Hispanic enthusiasts put Whanganui on the map
Whanganui's Hispanic enthusiasts Marilyn Wilkie (back row left), Antonio Salas, Beverley Stuart, Andrea Gardner (front left) and Queralt Scott.
The Latin America & Spain Film Festival opens in Whanganui on Thursday starting with Son of the Bride (El Hijo de la Novia) and No Filter (Sin filtro) will screen next Saturday afternoon.
The free festival has now been running in New Zealand for 15 years and while other towns of similar size miss out, Whanganui audiences get to host the festival thanks to a group of Hispanic enthusiasts.
Queralt Scott from Barcelona moved here with her Whanganui-born husband and their children after living in Majorca and she teaches Spanish at Whanganui High School.
Antonio Salas has lived in Whanganui for seven years with his wife and two children and is keen for people to know more about his homeland of Chile.
Andrea Gardner is well-known in the community as an artist and art educator and many of her works have been inspired by residencies in Mexico, Colombia and Bolivia.
Beverly Stuart lived for 12 years in Peru and has run many trips to Peru for locals and students.
The final member of the group is Marilyn Wilkie, who, along with Queralt and Beverly, has been a Spanish teacher at Whanganui High School.
Ms Wilkie and Ms Stuart are currently working on a South American recipe book.
This will be the fourth year the group has brought the film festival to Whanganui.
Ms Wilke says the group was delighted to see the All Blacks recently caught on Twitter ordering hot chocolate and green tea in Spanish at a café in Buenos Aires.
"We organise the festival to encourage other New Zealanders to enjoy learning about the Hispanic world," she says.
Feature films from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador and Spain and will screen until November 11.
The free screenings will be at the Davis Theatre in Watt St at 7pm on Thursdays and 4pm on Saturdays and there will be a fiesta celebration attended by Chilean ambassador Rodrigo Espinosaat the Sarjeant Gallery next Saturday, October 21.
The festival schedule and movie details can be picked up from the Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui District Library, i-Site and from local cafes, or by going to lasffnz.co.nz.
By Liz Wylie
Wanganui Chronicle 17/10/17
Scheduled viewings of Latin America & Spain Film Festival 2017
