Documentaries DVDs on Spanish Topics

Documentaries DVDs on Spanish Topics (in English)

#5958 Latin American History & Culture - Bolivia: La Coca, Alimento de los Pobres (Run time 60 min.) DVD $49.95

The plight of women in this poverty-ridden nation is examined on varying social and economic levels. A congresswoman discusses her fight against cocaine production and use; a teacher struggles against government apathy toward education; a peasant women reveals the harsh details of her existence. Progress made by women in the area of home business, art, and music is examined, as well as the antiquated customs that keep women subservient. Also available in English. (60 minutes)Spanish


#5959 Latin American History & Culture - Brasil: Sacerdotistas, Sambistas y Mulatas de Brasil (Run time 59 min.) DVD $49.95

This program discusses the lives of two groups of women-the women of northern Bahia and the mulattos of Rio de Janeiro-both descendants of African slaves. In Bahia, voodoo religious practices are revealed, as well as the problems of prostitution and AIDS. In Rio, the program examines the tradition of carnaval and the role of female mulatto samba dancers as sex objects. Also available in English. (59 minutes)Spanish


#5960 Latin American History & Culture - Chilenas: Del Drama a la Esperanza (Run time 59 min.) DVD $49.95

This program examines Chile under martyred socialist President Salvador Allende, and the subsequent Pinochet regime that followed. Allende's niece and novelist, Isabel Allende, exile Hortensia Bussi, Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriela Mistral, and others discuss women's role in the eventual toppling of Pinochet, and the formation of the Latin American Federation of Associations of Families of Prisoners Missing Since 1981-a tracking organization that helps families discover the fate of relatives kidnapped during the Pinochet reign of terror. Also available in English. (59 minutes)Spanish


#5961 Latin American History & Culture - Cuba: Las Hijas de Fidel (Run time 60 min.) DVD $49.95

This program examines the pros and cons of Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution through the eyes of women exiles in Miami and Castro supporters in Cuba. We hear from several women, including an avid anti-Castro exile and a Cuban television reporter, who tell stories of repression under the Castro regime. Health workers and educators discuss the benefits of Castro's policies, and the role of women in the revolution. Also available in English. (60 minutes)Spanish


#5962 Latin American History & Culture - Dominicanas (Run time 60 min.) DVD $49.95

The program examines the Dominican Republic that tourists rarely see-a nation of sex markets, prostitution, poverty, and lack of educational opportunities. The current economic crisis and its effect on middle-class life are discussed, along with efforts currently under way to alleviate the social and economic problems. We hear from women on all levels of society, from prostitutes to the Vice President of the Dominican Revolutionary Party, who discuss rarely seen facets of Dominican life. Also available in English. (60 minutes)Spanish


#5963 Latin American History & Culture - Guatemala Silenciada (Run time 57 min.) DVD $49.95

Stratification of women in Guatemalan society is the subject of this program. It examines the submissiveness of upper-class women; a new emerging middle class who are defying tradition and cultural expectations to fight for their equal rights; and the indigenous population, who are segregated and discriminated against. Scenes and descriptions of sexual abuse among lower economic groups are graphic, as are descriptions of political terror. Women refugees in Mexico discuss the terror that drove them into exile. Also available in English. (57 minutes)Spanish


#5964 Latin American History & Culture - Mexico: La Rebelion de la Llorona (Run time 60 min.) DVD $49.95

This is the story of Mexican women who have fought, and continue to fight, for equality and women's rights. They are women looking for children kidnapped during political pogroms, journalists, writers, and political activists. Machismo and the resulting sexism, as well as Catholicism and its perpetuation of the myth of the Virgin Mary as the standard for feminine behavior, are discussed as social factors contributing to the continued subjugation of Mexican women. Also available in English. (60 minutes)Spanish


#5965 Latin American History & Culture - Ecuador: La Mujer Indigena (Run time 59 min.) DVD $49.95

Isolated in jungles, or crowded into large cities, Latin American Indians constitute the most exploited sector of society. This program traces the harsh life of indigenous women from several tribes, including the Otavalan, Puruha, and Quechua of Ecuador, from pre-Columbian times to the present. Topics discussed include rape as an ongoing practice; labor exploitation; the effects of acculturation; and racial and sexual discrimination. Also available in English. (59 minutes)Spanish


#5966 Latin American History & Culture - Nicaragua: Del Rojo al Violeta (Run time 58 min.) DVD $49.95

This program follows the progress of women's rights and equal employment from the Contra war through the term of former president Violeta Chamorro. A former Sandinista fighter who lost a foot laying mines for the Contras wants the government to give her a job; a woman displaced from her job by men returning from the war objects; another whose daughter was murdered by the Somozist Guard wants justice. Dozens of others tell their stories, as Chamorro defends her coalition government's policies toward women against criticism by feminists, who seek a wider role in political and social decision-making. Also available in English. (58 minutes)Spanish


#5967 Latin American History & Culture - Peru: La Colera del Hambre (Run time 60 min.) DVD $49.95

In today's Peru, a country scourged by unemployment, political violence, and drug trafficking, the ability of the women to face the worsening societal and economic crisis is cause for admiration. This program looks at the noble efforts of city women in general, as they prepare community meals, work at menial jobs to support families, run employment workshops, and provide counseling for abused women, pregnant teenagers, and refugees fleeing war in the provinces. It also examines the importance of the coca leaf to the rural Peruvian economy. Also available in English. (60 minutes)Spanish


#5968 Latin American History & Culture - Puerto Rico: El Paraiso Invadido (Run time 59 min.) DVD $49.95

This program examines the work of the resolute women of the Puerto Rican independence movement. The first woman mayor of San Juan, Felisa Rincon, discusses problems of delinquency and crime within the culture, and how women are contributing to a solution. Feminism and women's rights in the areas of divorce, abortion, and employment are examined, along with racism experienced by Puerto Ricans in the U.S. Also available in English. (59 minutes)Spanish


#5969 Latin American History & Culture - Ser Madre en America Latina (Run time 59 min.) DVD $49.95

This program discusses reproduction and motherhood in the hyper-patriarchal societies of Latin America. Women on different economic and social levels discuss such topics as working mothers, and how the extended family contributes to child-rearing; the sterilization movement; abortion; gay parenting; manipulation of women's reproductive rights by governments; and how access to medical services varies from country to country. Also available in English. (59 minutes)Spanish


#5970 Latin American History & Culture - Venezuela: Del Siglo 21 a la Prehistoria (Run time 58 min.) DVD $49.95

In 1524, Venezuela was the first country with a woman ruler-on Margarita Island. Beginning there, this program traces the role of women in the nation's profitable oil industry, and their struggle with oil companies to protect the environment. The discussion is then extended to what general economic opportunities (or lack of them) are available to women within the culture-from drug smuggling to engineering-and the ongoing racism and violence that keep many women living in poverty. Also available in English. (58 minutes)Spanish


#38721 Spanish Language - Mireia de Barcelona-in Spanish (Run time 11 min.) DVD $49.95

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a city of contrasts. In this program, a young woman named Mireia shows off her hometown-the Gothic quarter, Gaudi's Parque Guell, the Olympic village, and the famous street called La Rambla. Afterward, she invites viewers to join her at theater rehearsal, where her amateur troupe is preparing for the musical La Moulin Rouge. Mireia also shares her desire to become a screenwriter and her concern about the future of Catalonian, a language in which she is also fluent. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (Spanish, 11 minutes)


#38722 Spanish Language - Adrian de Santiago de Compostela-in Spanish (Run time 11 min.) DVD $49.95

Santiago de Compostela is a small but welcoming city. In this program, a young man named Adrian introduces viewers to the capital of Galicia, known for its cathedral and the many pilgrims it attracts. He then heads for the beach to indulge his passion for surfing, after which he pursues another love-for TV, radio, and film. At a school for audiovisual production, Adrian works on a short movie he is producing. The program concludes with Adrian, who is also a scout leader, on a camping trip with his troop. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (Spanish, 11 minutes)


#38723 Spanish Language - Anabel de Forcall-in Spanish (Run time 11 min.) DVD $49.95

Anabel is a young woman who works at the city hall in Forcall, but her duties often take her to places like the nearby town of Cinctorres. This program focuses mainly on Anabel's energetic efforts at promoting tourism and commerce by organizing fairs and other events and helping small businesses get funding. While in Cinctorres, she shows viewers a model of a proposed wind farm and visits a small government-subsidized footwear factory. Afterward, Anabel plays some racquetball and then goes on a hike with her boyfriend, Ivan. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (Spanish, 11 minutes)


#38724 Spanish Language - David de Valls-in Spanish (Run time 11 min.) DVD $49.95

This program introduces viewers to a skillful young automotive painter named David, and the town of Valls is his home. David invites viewers to come over to his house and meet his family and his animal friends-dogs, cats, and chickens-before heading to the beach with his buddy Juanjo and his girlfriend Marta. After swimming in the ocean and having a snack together, David and Marta join up with their colla castellera, a team that is in training to make tall human towers in the traditional Catalonian way. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (Spanish, 11 minutes)


#38725 Spanish Language - Estrella de Sevilla-in Spanish (Run time 11 min.) DVD $49.95

Seville-Columbus's port, birthplace of the fictional Don Juan, a city of Moorish architecture and orange blossoms! This program spotlights Estrella, a young woman in love with her hometown. She also loves to ride horses and shop with her friend Miriam. The cameras follow her from stable to stores-including a boutique owned by her mother and father. Then, Estrella and her friend Gabriela practice flamenco dancing in anticipation of Seville's annual April Fair. The program concludes with Estrella talking about her desire to work in veterinary medicine or fashion. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (Spanish, 11 minutes)


#38726 Spanish Language - Alejandro de Madrid-in Spanish (Run time 11 min.) DVD $49.95

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is also Spain's largest city. In this program, a young man named Alejandro gives viewers a quick tour on his way to work, pointing out the Plaza de Cibeles, the Museo del Prado, the Puerta de Alcala, the Congreso de los Diputados, and other sights. At his family's cafe/bar, he waits tables and works in the kitchen. At closing time, Alejandro meets up with his girlfriend, Maria, and other friends-all of them music lovers-in the Parque del Buen Retiro. Later on, Alejandro invites viewers to join him while he and his rock band practice. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (Spanish, 11 minutes)


#2415 Spanish History & Culture - Archive of the New World (Run time 18 min.) DVD $69.95

Ferdinand and Isabella bestowed on Seville the monopoly for trade with the New World. This led to the establishment of the National Archive housing the enormous wealth of documents relating to Spain's role in the discovery, conquest, exploration, and governance of the Western Hemisphere. The program shows some of these extraordinary originals: the order for the provision and provisioning of two caravels to be commanded by Christopher Columbus, signed by the King and Queen on April 30, 1492; the Papal Bull of 1493 and the subsequent Treaty of Tordesillas; Magellan's letter to the King regarding his proposed voyage around South America; Cortes' letter to Charles V about events in Havana and Mexico; a letter accompanying six emeralds sent by Pizarro to the Emperor; and a request by Cervantes for a commission in the Indies-to whose denial the world owes much great literature. (18 minutes)


#2499 Spanish History & Culture - The Defeat of the Spanish Armada: Twelve Summer Days, 1588 (Run time 56 min.) DVD $69.95

In the summer of 1588, Philip II of Spain sent an armada of 130 ships to England in order to avenge the death of Mary Stuart, remove Elizabeth from the English throne, and reestablish Catholicism in England. A smaller fleet of English ships, led by Sir Francis Drake, met the Spanish armada off the southern coast of England. The battle was joined on July 31 and raged with uncertain results until a series of storms dispersed the Spanish fleet. This program covers the events of this critical battle as the television news would have covered them, with military correspondents, weathermen, and studio reporters, as well as computer graphic reenactments and period paintings. (56 minutes)


#3916 Spanish History & Culture - Palma de Mallorca (Run time 28 min.) DVD $69.95

The government and the language are Spanish, but the mood is different here: an unresolved but thoroughly charming mixture of antiquity and modernity, of mysterious ancient ruins and the latest fads, of traditional reserve and jet-set frivolity-a rock-solid island that was a place before the tourists came and that will outlast them. (28 minutes)


#36392 Spanish History & Culture - Francisco Ayala: A Tribute-in Spanish (Run time 13 min.) DVD $69.95

In March of 2006, the Spanish novelist, journalist, and sociologist Francisco Ayala celebrated his 100th birthday. This program provides students of literature with a compelling look at the writer's life and work. Rarely viewed archival photos and footage are combined with insightful commentary from literary scholars, including Antonio Sanchez, professor of literature at the University of Granada; Manuel Angel Vazquez, professor of Spanish literature at the University of Seville; and Carolyn Richmond, renowned anthologist and Spanish literature expert as well as Ayala's wife and translator. Ayala himself is also interviewed. (Spanish, 12 minutes)


#870 Spanish Literature & Drama - Aunt Misery (Portugal) (Run time min.) DVD $69.95

A story from Portugal to explain why joy and laughter exist despite all the misery in the world. This is the story of Aunt Misery, a poor peasant woman whose only valuable possession is her orange tree. One day, a stranger came and asked for lodging for the night. Unstintingly, Aunt Misery shared what little she had and received, in return, one wish: that whoever climbed into her tree to steal oranges would be trapped. When Death comes to take Aunt Misery, she is tricked into climbing the tree. Aunt Misery will only release Death on one condition... (26 minutes)


#873 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Enchanted Flute (Spain) (Run time min.) DVD $69.95

A story from the Basque country of Spain about how a poor boy became King by being generous and kind. Because his family was very poor, Eniko set out to make his way in the world, taking with him all his parents could give him: a two-penny coin, a load of corn bread, and the warning always to help those less fortunate than he. Through his sweetness and generosity, he came to possess the enchanted flute, with which he was able to outwit the cruel Phantom King and wed his lovely daughter. (26 minutes)


#2172 Latin American History & Culture - Carlos Chavez (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

Here is a portrait of the man whose music is synonymous with the sound of Mexico. Founder of Mexico's two national symphony orchestras, Chavez also translated European forms like the ballet, symphony, and opera into the Mexican idiom by combining classical musical ideas with the folklore, rhythms, and modalities of Mexico. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2179 Latin American History & Culture - El Peregrinaje de las Flores (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

A trip through the canals of Xochimilco introduces one of Mexico City's loveliest sights. As the boats with their exotic flowers ease their way to market, the flower vendors retell some of the ancient legends about the magic of the flowers. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2180 Latin American History & Culture - Taxco (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

This brilliant white mining town, tucked away in the Mexican sierras, is the home of Mexico's silver industry. The delicate jewelry made by its local artisans is world-renowned. This program looks at silversmithing but also at Taxco's other interesting sights: the Cathedral, the mines, the restaurants that front on the main square. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2181 Latin American History & Culture - Cholula (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

Located south of Mexico City, Cholula is best known for its 365 churches, which date from Colonial and neo-Colonial times, and its large international university. It is the contrast between these, its European architecture and the lifestyle of its indigenous population, that give Cholula its uniqueness. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2183 Latin American History & Culture - El Palacio de Cortez (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

