Nelson Varas-Díaz

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Nelson Varas-Díaz

Santiago Marqués

On September 20, 2017 hurricane María hit the island of Puerto Rico with category four winds. The local government reported the number of dead at 64, while a Harvard University lead study estimated 4645. This film tells the story of the research team that completed this historic study from the perspective of Dr. Domingo Marqués, the only team member to experience the hurricane firsthand. See how the local government, echoing an anti-science agenda in the broader US, reacted to the now famous study, and how a country that distrusts scientists prepares for the next catastrophic event.

Particular Friendships

Mark Padilla, Nelson Varas-Díaz

Susan entered the convent as a naive young woman. There she established a “particular friendship” that would send her on a path of self discovery. Religion, transgression, sexuality, censorship, love and happiness, become intertwined in this short biographical documentary film. Through Susan, we revisit the importance of being unafraid, at all stages of our lives.

Songs of Injustice: Heavy Metal Music in Latin America

Nelson Varas-Díaz

Alonso Herrera, Eloy Arturo

In this documentary film a team of researchers examine the social contexts that influenced the emergence and permanence of heavy metal music in Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Peru. Colonialism, dictatorships, terrorism and neoliberal exploitation serve as points of reference for how heavy metal in the region has been directly linked to each country's social and political context.