Friday, October 7, was the release of a new film by Emilio Estevez, THE WAY, starring Martin Sheen. It is now on my list “to watch”. It has been a while since I’ve been compelled to go see an American film. I tend to favor cultural, international films and lately American films have not been at the top of my list. However, when I received notice of the upcoming release and not knowing anything about it, something made me read further. Whether it was the film’s writer/director/actor, Emilio Estevez, or his father, Martin Sheen’s lead role, I don’t know. I would venture to say the setting was appealing, El Camino de Santiago de Compostela’s pilgrimage is certainly growing in interest among world travelers. On the other hand, the plot, a father’s desire to reconnect with his dead son through a challenging, spiritual journey, is also intriguing. Perhaps all of the above is the sole reason to watch this cultural film.
Cultural? Yes, the focus on the region, a pilgrimage largely taken by Spaniards, Christians, and Europeans, does lend itself to a cultural experience. An experience common to the ‘other’ and rare to many. Perhaps this “other”-thing will compel you to add this film to your list. Take a look. Stay tuned for my film review.
SYNOPSIS
THE WAY was filmed entirely in Spain and France along the actual Camino de Santiago. The Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James is a spiritual journey that pilgrims of all faiths and backgrounds have traversed for a thousand years. The pilgrimage originally began at one’s doorstep, though modern trekkers today would find that rather difficult, particularly American pilgrims needing to cross the Atlantic. While there are a number of established routes leading to Santiago from all directions, the most popular is the Camino Française, which crosses the Pyrenees Mountains along the Spanish-French border starting in St. Jean Pied de Port.
Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son, killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking The Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Driven by his profound sadness and desire to understand his son better, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage, leaving his “California bubble life” behind.
Armed with his son’s backpack and guidebook, Tom navigates the 800 km pilgrimage from the French Pyrenees, to Santiago de Compostela in the north west of Spain, but soon discovers that he will not be alone on this journey.
While walking The Camino, Tom meets other pilgrims from around the world, all broken and looking for greater meaning in their lives: a Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen) a Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irish writer (James Nesbitt) who is suffering from a bout of “writer’s block.”
From the hardship experienced along “The Way” this unlikely quartet of misfits create an everlasting bond and Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again, and discovers the difference between “The life we live and the life we choose”. THE WAY was filmed entirely in Spain and France along the actual Camino de Santiago.
I enjoy finding out about new cultural writers, that is, new to me, however experienced writers that have been enjoying success in their craft. Here’s an example, Sententia Vera’s featured playwright, Karen Zacarías, is a native of México and resident of Washington DC. Karen is a diverse woman, experiencing motherhood and developing her creativity as a professional playwright. She has “emerged as one of Washington’s most successful and prolific playwrights,” states Ellen McCarthy of the Washington Post. I’m happy to have found out about her and delighted to share her work with Sententia Vera’s readers.
About Karen Zacarías (from the Department of Performing Arts at Georgetown University)
Karen Zacarías’ plays have been produced throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. Recent productions include The Book Club Play and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents at Roundhouse Theatre and Legacy of Light at Arena Stage. Her play The Sins of Sor Juana was the winner of the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play at the 2000 Helen Hayes Awards, and the 1998 National Hispanic Playwrights’ Project at South Coast Repertory (Costa Mesa, Calif.). She is also winner of the 1998 D.C. Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and a finalist at the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights’ Conference and the Jane Chambers National Women’s Playwrights’ Competition.
Among her other produced plays are The Bare-chested Man, Blue Buick in My Driveway and A Rope Through the Fixture. Her plays for young people include the long-running hit The Magical Piñata, Choosing Nine, The 13th Summer of William and Pilar and a new adaptation of Ferdinand the Bull. She has had commissions from Woolly Mammoth Theatre, South Coast Repertory and Imagination Stage. Zacarias is the founder of Young Playwrights’ Theater, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering literacy, dialogue and conflict resolution through playwriting in inner-city schools. She earned a master’s in playwriting from Boston University studying with Nobel laureates Derek Walcott and Elie Wiesel. Born in Mexico, she currently lives with her husband, Rett, in Washington, D.C., and Oaxaca, Mexico.
Dulce Offer from Reading Group Choices
Planning on being in the Washington, D.C. area next month? If not, you and your book group may want to make plans, because Arena Stage is presenting The Book Club Play, by resident playwright Karen Zacarías (Legacy of Light) and directed by Molly Smith, from October 7th to November 6th in the Kogod Cradle.
As an added bonus, Reading Group Choices subscribers will receive 20% off their tickets! And Arena Stage will host your next book club in one of Arena Stage’s spectacular spaces or intimate studies when you reserve group tickets to see the play! Tickets start at $40 – to order yours, please eMail or call (202) 488-4380 and use Offer Code 1703.