Cortez had his palace built in Cuernavaca, the city of eternal spring. Today it stands as a fascinating museum, documenting the life and history of the Spaniards in Mexico. This program provides a walk backward in time culminating in Rivera's mural, which brings to life the events and heroic deeds of the Declaration of Independence. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2186 Latin American History & Culture - Siqueiros (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

Jose David Alfaro Siqueiros was the Mexican muralist par excellence, making it an art form that is at once monumental and personal in scale. Drawing on the pre-Hispanic roots of Mexican culture, he played a leading role in the political revolution of the '30s; the power of his art to persuade is testimony to the powerful voice of his art. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2187 Latin American History & Culture - Rufino Tamayo (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

Tamayo, who was born in Oaxaca, captured the beauty inherent in the simplicity of indigenous Mexico. This program covers a broad range of his work, showing his style and technical mastery while focusing on his ability to reveal the pain and hardship underlying the beauty that is Mexico, and the beauty underlying the pain. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2306 Latin American History & Culture - La Muerte de Zapata (Run time 60 min.) DVD $89.95

This program treats in fully dramatized fashion the life, career, and historical role of the man who played so pivotal a role in the Mexican Revolution. As with many martyrs, Zapata achieved his fullest influence only after his death-in his case, at the hands of assassins. In Spanish. (60 minutes)


#5866 Latin American History & Culture - Cuba: The Broken Image (Run time 46 min.) DVD $89.95

This program gathers together the most representative of exiled Cuban filmmakers, who recount their personal experiences of having to abandon their work and start a new life away from their country, culture, and natural environment. The program features clips of their films and photographs as it takes viewers on a journey from Cuba in the late 1950s to the lives of the filmmakers today. Although Castro encouraged the development of a state-sponsored cinema in Cuba, opening doors for many talented filmmakers, his policies towards intellectuals led many of these same filmmakers to abandon the island, leaving behind a broken image, an interrupted flow of creativity which some were able to find again abroad but others were not. (Spanish with English subtitles, 46 minutes)


#37098 Latin American History & Culture - Eduardo Galeano-in Spanish (Run time 27 min.) DVD $89.95

Articulating his profound and compelling worldview, Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano imbues this program with a poetic sensibility and an unconstrained intellectual curiosity. Ruminations on prehistoric gender roles, global warming, and the twilight of socialism underscore Galeano's notion of disabled memory-his term for the reshaping of history according to one's fears and prejudices-as well as his thoughts on humanity's chances for survival. The author of Memory of Fire and Open Veins of Latin America also contemplates the effects of Uruguay's past military dictatorship, which imprisoned him and subsequently forced him into 11 years of exile. (Spanish, 27 minutes)


#37110 Latin American History & Culture - Jorge Edwards-in Spanish (Run time 27 min.) DVD $89.95

Drawing upon his own past as well as the history of Latin America, Chilean novelist and journalist Jorge Edwards shares unique perspectives forged at the crossroads of literature and social commentary. Edwards describes his secretive and book-filled childhood, his overbearing father, his admiration for the Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno, and his equal reverence for Pablo Neruda-while rejecting the latter's fondness for Stalinist thought and dismissing Marxism for its "bad analysis of the future." The author also sheds light on the literary turmoil surrounding Persona Non Grata, his memoir about the Castro regime. (Spanish, 27 minutes)


#37111 Latin American History & Culture - Jorge Edwards-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 27 min.) DVD $89.95

Drawing upon his own past as well as the history of Latin America, Chilean novelist and journalist Jorge Edwards shares unique perspectives forged at the crossroads of literature and social commentary. Edwards describes his secretive and book-filled childhood, his overbearing father, his admiration for the Spanish writer Miguel de Unamuno, and his equal reverence for Pablo Neruda-while rejecting the latter's fondness for Stalinist thought and dismissing Marxism for its "bad analysis of the future." The author also sheds light on the literary turmoil surrounding Persona Non Grata, his memoir about the Castro regime. (Spanish with English subtitles, 27 minutes)


#151 Latin American Literature & Drama - Pablo Neruda: Fulgor y muerte de Joaquin Murrieta (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Neruda's play celebrates an episode in Chilean history, embellishing the actual events of the California Gold Rush and transforming a story of prejudice and murder into a memorial saga. An RTVE production. Dramatization in Spanish. (60 minutes)


#152 Latin American Literature & Drama - Hernandez: Martin Fierro (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

This, the Argentine national epic and the finest example of gauchesca poetry, celebrates the free-spirited mestizo cowboy of the pampas, a man of few possessions beyond his pride and his guitar. The program provides a stunning rendition of the poem, which is both the narrative of one man and the story of a nation and a culture. An RTVE production. Dramatization in Spanish. (60 minutes)


#153 Latin American Literature & Drama - Jorge Luis Borges: El hombre de la esquina rosada (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

This is one of Borges' finest short stories; its subject is the world of the gaucho; passion, murder, and the ceaseless rhythm of cafe dancing are diffracted through the author's surrealistic lens. An RTVE production. Dramatization in Spanish. (60 minutes)


#155 Latin American Literature & Drama - Carpentier: El derecho de asilo (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

The master "magical realist" on the subject of a Latin American coup; the story features an opportunistic escapee who takes refuge at a neighboring consulate inhabited by a dim-witted ambassador and his attractive wife. An RTVE production. Dramatization in Spanish. (60 minutes)


#156 Latin American Literature & Drama - Cortazar: Cartas de Mama (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

An example of Cortazar's portrayals of guilt and passion, this story is set in Paris, where the Spanish protagonists live and are dominated by fears and doubts reawakened by letters from the hero's mother. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#157 Latin American Literature & Drama - Sabato: El Tunel (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Sabato's first novel introduces the theme of the artist who becomes insane because of his inability to communicate. The protagonist, a painter who becomes the lover of a blind man's wife, is blinded by his own personal and artistic goals. The film traces the convoluted route by which love turns to hatred. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#177 Latin American Literature & Drama - Cortazar: Entrevista (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Cortazar gave few interviews. Here the Argentinian exile-writer discussed his sources, inspirations, and forms; how an idea would come to him like a strain of music; how a novel, like a tree, forms branches from branches-something that could not have been foreseen from the trunk alone. Biography in Spanish. (60 minutes)


#783 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gutierrez: Juan Moreira (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Another example of the gauchesca myth. Here the gaucho hero seeks to redress the injustices inflicted by the bands of criminals who purported to be unifying 19th-century Argentina. In the effort, Moreira is brutalized and ultimately destroyed. Dramatization in Spanish. (1 hour 44 minutes)


#2149 Latin American Literature & Drama - Carlos Fuentes: Man of Two Worlds (Run time 49 min.) DVD $89.95

Mexico City and Washington, D.C., are the backdrops for this portrait of this major figure on the contemporary Latin American and world literary scenes. Fuentes talks about the influence of Latin American writers on his writing, notably Sor Juana, Ruben Dario, and Pablo Neruda, and of his own experiences growing up in the United States and teaching here. He evaluates his own major works and their place in Latin American literary history. (49 minutes)


#4952 Latin American Literature & Drama - Carlos Fuentes (Run time 30 min.) DVD $89.95

Carlos Fuentes, the celebrated writer from Mexico, has created a role for himself as interpreter of North and South America, explaining each to the other, looking at their conflicts from both sides of the border. Raised in Washington, D.C., where his father was a Mexican diplomat, he is a man of and between two worlds, both a foreign visitor to the U.S. and a native son. In this program with Bill Moyers, Fuentes offers his views on the economic and political prospects of Latin America. (30 minutes)


#7607 Latin American Literature & Drama - Mario Benedetti (Run time 41 min.) DVD $89.95

One of the most prolific writers in Latin America, Benedetti works in all literary forms, from novels like La Tregua to journalism, poetry, and literary criticism. Benedetti, like his contemporary Fernandez Retamar, was among the Latin American writers who looked to the Cuban revolution for inspiration. In this interview, Benedetti talks about the Cuban revolution, once an inspiration to him but now viewed by many as a failed experiment. Benedetti is a learned scholar, and his views on Latin American literature are intriguing and controversial. (Spanish, 41 minutes)


#7608 Latin American Literature & Drama - Roberto Fernandez Retamar (Run time 27 min.) DVD $89.95

This program presents the distinguished and controversial Cuban poet, literary critic, and essayist whose work is so closely connected with the Cuban revolution. Fernandez Retamar's most famous essay, "Caliban," became a manifesto for Latin American writers. Caliban, the savage of Shakespeare's The Tempest, becomes in the author's hands a metaphor of the cultural situation of Latin Americans-Caliban is oppressed and a potential revolutionary. Here is Fernandez Retamar, somewhat mellowed by age, talking about his work, the Castro's Cuba, and Latin American literature. Also available with English subtitles. (27 minutes, color)


#7609 Latin American Literature & Drama - Augusto Roa Bastos (Run time 46 min.) DVD $89.95

In this interview, we meet the eminent Paraguayan writer, Augusto Roa Bastos, who, in his short stories and two novels-Hijo de Hombre and Yo el Supremo-uses a rich, experimental language to create a vast, complex, and interrelated world. Roa Bastos explores a familiar theme of the Latin American writer: the violence, injustice, and repression of Spanish colonial society. The depth of his analysis and the strength of his talent rank him among the best narrators of the story of Spanish America. (Spanish, 46 minutes)


#8206 Latin American Literature & Drama - Luisa Valenzuela (Run time 33 min.) DVD $89.95

"Luisa Valenzuela's books contain much of our present ... and much of our future," wrote Julio Cortazar of the writer considered by many to be one of Argentine culture's foremost modern interpreters. In this program, Valenzuela talks about her life as a writer and analyzes several of her works within the context of four basic influences-history, politics, sex, and feminism. She discusses literary censorship under a repressive military regime, and compares ideas present in the writings of Fuentes, Borges, Garcia Marquez, Ocampo, and Orozco with those in several of her own works, including We Must Smile, The Lizard's Tail, and Environmental Bar. (Spanish, 33 minutes)


#8290 Latin American Literature & Drama - Mario Benedetti (Run time 38 min.) DVD $89.95

One of the most prolific writers in Latin America, Benedetti works in all literary forms, from novels like La Tregua to journalism, poetry, and literary criticism. Benedetti, like his contemporary Fernandez Retamar, was among the Latin American writers who looked to the Cuban revolution for inspiration. In this interview, Benedetti talks about the Cuban revolution, once an inspiration to him but now viewed by many as a failed experiment. Benedetti is a learned scholar, and his views on Latin American literature are intriguing and controversial. (Spanish with English subtitles, 38 minutes)


#8291 Latin American Literature & Drama - Augusto Roa Bastos (Run time 46 min.) DVD $89.95

In this interview, we meet the eminent Paraguayan writer, Augusto Roa Bastos, who, in his short stories and two novels-Hijo de Hombre and Yo el Supremo-uses a rich, experimental language to create a vast, complex, and interrelated world. Roa Bastos explores a familiar theme of the Latin American writer: the violence, injustice, and repression of Spanish colonial society. The depth of his analysis and the strength of his talent rank him among the best narrators of the story of Spanish America. (Spanish with English subtitles, 46 minutes)


#8292 Latin American Literature & Drama - Luisa Valenzuela (Run time 33 min.) DVD $89.95

"Luisa Valenzuela's books contain much of our present ... and much of our future," wrote Julio Cortazar of the writer considered by many to be one of Argentine culture's foremost modern interpreters. In this program, Valenzuela talks about her life as a writer and analyzes several of her works within the context of four basic influences-history, politics, sex, and feminism. She discusses literary censorship under a repressive military regime, and compares ideas present in the writings of Fuentes, Borges, Garcia Marquez, Ocampo, and Orozco with those in several of her own works, including We Must Smile, The Lizard's Tail, and Environmental Bar. (Spanish with English subtitles, 33 minutes)


#8968 Latin American Literature & Drama - Roberto Fernandez Retamar (Run time 27 min.) DVD $89.95

This program presents the distinguished and controversial Cuban poet, literary critic, and essayist whose work is so closely connected with the Cuban revolution. Fernandez Retamar's most famous essay, "Caliban," became a manifesto for Latin American writers. Caliban, the savage of Shakespeare's The Tempest, becomes in the author's hands a metaphor of the cultural situation of Latin Americans-Caliban is oppressed and a potential revolutionary. Here is Fernandez Retamar, somewhat mellowed by age, talking about his work, Castro's Cuba, and Latin American literature. (Spanish with English subtitles, 27 minutes)


#11379 Latin American Literature & Drama - Instrucciones para John Howell (Run time 71 min.) DVD $89.95

The Latin American novelists who emerged during the early 1960s had one aim in common: to challenge their readers and make them reexamine the stereotypes of earlier literature. This classic dramatization of Julio Cortazar's Absurdist short story recounts the bizarre misadventures-or are they imaginings?-of a museum tour guide given to extreme flights of fancy. An RTVE production. (Spanish, 71 minutes)


#37090 Latin American Literature & Drama - Carlos Fuentes-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

In this program, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes offers insights into the writing of his book La Region mas Transparente, the Boom and Latin American literature, the elevated importance of writers living under dictatorship, his identity as a speaker of Spanish, and the organic unity of the Spanish language. The author of La Silla del Aguila, Diana o la Cazadora Solitaria, El Naranjo, Gringo Viejo, and La Muerte de Artemio Cruz also airs his views on a wide range of additional topics, including internationalism, diversity in Latin American cultural identity, Hernan Cortes and his role in the founding of the Mexican nationality, the superiority of Spanish over English, his love of cinema, and his strong dislike of e-mail. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#37091 Latin American Literature & Drama - Carlos Fuentes-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

In this program, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes offers insights into the writing of his book La Region mas Transparente, the Boom and Latin American literature, the elevated importance of writers living under dictatorship, his identity as a speaker of Spanish, and the organic unity of the Spanish language. The author of La Silla del Aguila, Diana o la Cazadora Solitaria, El Naranjo, Gringo Viejo, and La Muerte de Artemio Cruz also airs his views on a wide range of additional topics, including internationalism, diversity in Latin American cultural identity, Hernan Cortes and his role in the founding of the Mexican nationality, the superiority of Spanish over English, his love of cinema, and his strong dislike of e-mail. (Spanish with English subtitles, 26 minutes)


