Latin Wave: New Films from Latin America at MFAH

The Latin Wave film festival is a mixed bag of comedies, thrillers, family dramas and documentaries, all making their Houston debut this weekend. Many of the filmmakers will be participating in the festival, including Mariana Rondón, director of Postcards from Leningrad, the story of a young girl living with her mother and other revolutionaries in the Venezuelan jungle. Colombian director Rodrigo Triana will be on hand to introduce his film Soñar no cuesta nada (A Ton of Luck), a dark comedy based on the true story of a group of soldiers who find a cache of drug money in the jungle. Argentinean director Anahí Berneri will discuss her drama Encarnación, about a former showgirl who returns to her small-minded hometown, and Brazilian director João Moreira Salles will talk about Santiago, his documentary about the Salles family butler, a cultured and intelligent man devoted to his work.

Other films include La zona (The Zone) by Rodrigo Plá, Luz silenciosa (Silent Light) by Carlos Reygadas and XXY by Lucía Puenzo. XXY explores gender roles through the story of Alex, a pubescent hermaphrodite living in an isolated fishing village. Now entering her/his teen years, Alex’s body is developing, and s/he must choose adulthood as a female or male — or something else. While the adults discuss (and avoid discussing) surgery to “fix” Alex, love is blooming between Alex and the surgeon’s son.

The Latin Wave screenings run Thursday through Sunday. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. For information and a complete schedule, call 713-639-7515 or visit www.mfah.org. $5 to $7.
Fri., May 2, 5 p.m.; Sun., May 4, 5:45 p.m., 2008