Spend time with Ana, a Type A personality living in a letter-perfect world with an adoring husband, perfect job and her greatest passion: Book Club. But when bizarre circumstances put her life under a magnifying glass, things begin to heat up and more truths are told than anyone bargained for. TalkinBroadway.com calls this production about life, love and literature “delightful, fresh comedy!”
Sponsored by the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library
Join the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library and our five partners, The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, Mexic-Arte Museum, The Nettie Lee Benson Library Collection, University of Texas @ Austin and the Terrazas Branch Library as we feature the contributions, achievements and legacies of 101 local Latinas in a photo exhibit entitled Voces de Latinas: A photo exhibit in five parts. The exhibit offers a mosaic blending of images and biographical narratives of Latinas from the late 1800s to the present who represent all walks of life.
All Latinas portrayed in the exhibit were nominated by the community at large and the images and biographical information were donated to the Austin History Center by friends, family members and other community individuals for use in the exhibit. As with all Austin History Center projects, we hope that this exhibit will encourage preservation and documentation for future generations and of the countless others whose legacies deserve to be noted in the chronicles of Austin history.
Each of the five partners will exhibit 20 of the images and sponsor a program in conjunction with the Voces de Latinas exhibit. The exhibit will open on September 25th and will run through October 23, 2011. An opening reception honoring the Latinas depicted in the exhibit will be held at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center on Sunday, September 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Keynote speaker will be Martha Cotera. Further information regarding the reception and programs may be obtained from the Austin History Center website http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/mexicanam.htm, or by contacting Gloria Espitia, Austin History Center Neighborhood Liaison to the Mexican American community @ 974-7498. Information may also be found on the websites of our partners. The exhibit was made possible in part with a grant from the Austin Friends of Folk Art.
SAVE THE DATES
Sunday, September 25th
Exhibit Reception & Program
Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Keynote Speaker: Martha Cotera
Saturday, October 1st
Voces de Latinas in words & music
Ruiz Branch Library
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Panelists: Teresa Palomo Acosta; Beatriz de la Garza; Myrna Cabello
Special Guest: Josephine Lopez Rocha
Moderator: Belinda Acosta
Saturday October 8th
Conversaciones del pasado – Reflexiones del presente
Mexic-Arte Museum
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panelists: Janie Martinez Inez Ramos Salas, Mrs. Maria Salinas, Mrs. Josefa Vasquez Salinas, and Mrs. Delia Sifuentes
Saturday, October 15th
Con nuestras manos
Terrazas Branch Library
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Presenters: Connie Arismendi and Laura Garanzuay
Sunday, October 16th
Voces de Latinas: Las artistas entre nosotros – The artists among us
Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, UT
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Presenters: Nivia Gonzalez, Cat Quintanilla and Liliana Wilson
How neat is this! A forum to tell YOUR story. Take a look.
What’s Your Story? Call for videos
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders announces the first ever White House Initiative Video Challenge: “What’s Your Story?” Produce a video, up to three minutes long, telling us who you are and how you have impacted those around you. A select number of entries will be posted on the White House website and a group of exceptional AAPI leaders will be invited to share their stories in person at the White House. To learn more about the challenge, watch our call-out video here: http://www.youtube.com/WhiteHouseAAPI.
To submit your video and learn more about the challenge, go to www.whitehouse.gov/whatsyourstory. The deadline for video submissions is midnight on November 1, 2011.
Friday, October 7, was the release of a new film by Emilio Estevez, THE WAY, starring Martin Sheen. It is now on my list “to watch”. It has been a while since I’ve been compelled to go see an American film. I tend to favor cultural, international films and lately American films have not been at the top of my list. However, when I received notice of the upcoming release and not knowing anything about it, something made me read further. Whether it was the film’s writer/director/actor, Emilio Estevez, or his father, Martin Sheen’s lead role, I don’t know. I would venture to say the setting was appealing, El Camino de Santiago de Compostela’s pilgrimage is certainly growing in interest among world travelers. On the other hand, the plot, a father’s desire to reconnect with his dead son through a challenging, spiritual journey, is also intriguing. Perhaps all of the above is the sole reason to watch this cultural film.
Karen Zacarías’ plays have been produced throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. Recent productions include The Book Club Play and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents at Roundhouse Theatre and Legacy of Light at Arena Stage. Her play The Sins of Sor Juana was the winner of the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play at the 2000 Helen Hayes Awards, and the 1998 National Hispanic Playwrights’ Project at South Coast Repertory (Costa Mesa, Calif.). She is also winner of the 1998 D.C. Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and a finalist at the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights’ Conference and the Jane Chambers National Women’s Playwrights’ Competition.