#37092 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gonzalo Rojas-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Addressing themes too often neglected in our technology-worshiping global culture, Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas exemplifies the complexity of 20th-century Latin American literature. This program records Rojas' musings on his life in poetry and the manifold settings and circumstances in which he has worked. The Cervantes Prize winner and author of The Misery of Man, Against Death, and Dark contemplates the importance of physical sensations and actions-such as writing by hand instead of typing-when composing verse, as well as the difference between ambiguity and confusion in literature and life. He also shares his thoughts on the self-imposed exile of his youth. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37093 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gonzalo Rojas-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Addressing themes too often neglected in our technology-worshiping global culture, Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas exemplifies the complexity of 20th-century Latin American literature. This program records Rojas' musings on his life in poetry and the manifold settings and circumstances in which he has worked. The Cervantes Prize winner and author of The Misery of Man, Against Death, and Dark contemplates the importance of physical sensations and actions-such as writing by hand instead of typing-when composing verse, as well as the difference between ambiguity and confusion in literature and life. He also shares his thoughts on the self-imposed exile of his youth. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#37094 Latin American Literature & Drama - Antonio Skarmeta-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Exploring themes of loss and personal transformation, Chilean novelist Antonio Skarmeta has created a resonant and spiritually optimistic body of work. In this program, Skarmeta shares his views on education, tension between generations, the influence of television, and the implications of his own work. The author of The Victory Dance and of Burning Patience-which became the celebrated film Il Postino-sheds light on the poetic impulse of good storytelling and the need, often experienced in times of adversity, to create private myths. Skarmeta's varied opinions on technology and entertainment are also included. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37095 Latin American Literature & Drama - Antonio Skarmeta-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Exploring themes of loss and personal transformation, Chilean novelist Antonio Skarmeta has created a resonant and spiritually optimistic body of work. In this program, Skarmeta shares his views on education, tension between generations, the influence of television, and the implications of his own work. The author of The Victory Dance and of Burning Patience-which became the celebrated film Il Postino-sheds light on the poetic impulse of good storytelling and the need, often experienced in times of adversity, to create private myths. Skarmeta's varied opinions on technology and entertainment are also included. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#37106 Latin American Literature & Drama - Juan Goytisolo-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Probing the relationship between political and artistic identity, Spanish-born author Juan Goytisolo investigates rarely explored concepts at the heart of Spanish and Latin American culture. This program presents an overview of Goytisolo's outlook on past and present social dilemmas and their connection with his self-exile from his home country. The author of The Young Assassins, Marks of Identity, and Juan the Landless sheds light on artistic and political oppression under Franco and his prescience about the way Spanish fascism would eventually crumble. He also discusses his experiences in France and New York, as well as his views on Latin American anti-colonial movements. (Spanish, 24 minutes)


#37112 Latin American Literature & Drama - Isabel Allende-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Exhibiting remarkable insight into the human condition, Latin American author Isabel Allende fills this program with the same passion and intelligence found in her many novels. Allende confronts issues that trouble not only South and Central America but the planet as a whole, using her poetic voice to articulate compelling views on immigration, religious fundamentalism, the exploitation of women and children, and the resilience of feminism. The author of The House of the Spirits and Of Love and Shadows also discusses how Chilean democracy, made vulnerable by a kind of national amnesia, succumbed to Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37113 Latin American Literature & Drama - Isabel Allende-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Exhibiting remarkable insight into the human condition, Latin American author Isabel Allende fills this program with the same passion and intelligence found in her many novels. Allende confronts issues that trouble not only South and Central America but the planet as a whole, using her poetic voice to articulate compelling views on immigration, religious fundamentalism, the exploitation of women and children, and the resilience of feminism. The author of The House of the Spirits and Of Love and Shadows also discusses how Chilean democracy, made vulnerable by a kind of national amnesia, succumbed to Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#37116 Latin American Literature & Drama - Sergio Pitol-in Spanish (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95

"Childhood is your native land, and language is your native land-the two elements for a writer, of course," says Mexican author Sergio Pitol. In this program, the Cervantes Prize-winning writer reflects on his love of reading, which began at a very young age, and his lifelong admiration for the works of Jules Verne and Thomas Mann. In addition, the author of El Viaje, El Arte de la Fuga, El Desfile del Amor, and La Vida Conyugal shares his thoughts on changes in Mexico over the past several decades, the New French Novel of the 1950s and '60s, and the publishing industry's incessant demand for magical realism, which, to Pitol's relief, has finally abated. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37117 Latin American Literature & Drama - Sergio Pitol-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95

"Childhood is your native land, and language is your native land-the two elements for a writer, of course," says Mexican author Sergio Pitol. In this program, the Cervantes Prize-winning writer reflects on his love of reading, which began at a very young age, and his lifelong admiration for the works of Jules Verne and Thomas Mann. In addition, the author of El Viaje, El Arte de la Fuga, El Desfile del Amor, and La Vida Conyugal shares his thoughts on changes in Mexico over the past several decades, the New French Novel of the 1950s and '60s, and the publishing industry's incessant demand for magical realism, which, to Pitol's relief, has finally abated. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#2176 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - El Enigma de Quetzalcoatl (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

The myths of the man/god Quetzalcoatl play a vital part in the history of both the Aztecs and Mayas. This program examines the role of Quetzalcoatl in these two very different cultures, and his part in paving the way for the Conquest. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2177 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Los Olmecas (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

The Gulf of Mexico coast gave rise to one of the most significant pre-Columbian civilizations, that of the Olmecs. This program looks at the highly-developed Olmec culture, many examples of whose architecture and massive monolithic sculptures still stand today. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2189 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Teotihuacan (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

This program is devoted to the history and the archaeological sites of Teotihuacan, the City of the Gods. Once the largest city in Mesoamerica, birthplace of the creation myth that held sway for over 1,800 years, political and financial hub of a vast tributary network, Teotihuacan disappeared without an explanation, leaving buildings, paintings, and the oral tradition of the Nahuas, which was finally documented in writing 800 years after Teotihuacan had reached its peak. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2190 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Tenochtitlan (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

This program takes viewers through the chief temple of pre-Hispanic Mexico, tracing the myths, rituals, history, and daily life and death of the Aztec civilizations it served. (Spanish, 56 minutes)


#2191 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Monte Alban (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

Monte Alban was the sacred capital of Oaxaca's ancient peoples, whose highly sophisticated and self-contained culture gave rise to Zapotec civilization. Monte Alban's symmetrical urban design demonstrates significant architectural and engineering skills; its mystical religious practices still remain something of an enigma. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2192 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Xochicalco (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

The Aztecs achieved a high degree of sophistication in their astronomical computations, which were carried out in their observatories at Xochicalco. This program looks at the murals and the architectural heritage left by the people of Xochicalco. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#150 Spanish History & Culture - Caudillo: The History of the Spanish Civil War (Run time 110 min.) DVD $89.95

A superb documentary, using much footage hitherto unknown. This is a program that presents both sides of this still-controversial subject in its own words and using its own footage. The result is a solid lesson in history, a moving testimonial to the valor and romanticism of young men, and an indispensable tool for understanding modern Spanish literature and history. (English narration and subtitles, 1 hour 51 minutes)


#892 Spanish History & Culture - Flamenco (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

A magnificent panorama of Flamenco and its performers, for whom the rhythms and lyrics are inherited folklore and part of daily life-but the techniques are studied. There are, in fact, four distinct schools of Flamenco in Spain, filmed here away from tourists in the places where the artists perform for their own. (No narration, 56 minutes)


#964 Spanish History & Culture - Matador (Run time 50 min.) DVD $89.95

A poetic and authentic look at the bullfighter and his bull-the importance of bullfighting in Spanish society; the breeding, rearing, and training of the bull; the human side of the matador; and the countryside and people who have provided a home for bullfighting for countless centuries. The program culminates at a bullfight at the Feria de Abril in Seville. Also available in English. (50 minutes)Spanish


#2135 Spanish History & Culture - The Lady Bullfighter (Run time 21 min.) DVD $89.95

Evelina Fabregas broke through Spain's proudest male preserve to become the country's only woman bullfighter. She has had to defy her father and her fiance and faced down the macho scorn of the bullfighting fraternity. In this program, which follows her training routine and her circuit of regional bullfights, she explains her decision to contend with the "courage, nobility, and breeding of the bulls." Her mother, it develops, was once a bullfighter too, but under a man's name; Evelina competes as a woman, and demonstrates the distance Spanish women have traveled in the past few decades. (21 minutes)


#2146 Spanish History & Culture - The Alhambra (Run time 30 min.) DVD $89.95

If there is one building that symbolizes Spain-its history, its romance, its mystery, its conjoining of disparate strains into one, single, recognizably Spanish cultural statement-it is the Alhambra. This program, produced by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, provides a detailed tour of the buildings and grounds, as well as an explanation of the purpose and function of the citadel, and provides historical portraits of those who built and modified it, from Mohammed Ibn al-Amar in 1238 through Carlos V. (30 minutes)


#2147 Spanish History & Culture - The Caves of Altamira (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

The 20,000-year-old caves of Altamira are among the greatest and the least known of the monuments of prehistory. Closed to visitors to prevent disintegration through pollution, the caves are known only through a replica located in the Archaeological Museum in Madrid. This tour of Altamira shows the cave paintings in their extraordinary power as they depict the daily life of Magdalenian people seeking to bend animal life to their will, while themselves at the mercy of magical powers they sought to placate. The camera is able to clarify what the naked eye cannot-the artistic relationship between the caves themselves and the art with which these proto-Spaniards decorated them. (26 minutes)


#2148 Spanish History & Culture - Segovia: The Mirror of Spanish History (Run time 35 min.) DVD $89.95

Built as a walled fortress by the Romans and watered by their great aqueduct, Segovia began to grow in Visigothic times and came into its own as a rich and powerful city in the Middle Ages. This program documents its history-which in many ways mirrors the history of Spain-through its homes and churches, its highways and byways, the rooms where Alfonso el Sabio wrote his astronomical treatise and where ordinary fullers plied their trade. Segovia is the most Romanesque city in Spain, and the most continuous monument of Spanish history from the beginning of the historical past to today. (35 minutes)


#2252 Spanish History & Culture - Gaudi: The Spirit of Barcelona (Run time 30 min.) DVD $89.95

Antoni Gaudi was the enfant terrible of Catalan architecture-a genius whose Gothic inspiration and daring taste transformed Barcelona from a city evolving layer by layer and style by style from an ancient past into a dramatic statement of timeless individuality. Gaudi's architectural creations-park benches, buildings, the Cathedral-are relatively few in number but so powerful that they dominate the vistas and the mood of the city. Filmmaker Luis Bunuel imbues this program with the strange, intense, miraculous spirit of Gaudi as he covers both the scope and the individual detail of his architectural creations. (30 minutes)


#2305 Spanish History & Culture - The Prehistory of Spain (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95

The Hall of Prehistory at Madrid's National Archaeological Museum is the site for this voyage to Spain before recorded history. The program sets the natural scene in which Stone Age man lived and shows us the fossil remains of the animals represented on the walls of the Altamira Caves, and the tools with which they were hunted. It documents the development of agriculture in the Iberian peninsula; shows the fascinating Albunol Bat Cave in Granada and its trove of artifacts-tools, ceramics, skeletal remains; and traces the various cultural stages of Spain through metallurgical and ceramic finds of increasing complexity and sophistication. The program concludes with the arrival of a new Indo-European people, with different customs and styles; together with the cultures of southwestern Spain, they would provide the framework for the development of historic Spain. (23 minutes)


#2331 Spanish History & Culture - Music in the Age of Alfonso el Sabio (Run time 20 min.) DVD $89.95

Alfonso the Tenth (1221-1284)-King of Castille and Leon, Holy Roman Emperor, founder of the University of Salamanca, creator of widely-used astronomical tables- earned the sobriquet "el Sabio" as one of the central cultural figures of 13th-century Europe. Centering on the Cantigas de Santa Maria, this program describes the cultural currents in the Spain of his time-particularly the music of jongleurs and troubadours, which arrived with pilgrims on their way to Compostela.This sound can be heard in the Cantigas, his personal homage to the Virgin. (20 minutes)


#2379 Spanish History & Culture - Art in the Age of Alfonso el Sabio (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Alfonso acceded to the throne of Castille and Leon at a time of relative political stability, permitting him the luxury of sponsoring and promoting culture. Jews, Christians, and Moslems contributed to an intellectual renaissance in the areas of science, law, history, and literature, in all of which Alfonso el Sabio took an active part. The cathedrals of Burgos, Toledo, and Leon bear testimony to the fact that during his reign, French Gothic architecture permanently replaced the earlier Romanesque style. The program also covers art in the reconquered areas, where the more splendidly decorated structures were adapted to Christian use. The Royal Chapel of the Mosque in Cordoba-one of the first Alphonsine projects in Andalusia-is used as an example. (25 minutes)


#3914 Spanish History & Culture - Salamanca (Run time 29 min.) DVD $89.95

Spain's most famous university town projects a variety of distinct images. The columned archways of the university and the narrow planks that passed for students' benches evoke a feeling of medieval austerity. But this was Unamuno's place, too: an austerity rooted in the absurd. Meanwhile, adjacent to the university is the plaza, around which all life in Salamanca revolves and through which everyone in this town must sooner or later pass. The traditional paseo consisted of walking around its perimeter exactly twice-women in one direction and men in the other, with many a marriage arranged by a wink on the second round. (29 minutes)


#10630 Spanish History & Culture - Toledo-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 54 min.) DVD $89.95

It is said that to know the history of Toledo is to know the history of Spain. Using beautiful aerial and ground-level photography, this timeless program traces the chronology of that unique city, beginning with its mythical origins. Toledo's successive places in the Celtic, Roman, Visigothic, Moorish, Castilian, and modern Spanish civilizations are all explored. In addition, the city's status as a cradle of European learning and a religious melting pot is examined, as well as its role in the Inquisition. Numerous architectural landmarks such as the Alcazar are featured. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 54 minutes)


#11378 Spanish History & Culture - Ignacio de Loyola (Run time 56 min.) DVD $89.95

This timeless program tells the life story of St. Ignatius Loyola: a towering figure of 16th-century Spain, the author of the widely influential Spiritual Exercises, and the founder of the Society of Jesus, later to be known around the world as the Jesuits. Historic reenactments, location footage from the Catholic saint's travels, and readings from his autobiography-a major work of literature both then and now-are featured, as well as historic paintings, prints, and sculpture. An RTVE production. (Spanish, 56 minutes)


#37107 Spanish History & Culture - Juan Goytisolo-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Probing the relationship between political and artistic identity, Spanish-born author Juan Goytisolo investigates rarely explored concepts at the heart of Spanish and Latin American culture. This program presents an overview of Goytisolo's outlook on past and present social dilemmas and their connection with his self-exile from his home country. The author of The Young Assassins, Marks of Identity, and Juan the Landless sheds light on artistic and political oppression under Franco and his prescience about the way Spanish fascism would eventually crumble. He also discusses his experiences in France and New York, as well as his views on Latin American anti-colonial movements. (Spanish with English subtitles, 24 minutes)


#39010 Spanish History & Culture - Spain after the Romans-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Any study of medieval Spanish culture must first explore the forces that left their mark on the country in antiquity. This program guides viewers through the historical and artistic legacy of Spain's Roman past, focusing on specific urban centers that were occupied by Roman legions. Featuring breathtaking footage from ruins and other archeological sites, the documentary traces not only the Italic influence so abundant on the Iberian Peninsula but also the role of the Visigoths in the era leading up to the Moorish invasion. Recaredo, San Isidoro, Don Rodrigo, La Cava, El Conde Don Julian, and Tarik all figure in the narrative. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39011 Spanish History & Culture - Hispania Ablaze-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

In the eighth century, the fertile and forested Iberian peninsula-also known as Hispania or Al-Andalus-was transformed into a battlefield. This episode illustrates Spain's descent into transcontinental and interreligious warfare with the coming of the Umayyad invaders and the prolonged infighting that erupted among both Christian and Arab forces. Exploring the complex heritage manifested in the Mozarabic architecture of Cordoba, Seville, and Badajoz, the films also sheds light on the Visigothic presence in Tingitana, or Tangier, as well as the treachery of the sons of Wittiza. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39012 Spanish History & Culture - The Reign of Almanzor-in Spanish (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

