Ama: La Memoria del Tiempo

Screening followed by a panel discussion with fillmaker Daniel Flores y Ascencio

Wednesday, March 01, 2006
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Mira Hershey Hall
Room 1609
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Ama:  La Memoria del Tiempo relays the story of an episode in Salvadoran history known as La Matanza.  The film tells the story of José Feliciano Ama, a leader of the Izalcos, part of the Nahua-Pipil nation in what is now the western part of El Salvador, whose family survived the genocide of 1932.  Responding to a nationwide call for revolt to vindicate long-standing grievances against racism and class exploitation, Jose Feliciano Ama led an uprising which was followed by a ruthless campaign of revenge where over 30,000 peasants and indigenous people were butchered by the Salvadoran military in a genocidal campaign designed to wipe out indigenous dress, languages and cultural traditions.  Using the oral history traditions of the Izalcos, Flores y Ascencio offers a gripping first hand account of one of that nation’s darkest historical moments as told through personal quest of 94 year-old Don Juan Ama, the nephew of Jose Feliciano Ama.  Don Juan Ama hopes to restore the Izalco family and tribal dignity, as well as his peoples’ cultural heritage in a country struggling with competing ideals surrounding national development, identity and democracy.

Cost: Free and open to the public

Special Instructions

Light Refreshments will be served

For more information please contact

Maylei Blackwell
Tel: (310) 825-3082
maylei@chavez.ucla.edu
www.sscnet.ucla.edu/chavez/

Sponsor(s): Latin American Institute, Cesar E. Chavez Center for Interdisciplinary Instruction in Chicana and Chicano Studies, Tribal Learning, Community & Educational Exchange (TLCEE)