the Kiva Lecture Hall, from 7-9 p.m.

All events are free and open to the public. Visitor parking on the West campus costs $2 per hour.

“The story of Eufronisa Cruz Mendoza is remarkable and inspirational,” said Ilana Luna, assistant professor of Latin American studies in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, the core college on the West campus. “She responded to her 2007 mayoral defeat in her village in Oaxaca, based solely upon her gender, by becoming a tireless crusader for gender and social equity. We are pleased to bring Luciana Kaplan to the Valley to share this story and discuss filmmaking in modern Mexico.”

New College is sponsoring the April 14 events along with its master’s degree program in social justice and human rights, and Center for Critical Inquiry and Cultural Studies. Barrett, the Honors College at the West campus is also a sponsor. Additional support is provided by ASU’s School of Social Transformation.

The event is produced by the cross-campus feminist collective Entre NosOtr@s, whose members include students Yessica del Rincón, Ana Terminel Iberri and recent graduate Vanessa Nielsen de Molina, as well as faculty, including Luna, Michelle Tellez and Marivel Danielson. It is part of a larger collection of events produced by Entre NosOtr@s this academic year, including a “translocal” women’s Son Jarocho concert, workshop and discussion of musical performance and gender with musical collective “Entre Mujeres” in the fall, and a one-woman play and workshop by Chicana playwright Monica Palacios in the spring.

The April 14 film screening follows ASU’s fourth annual Human Rights Film Festival, to be held April 11-13 in Armstrong Hall on ASU’s Tempe campus. Luna will facilitate a discussion with Kaplan after a screening of the film on April 12.