Friday, February 19, 2016

UNCW’s Centro Hispano is sponsoring a showing of Maya Youth Documentaries, created by youth participating in the Unlocking Silent Histories project. The event celebrates the lives and histories of Indigenous Maya in Guatemala as seen through the eyes of youth.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25 in UNCW’s Lumina Theater and is free and open to all. The film showing will be followed by a discussion.

Unlocking Silent Histories (USH) is a global nonprofit organization that supports the voices and identities of indigenous youth by honoring their cultural and linguistic heritages. The documentaries are student-directed. In addition, they learn film, sound and editing techniques and develop critical and creative expression that connects their history to the present. USH was founded by Donna DeGennaro, a faculty member in the UNCW Watson College of Education, after her own personal experiences in Guatemala.

“We are honored to present our region with this unique opportunity to not only learn about these indigenous cultures, but to have the privilege to experience endangered cultures and languages from a firsthand perspective,” said DeGennaro.

USH will be featured at a Maya Cultural event at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. in September 2016.

--Caroline Cropp

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