Bettina’s Screening/Discussion: Fall in Love, Not in Line: The Subversive Power of Comedy & Romance in Film – Great turnout at BlackStar’s Bok Screening Room (not sure why only got pictures of one side of the room) Event was held March 22, 2024.
Fun discussion with Bettina taking us from the ancient Greek history of Comedy to the humorous translation of expressions in Paraguay to the recent comedy “Bottoms” and other examples of humor’s role in shaping society. Video is a small excerpt of her talk:
THANK YOU:
BlackStar Projects
Greater Philadelphia Film Office (GPFO)
Federal Donuts
And all who came out to support
SIFT’s March 2024 Screening and Discussion
in celebration of Women’s History Month
ORIGINAL POST
Join us for a screening of the short film, Tonight, We Eat Flowers followed by a presentation and discussion w/ filmmaker Bettina Escauriza.
Women’s History Month Event
Date: Friday, March 22, 2024
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Venue: Bok Bldg, 1901 S 9th St, Phila, PA 19148 – BlackStar Screening Room 415
Cost: FREE ADMITTANCE – donations to SIFTMedia 215 encouraged
This program is supported by SIFTMedia 215 Collective, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office and BlackStar Projects.
Following the screening will be a presentation and discussion led by the filmmaker, Bettina Escauriza. She will discuss the history of comedic and absurdist filmmaking, and its use by creatives to subvert norms, challenge the mainstream, and upend social conventions.
Barring taking up arms, comedy is one of the most potent tools used to critique, resist, and undermine oppressive structures both within and without. What are the origins of comedy and what role has humor played in shaping society? What are the intersections of comedy and romance in film? Can a prank change the world and make your crush fall in love with you?
About Tonight, We Eat Flowers: Luis, a recent immigrant who sells “hold music” and Jamilah, a gourmet stuck working in a cubicle, fall in love under unlikely circumstances that involve absolutely terrible music, a lot of blood, and edible flowers.
About Bettina Escauriza – 
Originally from Asunción, Paraguay, she is a filmmaker, writer, artist, and actor living in Philadelphia. She is a natural storyteller from a family of frustrated mystics, spectacular liars, ill-fated thieves, and awful politicians. Her work deals with Indigenous knowledge, immigration, exile, and love. Her aim as a filmmaker is to tell stories about Indigenous people and people of color that are lush, sensual, thrilling, and complex – whose desire is to tell the truth about the communities she comes from by centering narratives of joy, defiance, and resistance in the face of oppression.
Bettina does international human rights work at the United Nations, focusing specifically on the role of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous knowledge in mitigating the climate crisis. Bettina is the Community News Producer at PhillyCAM and a film instructor for Philadelphia youth at Big Picture Alliance.
Sisters in Film & Television - SIFTMEDIA 215 