Of all the historical figures from Spain's Islamic era, who casts the longest shadow? Many scholars point to Almanzor, or Al-Mansur-the general and statesman responsible for the zenith of Muslim power in the country. This program studies the Arab ruler's life and military career, examining sites that exhibit his legacy-such as the city of Al-Medina Al Zahara and the citadel at Almeria. As they explore the decades between the 930s and the dawn of the 11th century, viewers will learn about the culturally diverse alliance that supported Almanzor but ultimately helped to destabilize the Muslim regime. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39013 Spanish History & Culture - First Steps Toward Reconquest-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

In the first decades of the 11th century, the forces of Spanish Christendom began to gather strength, pushing Muslim armies and communities southward. This program examines those initial steps toward the reconquest of the peninsula and their geographical and architectural manifestation in Spain's modern landscape. Students will learn about the role of the Druero River as a natural battlefront, and as a strategic location for the Castle of Gormaz, one of Western Europe's oldest standing citadels. The reign of King Al-Mutadid of Seville, the celebrated interaction between Alfonso VI and El Cid, and many other subjects are featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39014 Spanish History & Culture - Averroes and Al-Mutamid-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Incorporating examples of building design and urban planning from the 12th century, this program studies the confrontations that took place between Christian and Muslim cultures as the reconquista of Spain progressed. Viewers will encounter the medieval city of Cordoba-the birthplace not only of King Al-Mutamid but of the Islamic philosopher known as Averroes, whom many scholars believe to be the founder of Western secular thought. The Christian recovery of Toledo is also explored, focusing on the mosques of Las Tornerias, castles with distinctly Arabian architecture, and other instructive cases. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39015 Spanish History & Culture - Advance of the Reconquest-in Spanish (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

As the reconquista thrust into the heart of Spain, the ethnic and cultural makeup of the peninsula grew ever more complex. This program sheds light on those cultural dynamics with the help of architectural case studies and engaging historical narratives. The royal monastery of Las Huelgas de Burgos, founded by Alfonso VIII in the 1180s, is examined along with examples of Benedictine and Clunaic influences. Moving into the 13th century, the program focuses on the ascension of Fernando III, his campaigns against Arab forces, and the retaking of Cordoba and other highly contested territories. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39016 Spanish History & Culture - The Waning Crescent-in Spanish (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

What did Europe, especially the multifaceted Iberian peninsula, look like as the forces of Islam yielded to the expanding kingdoms of Christendom? This program provides answers as it explores the politics, culture, and increasingly Gothic landscape of Spain during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Recounting the military exploits of Alfonso X, the program also describes his more erudite venture-establishing the famous School of Translators at Toledo, which contributed immensely to European learning. The reigns of Sancho IV, Fernando IV, Alfonso XI, and Pedro I are included, culminating in the "treason of Montiel." Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39017 Spanish History & Culture - Islam's Last Stand in Spain-in Spanish (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95

As the 1400s dawned and progressed, the last remnants of military resistance to the Christian reconquista faded from Spain-but the legacy of Islamic culture was ensured. This program explores that climactic stage in medieval Spanish history. Navigating what can still be seen of the urban landscape of the time, the program illuminates the lives of Muslim leader Ibn Zamrak, Castilian constable Alvaro de Luna, and the latter's role in the wider drama propelled by Queen Isabella of Portugal and King John of Aragon. Viewers will discover the importance of Olmedo, Calatayud, the village of Escalona, and Granada-the final stand of Muslim military might in Spain. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#39558 Spanish History & Culture - Granada-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Enshrined in history as the last stand of Spanish Islam, Granada offers visitors one of the world's great architectural treasures: the Alhambra. This program showcases the elaborate palace complex and many other landmarks found in the city. Viewers will receive a tour of many buildings and chambers within the Alhambra, gaining an understanding of its geometric and poetic design and its significance in both Muslim and Christian cultural heritage. Other urban features include El Generalife, the palace of Daralhorra, the Tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, the house of Lorca in the Garden of San Vicente, street markets full of Arabian spices and other goods, and a bull ring transformed into a night club. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#39560 Spanish History & Culture - Cadiz-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Although it juts into the Atlantic, Cadiz is as radiant and filled with history as any Mediterranean community. This program explores the peninsular Spanish city, guiding viewers through prominent aspects of its landscape-or, in some cases, its seascape. Visiting the flower market and the ancient Populo quarter, where a 1980 warehouse fire revealed a massive, well-preserved Roman theater, the program also showcases the bustling casino, the Isabelino design of the provincial government building, the castle of Santa Catalina, and the Oratory in which the Constitution of 1812 was proclaimed. The vaporsito and the crow's-nest watchtowers used by 18th-century merchants bring the city's port to life. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#39562 Spanish History & Culture - Cordoba-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Once the largest city in Europe and the center of Islamic culture and scholarship, Cordoba now presents a richly textured urban landscape combining old and new. This program offers an informative itinerary through the city's monuments, religious buildings, and historic water routes. Visiting the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral, the Medina Azahara, the Synagogue, and the Fortress of the Christian Monarchs, viewers will also encounter the Roman bridge, Cordoba's centuries-old Arabian mills, and the Gardens of Albolafia-a paradise within the city. The beauty of flamenco dancing and the significance of several festivals, including the famed Courtyard or Patio Festival, will further enlighten students. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#39563 Spanish History & Culture - Malaga-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

International visitors to Spain's Costa del Sol almost invariably pass through Malaga, a 3,000-year-old city steeped in Phoenician, Roman, Christian, and Islamic history. This program brings Malaga to life with studies of its monuments, religious buildings, cultural centers, and other important sites. Viewers will encounter the famed Alcabaza fortress, thought to have been constructed using materials recycled from the city's Roman-era theater, and the adjacent Gibralfaro Castle. Spotlighting Malaga's cathedral and its mixed building styles, the program also explores the central market, the Dockyards, the Botanical Park, and the Museo Picasso, while highlighting popular Holy Week festivities. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#30215 Spanish Language - First Comes Hola: Meeting and Greeting (Run time 16 min.) DVD $89.95

This program covers how to greet friends, introduce oneself to strangers, talk about where one comes from, and tell what one does for a living. A whirlwind tour of Spain reveals the country's regional diversity, while a visit to Alcoy during the Moors and Christians festival-a lavish event involving parades, mock battles, and fireworks-spotlights one of Spain's most popular fiestas. Original BBC broadcast title: Talk Spanish, Program 1. (Spanish and English, 17 minutes)


#30216 Spanish Language - Socially Speaking: What to Say and When (Run time 16 min.) DVD $89.95

Filmed at a variety of interesting locations including a horchateria, Johnny Maracas' Cuban-style nightclub, and a castle where a wedding is being conducted, this program shows how to order and pay for beverages of all types and how to express familial relationships and marital status. Commentary provides insights into the social scene and family life in Spain. Original BBC broadcast title: Talk Spanish, Program 2. (Spanish and English, 17 minutes)


#30217 Spanish Language - Getting from Here to There: Donde Esta...? (Run time 17 min.) DVD $89.95

Sightseeing is as much about getting lost-and found again-as it is about visiting monuments and landmarks. This program demonstrates how to ask for and give directions, explains how to say where one lives and works, and illustrates when and where Spaniards typically get a bite to eat. Cultural icons such as the City of Arts and Sciences, near Valencia, and the historic town of Xativa are featured. Original BBC broadcast title: Talk Spanish, Program 3. (Spanish and English, 17 minutes)


#30218 Spanish Language - Taking a Break: Shopping and Vacationing in Spain (Run time 17 min.) DVD $89.95

This program presents questions and answers related to shopping for food and gifts in a variety of settings and arranging for lodgings at hotels. Featured locations include Valencia's Mercado Central, one of Europe's largest indoor marketplaces; a fragrant bakery; a bargain-filled street market; and the bucolic Hotel Mont Sant. ?Que desea? Original BBC broadcast title: Talk Spanish, Program 4. (Spanish and English, 17 minutes)


#30219 Spanish Language - Dining and Traveling in Spain: Paella and More (Run time 17 min.) DVD $89.95

When Valencianos want to get away from it all, they have a lot to choose from. This program offers plenty of food for thought through scenarios involving dining at La Mantandeta, a restaurant known for its regional cuisine; traveling by train to Spain's capital, Madrid; and visiting local beaches and the huge freshwater lagoon known as La Albufera. Original BBC broadcast title: Talk Spanish, Program 5. (Spanish and English, 17 minutes)


#30220 Spanish Language - Out and About: Having Fun the Spanish Way (Run time 17 min.) DVD $89.95

Living a balanced life requires plenty of time to relax and have fun. This program uses all sorts of recreational and leisure activities-from sports and wilderness adventures to concerts, shopping trips, and nightclubbing-to stimulate conversation. In addition, the program captures the renowned Fallas festival, where hundreds of satirical sculptures are displayed and, amidst great excitement and gaiety, are joyfully destroyed. Original BBC broadcast title: Talk Spanish, Program 6. (Spanish and English, 17 minutes)


#130 Spanish Literature & Drama - Calderon de la Barca: La Vida Es Sueno (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Not to be confused with Calderon's comedia of the same name, this auto is also concerned with the meaning of reality and the need to sacrifice earthly happiness to achieve salvation. Performed by the Barnard College Spanish Department. Drama in Spanish. (55 minutes)


#131 Spanish Literature & Drama - Calderon de la Barca: El Gran Teatro del Mundo (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

In the hands of a genius like Calderon, the morality play became an art form and El Gran Teatro del Mundo the greatest example of that form. Performed by the Spanish Department at Barnard College. Drama in Spanish. (56 minutes)


#142 Spanish Literature & Drama - Garcia Lorca: A Murder in Granada (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

This is the authoritative film biography of Garcia Lorca, containing all the family memorabilia, his drawings and paintings, and the only remaining footage of the poet himself. The principal focus of the film is on Lorca's work. (In Spanish with English narration, 63 minutes)


#159 Spanish Literature & Drama - El Cantar de Mio Cid-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

El Cid is unique among the world's great epics because it was composed so close to the actual historical events (a mere 40 years after the death of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, el Cid himself) that we can distinguish between man and legend. Meticulous attention to historical detail, spectacular cinematic production values, and the swashbuckling plot itself make this medieval epic superbly entertaining as well as educational. An RTVE Production. (60 minutes)


#160 Spanish Literature & Drama - Ruiz: El Libro de Buen Amor (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

This rendition of the greatest Spanish troubadour ballad and one of the high points of Spanish medieval literature puts special emphasis on the clear, accurate enunciation of Spanish verse. An RTVE production. Dramatization in Spanish. (60 minutes)


#161 Spanish Literature & Drama - Rojas: La Celestina (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

A superb production of this masterpiece. The camera expands the boundaries of artistic imagination, so that this Celestina becomes the ideal key to the work itself, providing a truly memorable portrait of Celestina, who-together with Don Quijote and Don Juan-is one of the greatest literary characters of Spain. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#162 Spanish Literature & Drama - Cervantes: El Licenciado Vidriera (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

This story-one of the finest of the Novelas ejemplares-shows Cervantes at his best: his mastery of the language, sense of humor, concerns with the details of ordinary life, and his sense of the human comedy. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#163 Spanish Literature & Drama - El picaro (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Drawing on the writings of Cervantes, Quevedo, and Aleman, this production defines the quintessentially Spanish picaro-his role in society, his relationship to his master and mistress, his reliance on his own wits and his ability to outsmart others, his sense of humor and his alienation. An RTVE production. Also available with English subtitles. (30 minutes)Spanish


#166 Spanish Literature & Drama - Jose de Larra: Articulos de Costumbre (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Jose de Larra was Spain's most accomplished master of costumbrismo. In this dramatization of some of his best articles, this production offers an intimate portrait of Madrid in the 19th century. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#168 Spanish Literature & Drama - Unamuno: Niebla (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

The most widely-read work of modern Spanish fiction is here presented in a brilliant production which makes the unravelings of its absurdist plot clear and turns its existentialist probings into logical, everyday conversation. The film is ideal as either a companion to reading or-where time is lacking-as a substitute. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#872 Spanish Literature & Drama - Coquena (Argentina) (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

A story from Argentina about how Coquena rewarded a poor shepherd for saving an injured llama. Coquena is the god and protector of goats and sheep and llamas in the Andes mountains, punishing hunters and rewarding those who are kind to animals. The older shepherds taunted Chango because he was small and poor, but Coquena intervened so that Chango received his due. (26 minutes)


#875 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Magic Harp (Venezuela) (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

A story from the Llanos country of southern Venezuela about a boy who saved his family from destitution through the power and beauty of his music. Felipe's family is about to lose everything because they can find no way to pay what they owe Don Vicente, who will repossess their house and cattle. Felipe only wants to make music-an ambition his mother cannot afford to let him indulge, because she needs him to help with the work. On the day Don Vicente comes to collect his debt there is a musical contest. Playing his magical harp, Felipe wins. Touched by the music and proud to have so talented a boy on his lands, Don Vicente cancels the family's debt. (26 minutes)


#2939 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Ninth Day of Creation (Argentina) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

At the beginning of time, even the most learned of the king's counselors could not understand everything. With a totally pure heart, young Cori is truly devoted to divinely inspired artistic creation; his task is to convince others. (26 minutes)


#2940 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Spirit of the Forest (Colombia) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

An unscrupulous boss sends his workers to cut down valuable trees in the protected forest of a nature preserve. But some of the men are harshly warned by the queen of the forest, and are taught to understand that it is better to plant trees than to cut them down. (26 minutes)


#2942 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Stolen Crown (Venezuela) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

Joaquin mistakenly accuses a fisherman of having stolen the precious crown from the statue of the Virgin which looks out over the sea. To make amends for his mistake, Joaquin sets out to uncover the real thief. He succeeds, with the help of a mysterious little girl whom no one else sees but who is on the best of terms with the patron saint of the village. (26 minutes)


#2945 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Fisherman's Daughter (Argentina) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

A poor fisherman makes a pact with a sea creature so that his catches will continue to be plentiful. Bountiful times follow, and the fisherman has forgotten his pact when the creature returns and demands his due: the fisherman's beloved daughter. The creature and his ilk had long ago polluted the sea and were punished by drowning. Now the fisherman's daughter breaks the spell and the creature, a human being once again, tells of the dangers of destroying the purity of the waters. (26 minutes)


#2952 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Jaguar's Diamonds (Argentina) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

In northern Argentina, near the mighty Iguazu waterfalls, jaguars guard the lost treasure of the Guarani Indians. Once upon a time, a stranger in the area was attacked by jaguars and was saved by two peasants. When he gave them some diamonds, people in the village began to talk and to wonder. In time, they found the place where the treasure was hidden; and the stranger was transformed into a jaguar to guard the diamonds, in accordance with the Guarani spell. (26 minutes)


#2955 Spanish Literature & Drama - El Dorado (Colombia) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

Visiting the Museum of God in Bogota, a schoolgirl imagines that she is a native during the era of the Conquest and is acting as guide for a conquistador and a Spanish priest to the heart of the cordillera and in search of El Dorado. A ritual ceremony takes place at the Guatavita lagoon; and of course the Spaniards find disaster instead of El Dorado. (26 minutes)


