"...this illuminating and versatile collection assembles these never-before-translated criticisms and meditations. Reflecting the intellectual development of the writer himself, these essays distill the great events of Latin America?s recent history, analyze political groups like FARC and Sendero Luminoso, and evaluate the legacies of infamous leaders such as Papa Doc Duvalier and Fidel Castro. Arranged by theme, they trace Vargas Llosa?s unwavering...

The Santiago River, known locally as "the River of Death," flows along the outskirts of Guadalajara, Mexico. For forty years, waste from one of Mexico’s largest manufacturing corridors has been dumped into the Santiago. 80% of the companies in the corridor – brands like IBM, HP, Coca-Cola, Levi’s, Honda and Nestle – are American and Japanese. The river has been transformed into a sewer with over 1000 known chemicals, including dangerously...

One last piece of South America belongs to Europe: French Guyana; where the native Wayna Indians live in an almost paradisiacal world. But criminal gold diggers occupy and pollute the land with mercury, through their primitive extraction techniques.

The Surire Salt Flat is placed at an altitude of 4300 m in the Chilean High Plateau and one of the very last places in the world, keeping the treasure of untouched nature with all its beauty, but also holds an allurement: a huge amount of borax, promising the mining industry profits in unknown levels...SURIRE, directed by two extraordinary filmmakers, tells us in an outstanding visual way metaphorically the story of our planet – about the very important...

Following in the footsteps of the greatest Spanish adventurers, Michael Wood retraces the path of the conquistadors from Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, and from the deserts of North Mexico to the heights of Machu Picchu. As he travels the same routes as Hernán Cortés, Francisco, and Gonzalo Pizarro, Wood describes the dramatic events that accompanied the epic sixteenth-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires. He also follows parts of...

Veronica is fresh out of medical school. It’s a crucial time in her life, a period filled with doubts and important decisions to be made: tough career choices, her intimate bond with her ailing father, and her active but chaotic love life. Veronica must deal with all of them as she tries to cope with the adult life that lies ahead. Once Upon a Time Veronica is a fairy-tale in reverse. There are no fairy godmothers, no weddings, and no dreams. Veronica’s...

The first fiction film from El Salvador to be produced since 1969 and the first ever to see a worldwide release, The Crow’s Nest follows Don Cleo, a humble pinata salesman who receives an extortion letter at his doorstep. If he doesn’t pay 500 dollars, a small fortune for him, within 72 hours, he will be killed. Don Cleo quickly decides to gather the money through friends, but the harder he tries to raise the funds, the deeper into trouble he...

Set against the volatile and dangerous world of the favelas, RIO BREAKS tells the story of two surf-obsessed friends, 13-year-old Fabio and 12-year-old Naam. The pair live in Rio de Janeiro’s Favela do Pavo, which is controlled by one of the city’s most dangerous drug gangs. However, their attention is focused on the waves of Arpoador Beach and on a coming surfing event that may help them become professionals and escape the world of gangs.

With Andres Alameida, Daniela Rincon, Camila Selser, Beatriz Moreno, Jose Sefami..Childhood sweethearts Carmen and Alfredo live a life of quiet bliss in Satelite, a sleepy suburb outside of Mexico City. When Alfredo is offered a promotion, the lovebirds make the move into the bustling metropolis...It’s a rude awakening for Carmen, who until now has not really worried about the fact that she and Alfredo are both overweight...After overhearing gossip...