A Revolution Under Way in South America
Is Venezuela president Hugo Chavez a dictator who clamps down on freedom of the press? Following a New Orleans showing of director Oliver Stone's new film South of the Border, Tulane political scientist Aaron Schneider will host a discussion to explore this and other questions.
Director Oliver Stone, left, and Venezuela president Hugo Chavez, right, meet news media during filming of South of the Border. (Photo by Jose Ibanez)
The question-and-answer session will take place on Friday (July 23) after the 7:30 p.m. screening at Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. in New Orleans.
“I was invited to handle the discussion because of my research interests in the region,” says Schneider, assistant professor of political science and Latin American Studies.
South of the Border documents a road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's perceptions of South America, including interviews with seven of its elected presidents.
The film explores media presentations of the controversial Leftist presidents from the region, many of whom are interviewed in extended, on-screen conversations. The question-and-answer session with Schneider will place the issues in the film in the context of the U.S. relationship with Latin America, and the causes and aftermath of the international financial crisis.
In casual conversations with presidents Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina) and her husband and ex-President Nestor Kirchner, Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador) and Raúl Castro (Cuba), Stone gains unprecedented access and sheds new light upon the transformations in the region.
Tickets are $7 for general admission, $6 for students and seniors and $5 for Zeitgeist members. Groups of 20 people or more can purchase tickets for $5. For 50 people or more, contact Rene Broussard at 504-353-1150.
