‘In comparison to European or American cinema, you find a lot more films in Latin American cinema that feature social criticism. The topics are often tied to national realities. This means that when you watch these films you get a new perspective, a new insight into the way of life in the Latin American countries depicted,’ explained Jonas Löffler and Maximilian Koltai, members of the organizational team. Latin American films often focus on topics that are rarely considered in European or American cinema, such as identity, human rights, indigenous peoples, sexuality, or the relationship between humans and the environment. Together with their lecturers, the students collected suggestions for the program, which they then planned in collaboration with the cinema in Eichstätt.
Although these days it is easy to stream films at home, the organizers believe that an old-fashioned trip to the cinema has retained its charm: ‘In a traditional cinema you’re fully immersed in the story of the film – there are no distractions. Rather than watching the film alone on your tablet at home, you share the experience with the rest of the audience. Afterwards you have the opportunity to discuss what you’ve just seen with other cinema-goers.’