#3328 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Turtle's Strange Friend (Venezuela) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

Carlito's family survives by fishing for turtles off the island of Los Rocas. Though there are plenty of fish in the area, Carlito's father finds fishing solely for turtles to be more profitable. An encounter with the legendary Bartholemew forces Carlito's family to change their ways. Bartholemew was the island's most successful fisherman, but his greed drove him to excess; he could not stop himself from fishing. Nature transformed him into a turtle and made him the protector of turtles. He teaches that it is possible to feed oneself well without exterminating a species. (26 minutes)


#3336 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Mysterious Spurs (Argentina) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $89.95

At each doma, a periodic event in which gauchos attempt to tame the local wild horses, young Jacinto is filled with sadness by the brutal actions of the gauchos. Despite the efforts of the gauchos, one horse, Reta Barro, remains unbroken doma after doma. The gauchos react to the horse's spirit with stubborn pride, deciding to kill Reta Barro if he is unable to be ridden in the next doma. Jacinto, wishing to save Reta Barro, challenges Juan Sanchez to a riding contest; whoever rides the horse can keep him. With the help of his mysterious spurs, Jacinto is able to ride Reta Barro. Though Juan Sanchez once owned the spurs, they were useless to him; only with kindness to animals can the spurs work their magic. (26 minutes)


#8388 Spanish Literature & Drama - El Cantar de Mio Cid (Run time 60 min.) DVD $89.95

El Cid is unique among the world's great epics because it was composed so close to the actual historical events (a mere 40 years after the death of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, el Cid himself) that we can distinguish between man and legend. Meticulous attention to historical detail, spectacular cinematic production values, and the swashbuckling plot itself make this medieval epic superbly entertaining as well as educational. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 60 minutes)


#10092 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Spirit of Lorca (Run time 76 min.) DVD $89.95

In a brief life filled with prodigious artistic achievements, Federico Garcia Lorca's greatest legacy may well be his complex and compelling personality. Filmed on location in Spain, this program profiles the immortalized poet/dramatist, capturing the potent essence of Spanish culture in the process. Extracts from his poems, plays, and letters demonstrate his duende-burning passion-for the arts, while the details of his life and violent death, as told by his biographer Ian Gibson, contemporaries Rafael Alberti and Luis Rosales, and others, present a thoughtful perspective on Spain's revered literary icon. (76 minutes)


#10677 Spanish Literature & Drama - El picaro (Run time 31 min.) DVD $89.95

Drawing on the writings of Cervantes, Quevedo, and Aleman, this production defines the quintessentially Spanish picaro-his role in society, his relationship to his master and mistress, his reliance on his own wits and his ability to outsmart others, his sense of humor, and his alienation. An RTVE production. Dramatization in Spanish with English subtitles. (30 minutes)


#10694 Spanish Literature & Drama - Jose Saramago (Run time 54 min.) DVD $89.95

For Nobel Laureate Jose Saramago, to travel is to discover. In this program, Saramago explores the village of Azinhaga, the streets and neighborhoods of Lisbon, and Lanzarote, the northeasternmost of the Canary Islands. Excerpts from Viagem a Portugal, O ano da morte de Ricardo Reis: romance, and Cadernos de Lanzarote: diario illustrate landmarks such as the Rabo dos Cagados, the Rocho do Conde de Obidos, the crater field of Geria, the house of Cesar Manrique, and the otherworldly Timanfaya National Park from a point of view uniquely his own. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#10695 Spanish Literature & Drama - Ana Maria Matute (Run time 48 min.) DVD $89.95

One of Spain's foremost women writers, Ana Maria Matute has displayed a recurring fascination with the Spanish Civil War and the defenselessness of children and the poor. Framed within the context of an appearance by Matute at the Real Academia Espanola de la Lengua, this program travels to Barcelona and locales in Spain's Rioja region. Excerpts from Olvidado rey Gudu and El rio demonstrate a subtler sensitivity and a tightening in construction as compared with Matute's earlier works, while Casa de juegos prohibidos: textos inocentes illustrates the breadth of her writing. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 55 minutes)


#10696 Spanish Literature & Drama - Camilo Jose Cela (Run time 38 min.) DVD $89.95

For Camilo Jose Cela, the Spanish Civil War and his early acceptance and later rejection of Franco's dictatorial rule were the defining influences on his life, prompting him to pioneer a novelistic style of brutal realism known as tremendismo. Yet Cela's acute powers of observation and skill in colorful description are also apparent in his other works, including his travel books. In this program, the Nobel Laureate revisits some of the places in his beloved Spain that are dear to him. Excerpts from his writings provide insights into his penchant for experimentation and innovation. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 39 minutes)


#34763 Spanish Literature & Drama - Gustavo Adolfo Becquer (Run time 22 min.) DVD $89.95

Although he lived only 34 years, Gustavo Becquer is largely responsible for leading Spanish poetry toward the Modernist era. This program details his life and artistic journey, from his birth into impoverished nobility to his death in obscurity-and his posthumous fame as Spain's greatest post-Romantic poet. Outlining the author's education, friendships, and failed loves, the video focuses on the power of the Rimas and the political turmoil that prevented its publication during Becquer's lifetime. The clarity and sensitivity of his letters and the inventiveness of his prose legends are also showcased in this poignant, compelling biography. (English, 22 minutes)


#34764 Spanish Literature & Drama - Pedro Calderon de la Barca (Run time 20 min.) DVD $89.95

The Spanish code of honor and the mystery of holy rituals are at the forefront of Pedro Calderon de la Barca's poetic dramas. This program surveys Calderon's achievements in the secular and religious theater of 17th-century Spain, highlighting his renown as an innovator. Recounting his family background and the influence of Lope de Vega on his choice of themes and subject matter, the video illustrates the importance of the auto sacramental in Calderon's oeuvre and the complexity of the honor tragedies and comedies he perfected. Additional material on his military and priesthood service complete this biography of the man who came to be known as Spain's Shakespeare. (English, 20 minutes)


#34765 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Picaresque Novel (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95

Originating in Spain, the picaresque novel abandoned idealized literary approaches and exposed the harshness of reality and human nature. This program presents the history of the narrative art form, tracing its development through Mateo Aleman, Cervantes, and Defoe, all the way to Kerouac and subsequent writers. Beginning with the anonymous publication of The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes, the video analyzes examples of fictional outsiders struggling to survive in a corrupt and hypocritical society. Guzman de Alfarache, Moll Flanders, Huckleberry Finn, and several other works are discussed, all with a recognition of their artistic antecedent: the unflinching exploits of the Spanish picaro. (English, 23 minutes)


#34766 Spanish Literature & Drama - Ruben Dario (Run time 23 min.) DVD $89.95

Considered by many as the first Modernist poet to write in Spanish, Ruben Dario is a major 20th-century literary figure by any reckoning. This program explores his life and work, with attention to both verse and prose achievements. Identifying Azul as the genesis of Spanish-language Modernism, the video also explores Dario's Profane Hymns, which established his prominence among Latin American poets of the period. His horror story Thanatopia, his journalistic work for La Nacion, his pacifist efforts prior to World War I, and his service as a diplomat are discussed as well-reflecting Dario's importance in a time of political and artistic upheaval. (English, 23 minutes)


#34767 Spanish Literature & Drama - Rafael Alberti (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Deftly interweaving political concerns into his poetry, Rafael Alberti fashioned a literary style suited to the social turmoil of the 20th century. This program shows the evolution of that style, from the highly personal Marinero en Tierra, to the balance of playfulness and melancholy in El Alba de Alheli, to the mystical and nearly apocalyptic Sobre los Angeles. Detailing Alberti's travels across Europe and to the Soviet Union, the United States, and South America-including Argentina, where he spent 23 years of his life-this energetic biography also highlights Alberti's involvement with painting and theater, as well as with the Spanish Communist party. (English, 25 minutes)


#37096 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Gamoneda-in Spanish (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95

The writings of Spanish poet Antonio Gamoneda are characterized by their strength, clarity, and contempt for trends. In this program, Gamoneda describes his genesis as a poet, shaped by a childhood of poverty and traumatization by the horrors of the Spanish Civil War; his perception of the radicalizing and revelatory nature and limited influence of poetry; and the relationship he perceives between poetry and music. In addition, the author of Blues Castellano, Despues de Veinte Anos, El Cuerpo de los Simbolos, Lapidas, and Esta Luz offers insights into his book Libro de los Venenos. (Spanish, 24 minutes)


#37097 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Gamoneda-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95

The writings of Spanish poet Antonio Gamoneda are characterized by their strength, clarity, and contempt for trends. In this program, Gamoneda describes his genesis as a poet, shaped by a childhood of poverty and traumatization by the horrors of the Spanish Civil War; his perception of the radicalizing and revelatory nature and limited influence of poetry; and the relationship he perceives between poetry and music. In addition, the author of Blues Castellano, Despues de Veinte Anos, El Cuerpo de los Simbolos, Lapidas, and Esta Luz offers insights into his book Libro de los Venenos. (Spanish with English subtitles, 24 minutes)


#37100 Spanish Literature & Drama - Fernando Savater-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Sifting through questions surrounding oppression and terrorism, Spanish essayist and philosopher Fernando Savater has often analyzed religious dogma-studying those who promote it and those who oppose it. This program documents Savater's views on the social and intellectual wellsprings of terrorism and militant fundamentalism, as well as the eternal conflict between science and religion. The author of Ethics for Amador and The Task of the Hero examines both age-old and current tensions between inflexible ideologies and objective truth, with an eye on what he calls "truth in history." He also focuses on the limits of science and philosophy and the weaknesses of postmodern relativism. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#37102 Spanish Literature & Drama - Eduardo Mendoza-in Spanish (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95

What is it like to be a writer? In this program, Spanish novelist Eduardo Mendoza offers his views as he talks about the sheer pleasure of writing, the state of the novel as a literary form, the effect of censorship on writers during the Franco regime, changes in the business of publishing, and repercussions of the Latin American literary Boom. The author of La Ciudad de los Prodigios, La Verdad Sobre el Caso Savolta, El Misterio de la Cripta Embrujada, and the serialized Sin Noticias de Gurb also grapples with his loathing of nationalism and feelings of statelessness in the face of a world that is seesawing between pretentious pro-globalism and exaggerated localism. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37103 Spanish Literature & Drama - Eduardo Mendoza-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 24 min.) DVD $89.95

What is it like to be a writer? In this program, Spanish novelist Eduardo Mendoza offers his views as he talks about the sheer pleasure of writing, the state of the novel as a literary form, the effect of censorship on writers during the Franco regime, changes in the business of publishing, and repercussions of the Latin American literary Boom. The author of La Ciudad de los Prodigios, La Verdad Sobre el Caso Savolta, El Misterio de la Cripta Embrujada, and the serialized Sin Noticias de Gurb also grapples with his loathing of nationalism and feelings of statelessness in the face of a world that is seesawing between pretentious pro-globalism and exaggerated localism. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#37104 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Gala-in Spanish (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95

Culture and multiculturalism are the dominant recurring themes in this program as Spanish writer Antonio Gala reflects on his heritage and the value of integrating immigrants into the fabric of society. The author of Poemas de Amor, Los Verdes Campos del Eden, El Manuscrito Carmesi, La Regla de Tres, and numerous other books also talks about how he first started writing and the process of creating literature, the societal risks of politicizing religion, the upside of getting older, and the decadence and stagnation that can come from too much prosperity at the national level. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37105 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Gala-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 28 min.) DVD $89.95

Culture and multiculturalism are the dominant recurring themes in this program as Spanish writer Antonio Gala reflects on his heritage and the value of integrating immigrants into the fabric of society. The author of Poemas de Amor, Los Verdes Campos del Eden, El Manuscrito Carmesi, La Regla de Tres, and numerous other books also talks about how he first started writing and the process of creating literature, the societal risks of politicizing religion, the upside of getting older, and the decadence and stagnation that can come from too much prosperity at the national level. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#37108 Spanish Literature & Drama - Francisco Umbral-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $89.95

Francisco Umbral's novels and outspoken newspaper columns made the acerbic writer a household name in Spain. In this program, "the angry man of Spanish letters"-in one of his last interviews before his death at age 72-holds forth on topics related, on the one hand, to his deep and unswerving passion for language and writing and, on the other, to Franco: facets of life under the regime and his recollection of the day the dictator died. Standouts among his more than 80 books include La Forja de un Ladron, La Belleza Convulsa, Mortal y Rosa, La Noche que Llegue al Cafe Gijon, Un Carnivaro Cuchillo, Teoria de Lola, El Fulgor de Africa, Diario de un Snob, and Historias de Amor y Viagra. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37109 Spanish Literature & Drama - Francisco Umbral-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $89.95

Francisco Umbral's novels and outspoken newspaper columns made the acerbic writer a household name in Spain. In this program, "the angry man of Spanish letters"-in one of his last interviews before his death at age 72-holds forth on topics related, on the one hand, to his deep and unswerving passion for language and writing and, on the other, to Franco: facets of life under the regime and his recollection of the day the dictator died. Standouts among his more than 80 books include La Forja de un Ladron, La Belleza Convulsa, Mortal y Rosa, La Noche que Llegue al Cafe Gijon, Un Carnivaro Cuchillo, Teoria de Lola, El Fulgor de Africa, Diario de un Snob, and Historias de Amor y Viagra. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#8377 Latin American History & Culture - Fray Servando Teresa de Mier (Run time 26 min.) DVD $99.95

Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, the friar who translated Rousseau's The Social Contract, was one of the most important members of the Latin American Enlightenment. His sermons linking St. Thomas with the Mexican legend of Quetzalcoatl, and the Virgin of Guadalupe with Tonantzin, attempted to ground the religion of New Spain in indigenous polytheism and led to his expulsion. Eventually returning to Mexico, he was elected to its first congress. Along with writer/politicians Domingo Sarmiento and Andres Bello, de Mier is noted not only for his fresh intellectual perspectives, but also for his role as founding father of the new Mexican political structure after its independence from Spain. This program traces his life through excerpts from his writings. (Spanish with English subtitles, 26 minutes)


#32985 Latin American History & Culture - Ariel Dorfman-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $99.95

Forced to flee Chile after the military coup in 1973, Ariel Dorfman has focused his writing on the trials of tyranny and exile. This program looks at how he has fought for human rights as a novelist, playwright, essayist, journalist, and professor of literature and Latin American studies. Many of the works of this multi-genre author are examined, including Death and the Maiden, his successful play which was turned into an international film by Academy Award-winning director Roman Polanski. (Spanish, 24 minutes)


#32988 Latin American History & Culture - Ariel Dorfman-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $99.95

Forced to flee Chile after the military coup in 1973, Ariel Dorfman has focused his writing on the trials of tyranny and exile. This program looks at how he has fought for human rights as a novelist, playwright, essayist, journalist, and professor of literature and Latin American studies. Many of the works of this multi-genre author are examined, including Death and the Maiden, his successful play which was turned into an international film by Academy Award-winning director Roman Polanski. (Spanish with English subtitles, 24 minutes)


