The “Movies That Matter” series will feature two films this week that spotlight freedom of speech and diversity of thought. The Film Festival continues every Sunday and Thursday at 2 p.m. during March at the Cine+Lago Theater in Plaza Bugambilias in Ajijic.
“Orwell 2+2=5” (U.S./France, 2025), on Sunday, March 15, is a visually captivating exploration of the life and enduring legacy of the English novelist George Orwell, connecting his ideas to our contemporary world. It was made with the exclusive cooperation of the Orwell Estate by the filmmaker Raoul Peck, who directed the acclaimed documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” about James Baldwin. His new film compares Orwell’s writings advocating free speech to the “Newspeak” of authoritarian rule today, such as rewriting of history and manufacturing of false realities, and covers artificial intelligence and new commercial “metaverses.”
“The Librarians” (U.S., 2025), on Thursday, March 19, focuses on an ongoing collaboration among librarians to fight book banning and defend First Amendment rights amid escalating censorship in the U.S. It looks in particular at Florida, Louisiana and Texas, which have targeted books on race and LGBTQ stories at an unprecedented rate. This powerful documentary applauds the efforts of these librarians who are being threatened with unjust criminal allegations in their advocacy for literary freedom.
“The Blue Trail” (Brazil, 2025), on Sunday, March 22, imagines a dystopian future in Brazil where the government is sending elderly people off to remote colonies. One senior woman rebels and sets sail on the Amazon River, which changes her destiny forever.
“Deaf President Now!” (U.S., 2025), on Thursday, March 26, is about a deaf students’ protest that marked a pivotal moment in U.S. civil rights history and inspired Deaf Pride movements worldwide.
“A Million Miles Away” (U.S., 2023), on Sunday, March 29, tells the inspiring story of how a child migrant farmworker became the first Mexican-American NASA astronaut.
This annual fundraiser by the Democrats Abroad Lake Chapala Chapter helps support its non-partisan U.S. voter assistance at Lakeside. For details and to buy tickets, type shorturl.at/Y9VyU into your browser.