“Maestra,” a documentary film that explores the experiences of the youngest women teachers of the 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign that helped eradicate Cuban illiteracy within one year, will be shown on Thursday, April 28, at Cal State San Bernardino’s John M. Pfau Library.
The film is part of a two-day Latin American Studies Conference at CSUSB on April 28 and 29 on “Cuba in the 21st Century.” The conference will address several major topics including Afro-Caribbean culture and literature, education in Latin America and José Martí in the 20th century. Discussions also will tackle nationalism and Mexican identity, Latinos in the United States, the role of the press in Latin America and themes in Latin American literature.
“Maestra” will be screened from 5-7 p.m. in PL 5005 in the library. Admission is free and complimentary parking is available; stop at the parking kiosk at the university’s main entrance for a permit.
In 1961, Cuba aimed to eradicate illiteracy in one year. It sent 250,000 volunteers across the island to teach reading and writing in rural communities for that year. About 100,000 of the volunteers were under 18 and more than half of them were women.
Narrated in English by Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, this lively documentary directed by filmmaker, activist and educator Catherine Murphy features Spanish-language interviews with nine of the women who taught in the campaign. With wit and spirit, all the women recall negotiating for autonomy and independence in a culture still bound by patriarchal structures.
The film includes interviews with Norma Guillard, one of the first Cubans of her generation to call herself a feminist, and Diana Balboa, one of the first openly proud members of Cuba’s LGBT community and an international advocate for gay and lesbian rights. Both women were 15 years old at the time of the campaign.
For more information about the film screening of “Maestra,” contact Iwona Contreras at icontrer@csusb.edu or call (909) 537-3447.
About California State University, San Bernardino: Set in the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, Cal State San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in inland Southern California. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, CSUSB serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.