Posted by Elena del Valle on June 16, 2021
A scene of Caravan of Death
Photo: Mhz Choice
Beginning this month Caravan of Death (entitled Ecos del Desierto in the original Spanish release) a suspenseful, violent and dark four episode fiction mini-series based on the life of human rights lawyer Carmen Hertz in Spanish with English subtitles, should be available on Mhz Choice, an international streaming service. According to the program credits it was based on the court files of the Caravan of Death case well known in Chile. It recreates a brief period at the end of Hertz and her husband’s life together as well as incidents from 1973 and the military coup that deposed Chile’s president.
The series showcases the work of the lawyer and the tense political situation before and during the Augusto Pinochet era; as well as the human rights violations, rape and murders she accuses the military and the government of committing illegally. Each episode of the mini-series, which according to online source website ChileNovelas Wiki first aired in Chile in 2013, is approximately 50 minutes long. The English subtitles were provided by Mhz Choice. According to promotional materials this is the first Chilean series available on the streaming service.
The series was directed by Andres Wood and produced by Wood Producciones and Chilevision with a mix of actors and archival video from sources such as the Institute National de l’Audiovisual and Chile Films. Actresses, Aline Kuppenheim and Maria Gracia Omagna, portrayed Hertz at two stages of her life. The executive producers were Alejandra Garcia and Carolina Zuñiga and the producer was Alejandro Fernandez.
Posted by Elena del Valle on June 7, 2021
Jon Lieff, M.D., author, The Secret Language of Cells
Photo: Rocco Coviello
A podcast interview with Jon Lieff, M.D., author, The Secret Language of Cells, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. He discusses why cell communication is important for our health with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Jon is a neuropsychiatrist and lecturer, active on social media. After completing his studies at Harvard Medical School, he pioneered integrated treatment programs for the elderly, medically ill, and brain-injured patients. For the past ten years, in his blog Searching for the Mind, he has discussed the latest scientific findings in neuroscience, animal behavior, cellular biology, immunology, and microbiology as they relate to the question of where mind can be found in nature. His book, The Secret Language of Cells: What Biological Conversations Tell Us About the Brain-Body Connection, the Future of Medicine, and Life Itself strives to explain the science of how different cells, bacteria and brain cells, blood cells and viruses speak the same language.
To listen to the interview, scroll down and click on the play button below. You can listen by looking for “Podcast” then select “HMPR Jon Lieff, M.D., author” and download the MP3 file to your audio player. You can also find it on the RSS feed. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the June 2021 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on May 26, 2021
It’s Not A Burden poster
Photo, video: Greenie Films
It’s Not A Burden The Humor and Heartache of Raising Elderly Parents, a new 90-minute documentary from Michelle Boyaner and Greenie Films spotlights the issues faced by the adult children of several elderly people. Some of them are living in assisted living facilities, some with dementia and or debilitating health conditions; some had passed away by the time the film was made. Boyaner and her mother feature prominently, often in video taken in the car. The emotionally charged 2020 film features candid conversations with the adult caregivers and their parents in several locations in California as well as Arizona, Georgia, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Scroll down to watch a short video introduction.
“Sometimes I pretend like she’s somebody else’s mother and that way I can be nicer to her,” Boyaner, who had been estranged from her mother until she made a promise to look after her to her sister, says in the documentary.
A bit later in the documentary one of the adult women who is her mother’s full-time caregiver asks, “Who’s going to take care of me?” when she gets old like her mother since she has no children. The producers found participants among their circle of friends and their friends. When asked about the goal of the documentary a spokesperson explained by phone that they hoped to remind viewers that when they look at their aged parents they remember who they were and that they are still those same people inside.
Made with the fiscal support of The Film Collaborative and Kickstarter funding. The film was written, directed and produced by Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Boyaner (Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson). Barbara Green (A Finished Life: The Goodbye and No Regrets Tour) served as cinematographer, editor and producer. Katie Ford (Miss Congeniality) and Wendy Zipes Hunter (Voices of Parkland) were producers. The original score composed by Joanna Katcher (Nice Manners) featuring songs by Danielle Ate The Sandwich. Maxine Lapiduss, Aaron Lustig and Barb Held were executive producers.
Gravitas Ventures (North American), a Red Arrow Studios Company, will distribute the documentary due to be released on video on demand (VOD) in the United States June 1, 2021 on iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, and Vimeo.
Posted by Elena del Valle on May 19, 2021
Elizabeth Lauder at Stanley Park
Photos: Abernathy & Smyth Publishing
The work of Elizabeth Cameron Lauder, a Canadian artist known for her oil on semi-precious stone and watercolors, is featured posthumously in two recently published softcover books: Elizabeth Lauder: Memoirs of a Plein Air Painter Volume One Watercolors (Abernathy & Smyth Publishing, $59.95) and Volume Two Oil on Semi-Precious Stone (Abernathy & Smyth Publishing, $69.95) edited by J.R. Boleyn, her life partner. Two additional volumes completing the series of four are scheduled to be published by year’s end.
Volume One includes 125 color images and Volume Two includes 200 images. Most pages feature a single image of her art. Many of the photos were taken and selected for inclusion by the artist, according to Boleyn who responded to questions via email.