#30107 Latin American Literature & Drama - Los Cuentos del Tlacuache: Volume 1 (Run time 45 min.) DVD $99.95

In this program, four traditional Mexican folktales are performed using marionettes. "The Rooster and the Chicken Hawk" summarizes an old rivalry, showing how the two birds were once friends but became enemies. "Juan Ashes" tells the story of a young man's ingenuity in winning the hand of a king's daughter. In "The Storm Man," a fable is offered to explain why great rainstorms in Mexico come out of the north. And "Juan of the Cow," the tale of a simple peasant who outwits a band of thieves, is a classic case of how looks can be deceiving. (Spanish, 45 minutes)


#30108 Latin American Literature & Drama - Los Cuentos del Tlacuache: Volume 2 (Run time 52 min.) DVD $99.95

This program presents four traditional Mexican folktales rendered through the art of marionettes. "The Damsel Frog" puts a different spin on a familiar classic, this time with a beautiful young woman wearing an amphibian disguise. "The Buzzard Man" is a parable about indolence and deceit that explains the habits of the vulture. "Los Xocoyotes" tells of a race of winged children-enchanted but mischievous-who bring rain and hailstorms. "The Lazy Mouse" offers a reason and a starting point to the conflict between people and mice. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#30109 Latin American Literature & Drama - Los Cuentos del Tlacuache: Volume 3 (Run time 52 min.) DVD $99.95

"When There Were No Lice" is a traditional Nahuatl tale that cleverly explains how the louse is a gift of the gods intended to bring man and woman together. "Juan the Deceiver" portrays a man so unscrupulous that he even swindles a priest-twice! "The Basil Pot" is a charming story about an intelligent but shy girl and a king who wishes to marry her. The antics of a mischievous hare, his ingenuity sharpened by extreme hunger, are the subject of "The Shameless Rabbit." (Spanish, 52 minutes)


#30110 Latin American Literature & Drama - Los Cuentos del Tlacuache: Volume 4 (Run time 34 min.) DVD $99.95

Three Mexican folktales are performed in this program using lively marionettes. The tale of "Sipakna," a strong man who lived in Mayan lands, provides the etymology of a constellation's name. "The Friend of Death" presents one poor soul's novel attempt to outwit mortality. In "The Flying Skeleton," a lazy boy named Chiapas accidentally reveals his unearthly powers. (Spanish, 35 minutes)


#32986 Latin American Literature & Drama - Zoe Valdes-in Spanish (Run time 27 min.) DVD $99.95

Born in Cuba to Chinese parents, award-winning novelist Zoe Valdes has achieved worldwide recognition for portraying the struggles and dreams of women. This program highlights her upbringing, education, and influences, as well as examining several of her most important books, including La Hija del Embajador and Te Di La Vida Entera. (Spanish, 27 minutes)


#32995 Latin American Literature & Drama - Luis Goytisolo-in Spanish (Run time 27 min.) DVD $99.95

In the four novels of Antagonia, Luis Goytisolo explores the cultural and political milieu of Barcelona in the 1950s and 60s through characters disabused of their youthful ideals. In this interview, the Spanish novelist discusses many of the postmodern strategies and creative considerations involved in writing his ambitious tetralogy. (Spanish, 27 minutes)


#32996 Latin American Literature & Drama - Luis Goytisolo-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 29 min.) DVD $99.95

In the four novels of Antagonia, Luis Goytisolo explores the cultural and political milieu of Barcelona in the 1950s and 60s through characters disabused of their youthful ideals. In this interview, the Spanish novelist discusses many of the postmodern strategies and creative considerations involved in writing his ambitious tetralogy. (Spanish with English subtitles, 27 minutes)


#33000 Latin American Literature & Drama - Roberto Bolano-in Spanish (Run time 26 min.) DVD $99.95

A high school dropout who became one of Chile's most respected writers, Roberto Bolano wrote more than a dozen novels. This program presents an interview with Bolano, author of Amuleto and Los Detectives Salvajes, for which he won the prestigious Romulo Gallegos prize. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#33001 Latin American Literature & Drama - Roberto Bolano-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 26 min.) DVD $99.95

A high school dropout who became one of Chile's most respected writers, Roberto Bolano wrote more than a dozen novels. This program presents an interview with Bolano, author of Amuleto and Los Detectives Salvajes, for which he won the prestigious Romulo Gallegos prize. (Spanish with English subtitles, 26 minutes)


#6979 Spanish History & Culture - Pedro Almodovar (Run time 60 min.) DVD $99.95

Filmmaker Pedro Almodovar's ability to shock and provoke is legendary. In this program, the director traces his colorful career from obscure independent filmmaker, to his 1988 Oscar nomination for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and beyond. Using scenes from this and other major films-Folle, Folleme Tim; Pepi, Luci y Bom y Otras Chicas del Monton; Laberinto de Pasiones; Entre Tinieblas; Matador; Tacones Lejanos; and La Flor de Mi Secreto-Almodovar explores his unique creative perspective, particularly his frequent use of characters living on the fringes of traditional Spanish society. Due to the adult nature of Almodovar's films, this program is recommended for mature Spanish language students. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#32316 Spanish History & Culture - Fray Luis de Leon: Un Intellectual Comprometido-in Spanish (Run time 54 min.) DVD $99.95

Monastic scholar, theologian, and poet, Luis de Leon manifested a purity and quiet confidence that not even the Inquisition could resist. Filmed at salient locations around Spain, this program chronicles the life of Luis de Leon, using dramatizations; dozens of original manuscripts, documents, and first-editions; and readings from his written works, including key biblical commentaries, "De los Nombres de Cristo," and "La Perfecta Casada." Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 54 minutes)


#32321 Spanish History & Culture - La Espana Que Hereda Felipe II-in Spanish (Run time 60 min.) DVD $99.95

During the reign of Charles V, Philip II's father, Spain grew to be a truly global power. This program considers the far-flung empire that Philip first began inheriting during the final years of his father's regime: the kingdoms of Castille and Aragon, parts of Italy, lands in France, all of the Low Countries, and vast stretches of the Americas. RTVE's Salvador Pons, the director of the Felipe II series, is featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#32322 Spanish History & Culture - El Principe Renacentista-in Spanish (Run time 62 min.) DVD $99.95

The Spain of Philip II's time was a place of great cultural accomplishment as some of history's most renowned writers, artists, and philosophers created works of lasting significance. This program looks at the Renaissance as it flourished in Spain during the 16th century and Philip's role in it as a scholar and patron of the arts. Fernando Checa, director of the Museo del Prado, is featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 62 minutes)


#32323 Spanish History & Culture - La Sombra del Emperador-in Spanish (Run time 68 min.) DVD $99.95

Through military action or political alliance, the hand of Philip II's father, Charles V, lay heavily upon portions of the Old World, the New World, and the Far East-but the scope of his imperialistic scheme was thwarted by the inexorable political realities of the day. This program examines Philip's reign as he exercised his vast power in the shadow of the former Holy Roman Emperor. Economist Jose Rodriguez, of the London School of Economics and Political Science, is featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 67 minutes)


#32324 Spanish History & Culture - La Familia del Rey-in Spanish (Run time 62 min.) DVD $99.95

Philip II was married to Maria of Portugal, Mary I of England, Elizabeth of France, and Anna of Austria. What were the ramifications of these courtly alliances? And why did Philip imprison his heir, Don Carlos, in favor of his younger son, the future Philip III? This program discusses the convoluted royal family of Philip II. Fernando Bouza, of the Universidad Complutense Madrid and author of Imagen y Propaganda: Capitulos de Historia Cultural del Reinado de Felipe II, is featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 62 minutes)


#32325 Spanish History & Culture - La Guerra-in Spanish (Run time 55 min.) DVD $99.95

The story of Philip II's reign is a chronicle of invasion, intervention, suppression, and colonial expansion. This program evaluates the martial record of Philip II, ranging from his victories against France, Portugal, and the Ottoman Empire to the ignominious defeat of his "Invincible Armada," sent against England. Philip II biographer Geoffrey Parker, Adreas Dorpalen Professor of History at The Ohio State University and author of The Grand Strategy of Philip II, is featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 55 minutes)


#32326 Spanish History & Culture - La Maquina del Estado-in Spanish (Run time 58 min.) DVD $99.95

Fervently pious, Philip II was the scourge of those called heretics and infidels-but his motives were not entirely due to his strong Roman Catholic faith. This program explores the interrelation of Church and State during Philip II's reign as he zealously championed the Counter-Reformation, albeit not without subverting even the Spanish Inquisition to his political aims. Antonio Escudero, founder and director of the Instituto de Historia de la Inquisicion, is featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 58 minutes)


#32327 Spanish History & Culture - Justicia y Razon de Estado-in Spanish (Run time 61 min.) DVD $99.95

Viewed through the lens of time, Philip II was not the cruel tyrant portrayed by so many. In fact, his reign was generally just, but his bureaucratic absolutism, with its disregard for local conditions and privileges, inevitably caused discontent and even revolt. This program discusses the court of Philip II, an industrious king who loved justice yet was little disposed to clemency or forgetfulness of wrongs. Luis Marti Mingarro, dean of the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados, is featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 61 minutes)


#32979 Spanish History & Culture - Jose Ortega y Gasset-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $99.95

This program presents the biography of Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset. A wealth of photos and archival footage help illustrate the extraordinary times in which Ortega lived, while Professor Jose Luis Molinuevo, director of the Centro de Estudios Orteguianos, discusses his important contributions to the realms of social and political philosophy. Particular attention is given to Ortega's Espana Invertebrada and La Rebelion de las Masas. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#33004 Spanish History & Culture - Fernando Savater-in Spanish (Run time 27 min.) DVD $99.95

He has been called Spain's Jean-Paul Sartre. As well as a leading philosopher of his generation, Fernando Savater is also an accomplished novelist and dramatist. In this program, Savater discusses some of the central themes in his works, such as ethical challenges, human love, the opposition of society to the state, and the need to strengthen democracy through education. (Spanish, 27 minutes)


#32976 Spanish Literature & Drama - Lope Felix de Vega Carpio-in Spanish (Run time 51 min.) DVD $99.95

Combining beautiful location footage with original manuscripts, paintings, letters, readings, and scenes from selected performances, this program presents the life and works of Lope de Vega, the prolific playwright who single-handedly crafted a national drama for Spain. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#32978 Spanish Literature & Drama - Miguel Hernandez-in Spanish (Run time 52 min.) DVD $99.95

From a poor goatherd in youth to a defeated soldier languishing in prison, the story of poet Miguel Hernandez is as romantic as it is tragic. Filmed on location, this program chronicles the life of Hernandez, a casualty of the Spanish Civil War whose poetry reflected all the beauty and sorrow of his native country. Manuscripts, photos, and documentary footage complement a thorough survey of his powerful works, including Perito en Lunas, El Rayo Que No Cesa, El Gallo Crisis, and Teatro en la Guerra. (Spanish, 52 minutes)


#32980 Spanish Literature & Drama - Lope Felix de Vega Carpio-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $99.95

Combining beautiful location footage with original manuscripts, paintings, letters, readings, and scenes from selected performances, this program presents the life and works of Lope de Vega, the prolific playwright who single-handedly crafted a national drama for Spain. (Spanish with English subtitles, 51 minutes)


#32982 Spanish Literature & Drama - Miguel Hernandez-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 52 min.) DVD $99.95

From a poor goatherd in youth to a defeated soldier languishing in prison, the story of poet Miguel Hernandez is as romantic as it is tragic. Filmed on location, this program chronicles the life of Hernandez, a casualty of the Spanish Civil War whose poetry reflected all the beauty and sorrow of his native country. Manuscripts, photos, and documentary footage complement a thorough survey of his powerful works, including Perito en Lunas, El Rayo Que No Cesa, El Gallo Crisis, and Teatro en la Guerra. (Spanish with English subtitles, 52 minutes)


#32984 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Munoz Molina-in Spanish (Run time 27 min.) DVD $99.95

An award-winning novelist and regular contributor to the newspaper El Pais, Antonio Munoz Molina is also the youngest member of the Spanish Royal Academy. This program presents an in-depth interview with Molina. The writer discusses a number of works from across his career, including Der Putsch, Der Nie Stattfand; Beltenebros; Los Misterios de Madrid; and Ardor Guerrero. (Spanish, 27 minutes)


#32987 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Munoz Molina-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 27 min.) DVD $99.95

An award-winning novelist and regular contributor to the newspaper El Pais, Antonio Munoz Molina is also the youngest member of the Spanish Royal Academy. This program presents an in-depth interview with Molina. The writer discusses a number of works from across his career, including Der Putsch, Der Nie Stattfand; Beltenebros; Los Misterios de Madrid; and Ardor Guerrero. (Spanish with English subtitles, 27 minutes)


#32997 Spanish Literature & Drama - Pere Gimferrer-in Catalan with Spanish Subtitles (Run time 28 min.) DVD $99.95

Baroque in style and metaphysical in tone, Arde el Mar established Pere Gimferrer as one of the leading voices of his generation. This program presents an interview with the award-winning poet, who has written collections in both Catalan and Spanish. Along with discussing his aesthetic approach, Gimferrer talks about some of his most recent works, including Mascarada and El Agente Provocador. (Catalan with Spanish subtitles, 28 minutes)


#32998 Spanish Literature & Drama - Pere Gimferrer-in Catalan with English Subtitles (Run time 28 min.) DVD $99.95

Baroque in style and metaphysical in tone, Arde el Mar established Pere Gimferrer as one of the leading voices of his generation. This program presents an interview with the award-winning poet, who has written collections in both Catalan and Spanish. Along with discussing his aesthetic approach, Gimferrer talks about some of his most recent works, including Mascarada and El Agente Provocador. (Catalan with English subtitles, 28 minutes)


#33002 Spanish Literature & Drama - Rosa Regas-in Catalan with Spanish Subtitles (Run time 28 min.) DVD $99.95

Born in Barcelona, Rosa Regas has founded two publishing houses and two magazines, as well as written several award-winning novels. In this extended interview, the novelist and journalist discusses several of her books, including Azul, Luna Lunera, and Le Cancion de Dorotea. (Catalan with Spanish subtitles, 28 minutes)


#33003 Spanish Literature & Drama - Rosa Regas-in Catalan with English Subtitles (Run time 28 min.) DVD $99.95

Born in Barcelona, Rosa Regas has founded two publishing houses and two magazines, as well as written several award-winning novels. In this extended interview, the novelist and journalist discusses several of her books, including Azul, Luna Lunera, and Le Cancion de Dorotea. (Catalan with English subtitles, 28 minutes)


#33005 Spanish Literature & Drama - Fernando Savater-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 27 min.) DVD $99.95

He has been called Spain's Jean-Paul Sartre. As well as a leading philosopher of his generation, Fernando Savater is also an accomplished novelist and dramatist. In this program, Savater discusses some of the central themes in his works, such as ethical challenges, human love, the opposition of society to the state, and the need to strengthen democracy through education. (Spanish with English subtitles, 27 minutes)


#8350 Latin American History & Culture - Chiapas: The Inside Story (Run time 61 min.) DVD $129.95

