7th Latin American Studies Forum

With Dr. Kristal Bivona
Viking Union 565 A/B/C
Light refreshments will be served

Brazilian Cinema at the Oscars: Post-Dictatorship Memory in Ainda estou aqui and O agente secreto

Brazil's 1979 amnesty law remains in effect, preventing exhaustive official investigations into the dictatorship (1964-1985), yet cinema has played an important role in the formation of cultural memory of the dictatorship. In 2024, Brazil's submission to the Oscars was Ainda estou aqui (Walter Salles), a film that depicts the life of Eunice Paiva, who survived the enforced disappearance of her husband, Rubens Paiva. Salles' film received accolades at Cannes among other international festivals and won coveted prizes at the Golden Globes among other international awards. In the campaign leading up to the Oscars, where it competed in three categories, the cast and director were catapulted onto the world stage, appearing on countless television programs, online interviews, and print media. The film won Best International Feature.

Then in 2025, Kleber Mendonça Filho's O agente secreto enjoyed a similar trajectory, premiering at Cannes with a carnavalesque trevo parade and also winning Golden Globes and other prestigious awards. It is nominated for four Oscars. Both Ainda estou aqui and O agente secreto are films that depict the period of the dictatorship while also dealing with questions of memory after the transition to democracy. In this lecture, I examine the significance of these films in relation to memory of the dictatorship and the implications of their international successes for memory and justice in Brazil.

Voices and Spaces: Peaceful Resistance to Oppression Across the Americas
Viking Union 565 A/B/C                        
Light refreshments will be served

This roundtable brings together scholars and educators from diverse institutions, alongside community organizers to foster a dialogue bridging academic spaces and grassroots organizations. Participants will explore how communities resist oppression through creative, nonviolent practices, examining how visual culture, and multilingual expressions shape political imagination, construct collective identity, and reclaim a sense of belonging.

Latino Advocacy and Leadership Association (LALA)
• Walter Topete, Steering Committee Member 

Troublemakers - Bellingham
• Jim Ace, Bellingham Troublemakers Member 

Whatcom Community College (WCC)
• Andrea Romero, English and Latine Studies

Western Washington University (WWU)
• Jacqueline Witkowski, Department of Art and Art History 

Western Washington University (WWU)
• Rodolfo Mata, Department of Linguistics  

Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room (MPR)
Free lunch, catered by El Sueñito, will include tamales with rice and beans

Student presentations cover important and relevant topics on Latin America and Latine/x communities in the U.S. For more details, please visit our LAS webpage under ‘Current Events’. More details are available online.

La Plaza Student Center at Western Washington University is dedicated to honoring the legacy of advocacy and resilience of WWU’s students, past and present, who have worked towards the creation of important spaces on our campus. Our mission is to cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment that empowers all students to thrive academically, socially, and culturally. Through tailored resources, mentorship, and culturally responsive programming, we aim to enhance the retention and graduation rates of all students. La Plaza serves as a hub for collaboration, fostering partnerships among students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the broader community.

Study Abroad Advising
WWU offers many affordable study abroad and internship opportunities in Latin America, including Faculty-Led Programs, Exchange Programs, Internships, Study Abroad Programs, and Service Learning! Meet with Hannah Nevitt, an Education Abroad Advisor, to discuss scholarships, financial aid, and program options that best fit your personal, academic, and language goals.

Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room (MPR)

Corazones de Cedro is a Mexican folk music group known as Son Jarocho. This ancient musical genre, with its instrumental accompaniment and melodies, has been traced back to the 16th century in various parts of Mexico, and has survived to the present day in the state of Veracruz. A product of diverse cultures, primarily Mexican indigenous, African, and Andalusian, Son Jarocho has evolved and disappeared in different territories and towns throughout history. The music was transmitted along trade routes, which in those times were the sea, rivers, and land routes. Sailors and muleteers sang their feelings and stories all over the world. The same old stories: love, pain, sadness, joy. Corazones de Cedro was born in Bellingham in the same way: a new family composed of diverse cultures—this time American, Canadian, and Mexican—the product of a fortunate encounter in Guanajuato, Mexico, which found a new home and family in Bellingham. A place to continue telling the story of who they were and who they are.