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Films Return To La Paloma

FREE SCREENINGS

SUSAN DUNNE

October 28, 2008

As the Capitol Cinema Collective prepares for the upcoming Hartford International Film Festival, members also are celebrating the return of the popular Kino Kafé series of free film screenings at La Paloma Sabanera, the restaurant at the corner of Capitol Avenue and Babcock Street in Hartford.

The series shows international feature films and documentaries with a message of social justice. A screening today restarts the series, which ended several months ago when the Cotto family sold La Paloma.

"We were all a little shocked by the change, trying to figure out what to do next," said Helder Mira of the collective. "Then Luis [Cotto] told us about his potential buyer … and said she might be open to bringing back the screening series."

Virginia Iaocobucci, the new owner of La Paloma, reopened the cafe July 1. She is excited about the resumption of the screening series.

"It's something great for the community and something that would really keep alive the arts in this area," Iaocobucci said. "There'll be a couple of films this year, and hopefully next year we'll get back on track with a film once a month."

The screening today at 7 p.m. will be "La Trinchera Luminosa del Presidente Gonzalo" ("The Shining Trench of President Gonzalo.")

Jim Finn's drama re-creates one day in Peru's Canto Grande prison, as female members of the Shining Path movement go about their day. The film's goal is to spotlight the intense embedding of the indoctrination methods of that Maoist group.

The movie is 60 minutes and in Spanish and Navajo with subtitles.