This documentary examines the 30-year rebellion and conflict between the Mexican government and the indigenous population in Chiapas through interviews with village residents, journalists, politicians, and rebel Zapatista leaders. The area's tumultuous history is traced from the Mexican Revolution to the present, as allegations of massacres by government troops continue to dominate the headlines. Zapatista leaders and members of various local organizations discuss the source of the struggle-their demand for agricultural autonomy over lands currently owned by wealthy Mexicans and foreigners. (Spanish with English subtitles, 61 minutes)


#39155 Latin American History & Culture - Quema Judas: A Mexican Folk Tradition-in Spanish (Run time 47 min.) DVD $129.95

Once a common sight at Easter in Mexico, displays of los judas-or large devil figures made of paper-have, like so many other folk customs across Latin America, become increasingly rare. In an attempt to save the ritual from extinction, the city of San Luis Potosi sponsors a yearly competition prompting the creation of a small army of the paper grotesques. This program follows three folk artists as they guide their judas from birth to a fate ordained by centuries of tradition-a cathartic inferno symbolizing the destruction of evil. As with much folk art, the artists come from diverse walks of life and their interpretations of los judas take on many forms, ranging from the simple to the fantastic. (Spanish, 46 minutes)


#10706 Latin American Literature & Drama - Julio Cortazar: Argentina's Iconoclast (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

Novelist and short-story writer Julio Cortazar was a master of experimental literature. In this program, Cortazar's preoccupation with 20th-century life and his rejection of its values is placed in historical context and examined as a theme in his works. In particular his masterpiece, Rayuela, is examined. Archival material and interviews with contemporaries bring to life the times that shaped Cortazar's oeuvre and ensured its enduring legacy. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#10707 Latin American Literature & Drama - Pablo Neruda: Chile's Master Poet (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

The life and work of Pablo Neruda-Nobel Laureate, statesman, renowned poet-both reflect and embody the events that shaped the 20th century. Born in Chile, he fled as a political refugee in 1948, not to return until 1952. Through archival material, Neruda's writings, and interviews with family, friends, and scholars, this program presents Neruda's life and the times that molded it. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#10708 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gabriela Mistral: Focused on Love (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

Recognized from an early age as a poet of remarkable ability, the writer who was to become known as Gabriela Mistral was the first Latin American woman to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize, in 1945. Composed of archival footage and commentary from scholars and friends who discuss the personal events that affected her life and infused her work with its themes of tragic love and unfulfilled maternal love, this program provides an in-depth portrait of one of Latin America's most gifted poets. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#10709 Latin American Literature & Drama - Octavio Paz: Mexico's Muse (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95

Poet, writer, editor, diplomat, and Nobel Laureate, Octavio Paz is among the best-known Latin American literary figures. This program examines the influences of Marxism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, along with Existentialism and Surrealism, throughout his work. Archival material and commentary from friends, family, and scholars provide a comprehensive portrait of this extraordinary man and his work. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#10710 Latin American Literature & Drama - Jose Marti: Cuba's Herald (Run time 29 min.) DVD $129.95

A Cuban patriot who expressed his views in his poetry and essays, Jose Marti lived many years in exile from Cuba, in Spain and Venezuela. This program traces 19th-century Latin American history through the life of one of its best-known commentators. Archival material, readings from his works and journals, and commentary by scholars and historians provide an overview of Marti and the era that he so greatly influenced by his actions and his writings. (Spanish, 26 minutes)


#10712 Latin American Literature & Drama - Carlos Fuentes: At Home in the Americas (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

The writings of Carlos Fuentes-a Mexican novelist and playwright who combines a deep awareness of history and national identity with experimental narrative techniques to develop his themes-have had a powerful effect on contemporary Latin American literature. In this program, Fuentes, the son of a diplomat, discusses subjects such as the influence of politics on his life, his deep feelings for Mexico, and his writing career, which has brought him international acclaim. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#10713 Latin American Literature & Drama - Isabel Allende: Possessed by Her Art (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

From her first novel, which evolved from a letter to her grandfather, to her most recent works, Isabel Allende has frequently made use of magic realism and her expertise as a journalist to explore the harsh political realities of South America, the role of women in Latin America, and her own life experiences. In this program, Allende elaborates on her years in Chile, Venezuela, and the United States; the importance of spiritualism in her creative process; and other subjects. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#10714 Latin American Literature & Drama - Mario Benedetti: Writing and Revolution (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

Recognized as one of Uruguay's most perceptive writers, Mario Benedetti was also deeply involved in Latin American politics during the 1960s and 70s. In this program, Benedetti reflects on topics such as his life both at home and in Cuba, his crisis of political consciousness, and his diverse oeuvre, which includes novels, short stories, poems, and essays. (Spanish, 28 minutes)


#10715 Latin American Literature & Drama - Mario Vargas Llosa: In Love with Peru (Run time 27 min.) DVD $129.95

The writings of Mario Vargas Llosa-penetrating studies of Peruvian life-demonstrate the author's lifelong commitment to social change. In this program, Vargas Llosa, winner of the Cervantes Prize and widely regarded as Peru's most interesting novelist, offers insights into his beloved homeland, his life abroad, his unsuccessful bid for the presidency, and other topics. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#10716 Latin American Literature & Drama - Marcela Serrano: A New Voice (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

Marcela Serrano's first novel won the Literary Prize in Santiago and her second book won the Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz prize, awarded to the best Hispano-American novel written by a woman. In this program, Marcela Serrano-clearly on the upward path to international renown-assesses the diverse concerns that have influenced her life and her work, including the elimination of apartheid and the importance of creating genuine and loving relationships. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#33581 Latin American Literature & Drama - Garcia Marquez: Un Viaje al Corazon de la Memoria-in Spanish (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born in 1928 in Colombia, where he was raised by grandparents in a house filled with countless aunts and rumors of ghosts. This program examines the Nobel Laureate's literary works for traces of a life story that has been as fascinating as any novel. Recollections by the renowned author, recounted in his own voice, bring to light some of his many memories of his childhood years, Aracataca/Macondo, his work as a journalist and press correspondent, and his career as a writer and storyteller. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 28 minutes)


#33582 Latin American Literature & Drama - Garcia Marquez: Un Viaje al Corazon de la Memoria-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 28 min.) DVD $129.95

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born in 1928 in Colombia, where he was raised by grandparents in a house filled with countless aunts and rumors of ghosts. This program examines the Nobel Laureate's literary works for traces of a life story that has been as fascinating as any novel. Recollections by the renowned author, recounted in his own voice, bring to light some of his many memories of his childhood years, Aracataca/Macondo, his work as a journalist and press correspondent, and his career as a writer and storyteller. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 28 minutes)


#35425 Latin American Literature & Drama - 21st-Century Trends in Latin American Literature (Run time 49 min.) DVD $129.95

Complacency has never been a hallmark of Latin American literature. As the 21st century dawned, many young writers-and even some who had fueled the Latin American Boom-grew disenchanted with the status quo. This program profiles the careers and the potential of literary artists at the forefront of the region's emerging narrative trends. Addressing the influence of the Crack Movement and the McOndo Group-as well as an increasing overlap between cinematic and literary concerns-the program studies the work of Cesar Aira, Ricardo Piglia, Sergio Pitol, Juan Villoro, Fernando Vallejo, Roberto Bolano, Jorge Volpi, Alberto Fuguet, Edmundo Paz Soldan, Marosa di Giorgio, and Pedro Lemebel. Some language may be offensive. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (49 minutes)


#37451 Latin American Literature & Drama - Pre-Columbian Literature-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 45 min.) DVD $129.95

The history and social structures of Latin America's native peoples were neither simple nor peaceful before the arrival of Europeans. Wars were fought, empires were created and destroyed, and-as this program illustrates-narrative tapestries of fact and fiction were woven in the process. Underscoring the linguistic sophistication that flourished for thousands of years in the region, the program addresses the proliferation of Nahuatl and Quechua literature, the codices and quipu of Mayan and Incan societies, and other ancient forms of written and oral communication. Although mythical accounts-including the Popol Vuh, the Chilam Balam, the Apu Ollantay, and the Runa yndio-are analyzed on several levels, they are most notably linked with the agendas of pre-Columbian social hierarchies. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 45 minutes)


#37452 Latin American Literature & Drama - Conquest and Colony-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 47 min.) DVD $129.95

To the European imagination, America was a tabula rasa, a virgin territory. As this program describes, narrative art forms were essential to making sense of this exotic Eden and the possibilities it offered. New Spain became a place for re-creating myths and legends of the Western literary canon, for transforming poetry, prose, and epic literature. The diaries of Columbus, Bartolome de las Casas' History of the Indies, Bernal Diaz' True History of the Conquest of New Spain, and Bernardino de Sahagun's Florentine Codex are explored along with works from indigenous authors of the early colonial period-such as Ixtlilxochitl (History of the Chichimec Nation), Munoz Camargo (History of Tlaxcala), and Alvarado Tezozomoc (Mexicayotl Chronicle). An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 47 minutes)


#37453 Latin American Literature & Drama - Politicians and Revolutionaries-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95

The Era of Revolution severed political ties between Latin America and the Old World-but cultural independence was another matter. This program explains how the region's literature began to come into its own, relying on models and themes imported from Spain while establishing a dialogue with other literary traditions and aesthetic movements. Through the work of Jose Joaquin Fernandez de Lizardi, Esteban Echeverria, Bartolome Hidalgo, Mariano Melga, Jose Marti, Cirilo Villaverde, and other writers, viewers will become familiar with the "literature of independence" particular to Latin America-one that threads together the old and the new, the alien and the indigenous, to form its own unique creations. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#37454 Latin American Literature & Drama - From Romanticism to Realism-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95

The 19th century brought tumultuous political change to Central and South America. This program shows how the cultural crucible of the region fused and realigned aesthetic movements considered sacrosanct in Europe-specifically, Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. In an eclectic matching game that became typical of Latin American literature, Realist and historical novels existed cheek-and-jowl with Romantic poetry, Romantic novels competed with the anecdotes of Ricardo Palma, and newspaper serials vied for attention with costumbrismo-a genre that depicted everyday manners and customs. Jicotencal, Jorge Isaacs' Maria, and Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda's Guatimozin, Last Emperor of Mexico are among the works discussed. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 52 minutes)


#37455 Latin American Literature & Drama - Modernismo-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $129.95

It was an aesthetic movement with an ambitious program: linguistic innovation as a means of liberation from Romanticism and Neoclassicism, and as a way to clarify Latin American identity. As this program explains, Modernismo coincided with a burst of interest in stories and accounts that were tied to the creation of independent nation states. Viewers will discover valuable insights regarding this cultural tidal wave and the ways in which it transformed the novel, lyrical poetry, and nonfiction prose into highly original shapes. The achievements of Ruben Dario, Jose Marti, Manuel Gutierrez Najera, Jose Asuncion Silva, and other seminal writers are examined, along with the external influences of the Symbolists and the Parnassian Poets. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#37456 Latin American Literature & Drama - Regionalism and Indigenism-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95

The literature of Latin America has always defied homogeneity-and the first decades of the 20th century were no exception. This program studies artistic responses to Modernismo that accompanied a deepening appreciation of local cultural currents forming across the region-currents that, however disparate, were flowing into a shared identity. The forces that paved the way for a new avant-garde, replacing traditional means of discourse with a fractured and anxiety-ridden worldview, are analyzed. The concept of novelas de la tierra or "novels of the land" is addressed, as are the writings of Alcides Arguedas, Horacio Quiroga, Jose Eustasio Rivera, Romulo Gallegos, Martin Luis Guzman, Gregorio Lopez Fuentes, Rafael Munoz, Nelly Campobello, and numerous others. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 51 minutes)


#37457 Latin American Literature & Drama - The Avant-Garde of the 1920s-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $129.95

After the horrors of World War I, Latin American writing turned away from what many saw as ornamental and frivolous experimentation. This program studies the so-called "criticism of Modernismo within Modernismo" in which language reached back to a simpler, more intimate, less urban-centered framework. Investigating the work of several poets and authors of the period-including Enrique Gonzalez Martinez, Julio Herrera y Reissig, Maria Eugenia Vaz, Leopoldo Lugones, Delmira Agustini, Ramon Lopez Velarde, and Cesar Vallejo-the program reveals complex dynamics of nationalism and cosmopolitanism, Western literature and indigenous voices, and the spirit of breaking with the past and of belonging to an artistic tradition. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 52 minutes)


#37458 Latin American Literature & Drama - Narrating Modernity: Writers of the Mid-20th Century-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95

The mid-20th century was an era of large-scale and often tragically violent political shifts which completely changed the face of Latin American life-and art. As this program demonstrates, the rise of military dictatorships and authoritarian regimes forced a reassessment of issues that had been problematic since Latin American countries gained their independence. These dilemmas brought intense pressure on social institutions and energized the works of Jorge Luis Borges, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, Roberto Arlt, Cesar Vallejo, Alejo Carpentier, Silvina Ocampo, and Juan Carlos Onetti. The significance of the Rio de la Plata region and Angel Rama's concept of narrative transculturation also inform the discussion. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#37459 Latin American Literature & Drama - The Latin American Boom-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95

By the 1960s, Latin America's avant-garde movements had matured into a range of literary styles that were firmly entrenched in the cultural landscape. At the same time, there emerged a new and distinctive accent to Latin American literature that was no less authentic than its forebears. This program surveys the artistic phenomenon, manifested most notably in magical realism, that came to be known as the Latin American Boom. Examining the role of journalism and the ways in which various authors stylized their reporting in the service of artistic goals, the program looks at the work of Alejo Carpentier, Augusto Roa Bastos, Julio Cortazar, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Juan Carlos Onetti, Jose Donoso, Miguel Angel Asturias, and Juan Rulfo. Some language may be offensive. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#37460 Latin American Literature & Drama - After the Boom-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 54 min.) DVD $129.95

As the 1970s progressed, the political climate in Latin America became increasingly dark, with no end in sight to the proliferation of brutal dictatorships. This program analyzes the cultural impact of those developments and the tensions which gave Latin American literature of the period its energy and resonance. With insight into the challenges of writing in the face of tyranny, the program explores the work of authors from the Southern Cone region and offers perspectives on Carlos Monsivais, Elena Poniatowska, Rodolfo Walsh, Miguel Gutierrez, Oswaldo Reynoso, Julio Cortazar, Hector Tizon, and Diamela Eltit. The emergence of the urban cronica is discussed in depth. Some language may be offensive. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#37461 Latin American Literature & Drama - Brazilian Literature: The First 500 Years-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $129.95

Unified by the Portuguese language, the literature of Brazil represents the cultural synthesis of three distinct influences: indigenous peoples, European emigres, and Africans brought to the New World as slaves. This program reflects on those influences as it examines the first five centuries of recorded Brazilian writing. With an overview of ancient folklore and verse, the program highlights connections between Brazilian and Baroque traditions; it also studies the importance of Neoclassicism and Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism, and Parnassianism and Symbolism. Works by Claudio Manuel da Costa, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Alberto de Oliveira, Raimundo Correia, Olavo Bilac, Euclides da Cunha, and others are featured. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 49 minutes)


#37462 Latin American Literature & Drama - Brazilian Literature: The 20th Century-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 54 min.) DVD $129.95

