03/27/12 – The Trans-Border Institute (TBI) celebrated the opening night of its annual Border Film Week on Monday, March 26, with the screening of the acclaimed Mexican film “Miss Bala” at the University of San Diego (USD).
“Miss Bala” tells the story of an average young woman, named Laura Guerrero, who dreams of becoming a beauty pageant queen. In an unpredictable turn of events, though, Laura finds herself ducking for cover during a violent shootout at a Tijuana nightclub. While seeking the whereabouts of her best friend, she is captured by the cartel involved in the shootout, which views her as a “loose end.” Laura is forced to acquiesce to the demands of the criminals that hold her hostage in order to protect her family and herself. The cartel rewards Laura for her complacency by exercising its power, influence, and access to funds in various facets of the Tijuana community. The film demonstrates how corruption can infiltrate different factions of society, and how innocent people can find themselves entangled in the web of organized crime.
The screening of the film was followed by a candid discussion with one of the actors from the film, Jose Yenque, in which Yenque was able to talk about his experiences making the film and the film’s contextual importance.
Each year TBI selects several films to showcase during its annual Border Film Week at USD that deal with issues related to the border region. Panel discussions, lectures, and workshops contribute to making the week a well-rounded series of events, all of which are open to members of the San Diego community at no cost. This year, TBI has partnered with the Universidad Iberoamericana Tijuana, showing the same films at both sites and thus making it a bi-national event.
Click here for further information about the schedule of events.