“What defines Elizabeth, and separates her from other artists in that regard, was her ability to incorporate the stone itself as part of the final painting,” said Boleyn. “A prime example of that is the painting titled ‘Renaissance Girl’ (Volume One, page 117) where the wreath around the subjects head is the actual rubies embedded in the imperial jade stone. This made Elizabeth’s work unique in all the world, and why it became so valuable. She was the first!”
Elizabeth Lauder Volume One
All of her rock paintings in Volume Two and watercolors in Volume One have been previously sold to private collectors in over eighty countries. The artist owned a studio in Quartzsite, Arizona a town known for its international gem and mineral shows.
J.R. Boleyn, publisher, Abernathy & Smyth
“I have in my personal collection, which will be featured in her ‘Volume Three’ to be published by late summer, over 200 originals that will be for sale,” said Boleyn. “Yes, they are all watercolors, over 200 signed originals ranging in size from 8 x 11 to 22 x 30 and sizes in between, priced at a minimum $550 for the smallest to $4,500 for the larger sizes.”
According to promotional materials, she is a relative of film director James Cameron. Her work has been exhibited around the world and sold through Sotheby’s Fine Art Auctions and Sotheby’s Private Contemporary Artist’s Sales in New York and London. Her art has been collected by patrons in over eighty countries around the world, according to a press release that also indicates Elizabeth’s watercolors are currently under consideration for permanent exhibition in the National Gallery of Canada.
Elizabeth Lauder Volume Two
The art was compiled by Boleyn, an American songwriter, author, and founder of Abernathy and Smyth. Born April 8, 1948, in Ontario, Elizabeth’s first 18 years were spent growing up on a farm in the Caledon Hills where she was inspired by pastoral landscapes and abrupt and beautiful dramatic seasonal changes. Her formal education was completed in 1971 with an associate’s degree in sculpture from the Ontario College of Art and Design. The following year Elizabeth moved to the west coast, trading chisels and bronze for brushes and palette.
Already distinguished for her watercolors of Vancouver’s cherry blossoms, she spent the next seven years traveling throughout Mexico and painting southwest mining scenes. According to her website she was inspired by her travels to paint on massive slabs of semi-precious stone.
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on May 10, 2021
Sofia Tafich, freelance journalist, WhoWhatWhy
Photo: Sofia Tafich
A podcast interview with Sofia Tafich, freelance journalist, WhoWhatWhy, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. She discusses the low representation of Latinx authors in the United States with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico Sofia has written about culture and arts for The Austin Chronicle, including a print cover story about the pandemic’s effect on the film and television industry. She was a web content writer at University of Texas Austin’s History Department and content writer at Overlooked Beauty. She loves writing about women and Latinx issues, entertainment, arts and culture.
To listen to the interview, scroll down and click on the play button below. You can listen by looking for “Podcast” then select “HMPR Sofia Tafich” and download the MP3 file to your audio player. You can also find it on the RSS feed. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the May 2021 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on May 3, 2021
Tony Hereau, vice president of Cross-Platform Insights, Nielsen
Photo: Nielsen
A podcast interview with Tony Hereau, vice president of Cross-Platform Insights, Nielsen, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. He discusses podcast insights with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
In his job Tony strives to demonstrate the impact that audio has on media investment, marketing execution, and sales outcomes. He has over 20 years of experience in the buying and selling of media, championed the radio reach story via the Total Audience Report, and most recently developed a measurement service for the podcasting industry.
To listen to the interview, scroll down and click on the play button below. You can listen by looking for “Podcast” then select “HMPR Tony Hereau” and download the MP3 file to your audio player. You can also find it on the RSS feed. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the May 2021 section of the podcast archive.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 19, 2021
Robert Knight, P.h.D., director, Florida Springs Institute
Photo: Florida Springs Institute
A podcast interview with Robert Knight, P.h.D., director, Florida Springs Institute, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses the impact of groundwater withdrawals to Florida springs with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast. Scroll down for a PDF file to accompany the podcast.
Bob is the founder of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute, “a nonprofit program dedicated to supporting science and education necessary for restoration and wise management of Florida’s artesian springs.” He is an environmental scientist with more than 38 years of professional experience in Florida, including detailed ecological studies at more than 20 large springs. He is former adjunct professor at the University of Florida Department of Environmental Engineering and Sciences where he taught graduate level classes on the ecology of Florida’s springs and wetlands.
To listen to the interview, scroll down and click on the play button below. You can listen by looking for “Podcast” then select “HMPR Robert Knight, P.h.D.” and download the MP3 file to your audio player. You can also find it on the RSS feed. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the April 2021 section of the podcast archive.
Click here for PDF file.
Posted by Elena del Valle on April 14, 2021
A scene in Missing
Photo: Mhz Choice
Missing, a dark and suspenseful four-part series in Swedish with English subtitles, is available on international streaming website Mhz Choice. The inspector and lead character is played by Helena Bergström. Her character is a police detective originally from the area who now works in the city. Visiting a friend and her daughter she was asked to take over a case after an unexpected event in the police department leaves a void in their ranks.
Each 44-minute episode explores personal relationships as well as an unsolved death and later in the series a disappearance. No copyright free for editorial publication video clip was available. A short description of the series was available: “Police inspector Maja Silver returns to her hometown in the Swedish Bible Belt as a terrible discovery paralyzes the small community.”