In the first decades of the 20th century, Brazilian avant-garde literature came into its own. This program examines the awakening of Modernismo and subsequent movements in Brazilian letters, from Sao Paulo's Week of Modern Art in 1922 to the politically focused milieu of the 1970s. Outlining historical events that helped shape the country's multifaceted culture, the program explores the writings of Graciliano Ramos, Jose Lins do Rego, Augusto Meyer, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Jorge Amado, Erico Verissimo, Clarice Lispector, and Nelida Pinon, and others. It also looks at the Brazilian literature of today as it struggles to create new styles and forms that can do justice to its turbulent history. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 54 minutes)


#37463 Latin American Literature & Drama - 21st-Century Trends in Latin American Literature-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $129.95

Complacency has never been a hallmark of Latin American literature. As the 21st century dawned, many young writers-and even some who had fueled the Latin American Boom-grew disenchanted with the status quo. This program profiles the careers and the potential of literary artists at the forefront of the region's emerging narrative trends. Addressing the influence of the Crack Movement and the McOndo Group-as well as an increasing overlap between cinematic and literary concerns-the program studies the work of Cesar Aira, Ricardo Piglia, Sergio Pitol, Juan Villoro, Fernando Vallejo, Roberto Bolano, Jorge Volpi, Alberto Fuguet, Edmundo Paz Soldan, Marosa di Giorgio, and Pedro Lemebel. Some language may be offensive. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. (Spanish with optional English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#7600 Spanish History & Culture - Carlos Saura (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95

In the world of 1950s Spanish art cinema, Carlos Saura keeps some very prestigious company with other noted Spanish directors-Berlanga, Bardem, and Luis Bunuel, whose name appears frequently in the novels of Carlos Fuentes. In the beginning, Saura labored under the iron censorship of the fascist Franco regime, but he later won international recognition for his portrayals of life stunted by political oppression. In later films, such as Flamenco, Saura's talent for injecting his films with assurance and vigor, punctuated by unforgettable moments of poetry, shines forth. In this program, Saura discusses his filmmaking techniques, and how, by incorporating a mixture of incisiveness, humor, action, and romance, he conveys the gist of Spanish and Latin culture to world audiences. Also available with English subtitles. (52 minutes)Spanish


#8411 Spanish History & Culture - Carlos Saura (Run time 52 min.) DVD $129.95

In the world of 1950s Spanish art cinema, Carlos Saura keeps some very prestigious company with other noted Spanish directors-Berlanga, Bardem, and Luis Bunuel, whose name appears frequently in the novels of Carlos Fuentes. In the beginning, Saura labored under the iron censorship of the fascist Franco regime, but he later won international recognition for his portrayals of life stunted by political oppression. In later films, such as Flamenco, Saura's talent for injecting his films with assurance and vigor, punctuated by unforgettable moments of poetry, shines forth. In this program, Saura discusses his filmmaking techniques, and how, by incorporating a mixture of incisiveness, humor, action, and romance, he conveys the gist of Spanish and Latin culture to world audiences. Spanish with English subtitles. (52 minutes)Spanish with English subtitles


#32951 Spanish History & Culture - Escaping Franco: From Danger into Danger-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 59 min.) DVD $129.95

This program documents the Spanish Civil War from the point of view of the Spaniards who went into exile as a result of it. Firsthand accounts of that brutal conflict and the cruel realities of life as a refugee are movingly described by a broad cross-section of survivors. Graphic newsreel footage accompanies their stories of destruction at home and escape to other countries: tales of separation, imprisonment, forced labor, and frontline action at the start of World War II, as well as-for some, at least-testimonials to the kindness of strangers. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 58 minutes)


#32952 Spanish History & Culture - Holding On, Fighting Back: The Long Road Home to Spain-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 58 min.) DVD $129.95

After the fall of France in World War II, the hardships of the Spanish Civil War refugees grew worse. In this program, survivors from those desperate days openly talk of their ordeals and victories: repression and reprisals in Franco's Spain; suffering in French internment camps; deportation to Nazi concentration camps; meritorious service with the French Resistance and Allied forces; and, after the war, their lives in exile until, after Franco's death, they could finally go home. Graphic newsreel footage places each story in context. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 58 minutes)


#37030 Spanish History & Culture - Santiago Calatrava-in Spanish (Run time 25 min.) DVD $129.95

A bridge that brings to mind a harp. A transportation hub reminiscent of a dove. Winner of the IAI Gold Medal as well as the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts, Santiago Calatrava is celebrated for harmoniously combining sculptural architectural elements with rigid principles of engineering. This program showcases some of Calatrava's most popular projects as it tracks the career of an architect/engineer who is also a skilled artist. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (Spanish, 25 minutes)


#37031 Spanish History & Culture - Santiago Calatrava-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 25 min.) DVD $129.95

A bridge that brings to mind a harp. A transportation hub reminiscent of a dove. Winner of the IAI Gold Medal as well as the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts, Santiago Calatrava is celebrated for harmoniously combining sculptural architectural elements with rigid principles of engineering. This program showcases some of Calatrava's most popular projects as it tracks the career of an architect/engineer who is also a skilled artist. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)


#2953 Spanish Literature & Drama - Juan the Idle (Venezuela) (Run time 26 min.) DVD $129.95

When a schoolteacher arrived in the small town, filled with self-importance and the sure knowledge that he represents progress and modernity, the postman resolved to get rid of the teacher. His tool was Juan, well-known for his refusal to do any work; Juan thought he was defending his right to idleness, but was outsmarted and ended up having to work very hard indeed. (26 minutes)


#7504 Spanish Literature & Drama - Don Quixote: Legacy of a Classic (Run time 58 min.) DVD $129.95

This program weaves art, music, and literature with Western culture to explore the enormous impact of Cervantes' classic on our world today. Artists, critics, and others, from novelist Carlos Fuentes to General Norman Schwarzkopf, reveal how the work-the most translated in history-has affected their lives. Mixing discussions of the text with music, poems, other writings influenced by Don Quixote, and clips from the many film versions of the work, the program explores the conflict between imagination and reality, masculine and feminine attitudes toward love, and other themes. This is a rich resource for the study of Don Quixote and of the influence of art on life. Original BBC broadcast title: The Further Adventures of Don Quixote. (58 minutes)


#29156 Spanish Literature & Drama - La Celestina (Run time 123 min.) DVD $129.95

This vintage dramatization of La Celestina-arguably the most influential work of the early Renaissance in Spain-places the spotlight squarely on Celestina, an old bawd who dominates the story's action. Recruited by Calisto to help him seduce a young woman named Melibea, she becomes the center of a plot that begins in comedy and ends in tragedy. Attributed to Fernando de Rojas, La Celestina is remarkable for its originality, depth, handling of dialogue, and drawing of character and is often considered the first European novel. (Spanish, 2 hours)


#29157 Spanish Literature & Drama - El Lazarillo de Tormes (Run time 107 min.) DVD $129.95

Published in 1554, The Life of Lazarillo of Tormes introduced a new genre of writing, the picaresque. This classic, award-winning adaptation of the anonymous masterpiece tells the story of the young and constantly hungry protagonist, Lazaro, whose worldly education on the road through a series of masters presents a sly, often comical critique of 16th-century Spain. (Spanish, 107 minutes, b&w)


#32255 Spanish Literature & Drama - Ana Maria Matute: Dreams into Words-in Spanish with English Narration and Subtitles (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95

Raised within the socially restrictive mores of a transient middle-class family and troubled with a stammering problem, Ana Maria Matute took refuge in literature. At 17, she began to use her experiences to probe the themes of lost childhood, injustice, and the lives of the marginalized. She soon developed a fresh prose style that deftly blended fantasy and realism, revitalizing the mid-20th-century Spanish literary scene. This landmark program features an interview with Matute and readings from her works, as well as the insights of writer and journalist Inmaculada de la Fuente, the University of Madrid's Alicia Redondo Goycoechea, and Fernando Valls, of the Universidad Autonoma of Barcelona, in an exploration of the narrative virtuosity of one of Spain's most honored and beloved writers. (Spanish with English narration and subtitles, 31 minutes)


#32718 Spanish Literature & Drama - Ana Maria Matute: Dreams into Words-in Spanish (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95

Raised within the socially restrictive mores of a transient middle-class family and troubled with a stammering problem, Ana Maria Matute took refuge in literature. At 17, she began to use her experiences to probe the themes of lost childhood, injustice, and the lives of the marginalized. She soon developed a fresh prose style that deftly blended fantasy and realism, revitalizing the mid-20th-century Spanish literary scene. This landmark program features an interview with Matute and readings from her works, as well as the insights of writer and journalist Inmaculada de la Fuente, the University of Madrid's Alicia Redondo Goycoechea, and Fernando Valls, of the Universidad Autonoma of Barcelona, in an exploration of the narrative virtuosity of one of Spain's most honored and beloved writers. (Spanish, 31 minutes)


#32719 Spanish Literature & Drama - Carmen Martin Gaite: In Search of Conversation-in Spanish (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95

As a child of the Spanish Civil War and the repressive post-war era, Carmen Martin Gaite found kindred spirits among the Madrid literati, led by her future husband Rafael Sanchez Ferlosio, during the '50s. In her long and uninterrupted literary career, Gaite chose socially critical topics such as the relationship between the sexes and the differences between provincial and city life. Using modes of expression that became increasingly more personal and experimental, her prose hovers between reality and dreams, the trivial and the exceptional, and the novel and the essay. This program features an interview with Gaite and readings from her works, including Las Ataduras, as well as the critical insights of writer and journalist Inmaculada de la Fuente, the University of Madrid's Alicia Redondo Goycoechea, and Fernando Valls, of the Universidad Autonoma of Barcelona. (Spanish, 31 minutes)


#37028 Spanish Literature & Drama - Jacinto Benavente-in Spanish (Run time 22 min.) DVD $129.95

Jacinto Benavente-a member of the Generation of '98, the winner of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Literature, and one of the most influential Spanish dramatists of the entire 20th century-penned more than 170 plays. This program tells the story of Benavente's life and the turbulent times in which he lived as it sheds light on aspects of his writing. A critic of the bourgeois class, he nonetheless counted its members among his most loyal supporters. Readings from some of his most important works are included. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (Spanish, 21 minutes)


#37029 Spanish Literature & Drama - Jacinto Benavente-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 22 min.) DVD $129.95

Jacinto Benavente-a member of the Generation of '98, the winner of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Literature, and one of the most influential Spanish dramatists of the entire 20th century-penned more than 170 plays. This program tells the story of Benavente's life and the turbulent times in which he lived as it sheds light on aspects of his writing. A critic of the bourgeois class, he nonetheless counted its members among his most loyal supporters. Readings from some of his most important works are included. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 21 minutes)


#37032 Spanish Literature & Drama - Javier Egea and Luis Garcia Montero-in Spanish (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95

After the death of Franco and during the transition to a parliamentary monarchy, Spain's cultural life blossomed once again. In this environment, the poetry movement known as "the other sentimentality"-named after the first book of Javier Egea and Luis Garcia Montero-was born, a movement known for its transformation of the personal experience into a collective one so that any reader might identify with the feelings evoked. This program discusses that literary movement, chronicles the disenchantment about life and society that soon set in and contributed to Egea's suicide, and celebrates the continued achievements of Luis Garcia Montero's life. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (Spanish, 31 minutes)


#37033 Spanish Literature & Drama - Javier Egea and Luis Garcia Montero-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 31 min.) DVD $129.95

After the death of Franco and during the transition to a parliamentary monarchy, Spain's cultural life blossomed once again. In this environment, the poetry movement known as "the other sentimentality"-named after the first book of Javier Egea and Luis Garcia Montero-was born, a movement known for its transformation of the personal experience into a collective one so that any reader might identify with the feelings evoked. This program discusses that literary movement, chronicles the disenchantment about life and society that soon set in and contributed to Egea's suicide, and celebrates the continued achievements of Luis Garcia Montero's life. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 31 minutes)


#2175 Latin American History & Culture - El Pan Nuestro (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

A fascinating look at the cultural traditions of Mexico traced through the staff of life, bread. Prehispanic, Spanish, and French influences and linguistic, cultural, and geographic patterns combined to make the civilization of Mexico-and its breads-what they are today. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2178 Latin American History & Culture - Tradiciones Navidenas (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95

With the former Convent at the Desierto de los Leones as the backdrop, this program lets viewers take part in a traditional posada. The songs, the pinata, the litany, the lights, and the candlelit walks through the historic buildings and grounds bring this special Christmas fiesta to life. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2184 Latin American History & Culture - Corridos de la Revolucion Mexicana (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

In this spirited program, one of Mexico's most beloved actors, Ignacio Lopez Tarso, tells in song of the struggles and triumphs of the Mexican Revolution. The songs tell the stories of battles fought and lives lost, and of the men who changed the course of Mexican history. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2185 Latin American History & Culture - Donde Digo Diego Rivera (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

Rivera is the best known of Mexico's 20th-century artists. His murals are pictorial history books which recount the struggles of Mexico's peoples for spiritual and economic liberation. This program visits the Rivera Museum, which contains not only his works and the monuments of his life but his own superb collection of pre-Columbian artifacts. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2307 Latin American History & Culture - La Muerte de Pancho Villa (Run time 60 min.) DVD $149.95

This richly dramatized program covers many of the events of the Mexican Revolution. Its focus is on Villa-on his career, his political objectives, and the reasons for his successes and the loyalty he inspired-and on those whose power he threatened and at whose hands he died. In Spanish. (60 minutes)


#8371 Latin American History & Culture - Rigoberta Menchu: Dia Sereno (Run time 24 min.) DVD $149.95

Here we see this tireless human rights advocate and winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize in the natural, serene setting of home and family in Guatemala. Throughout the interview conducted by journalist Carlos Payan Velver, Menchu discusses her fight both for women's rights and for those of her own Mayan Quiche people. It is a revealing discussion, one in which Menchu shares her thoughts with other modern women about the difficulties of balancing family with an all-consuming career. (Spanish with English subtitles, 24 minutes)


#9120 Latin American History & Culture - Jose Marti: Cuba's Patriot-Poet (Run time 64 min.) DVD $149.95

"When I die, without a country or a master, I want a bouquet of flowers and a flag placed on my grave." A tireless proponent of freedom from Spanish rule, Jose Marti is known as "The Apostle of Cuban Independence." Combining documentary material with dramatizations, this program celebrates the selfless life of the freedom fighter, which was marked by imprisonment, exile, and, ironically, death in his first appearance on the battlefield. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 63 minutes)


#10702 Latin American History & Culture - David Alfaro Siqueiros: Uno de Tres Grandes (Run time 29 min.) DVD $149.95

One of the Tres Grandes of Mexican mural painting, Siqueiros was a technical innovator and social activist. This documentary traces Siqueiros' emergence as an artist dedicated to social change. Archival material, his own murals, and interviews with those who knew him reveal a man whose life and work were inexorably intertwined. (Spanish, 29 minutes)


#10703 Latin American History & Culture - Rigoberta Menchu: Cassandra and Crusader (Run time 28 min.) DVD $149.95

Rigoberta Menchu has become widely known as a leading advocate of Indian rights and ethno-cultural reconciliation-and also a center of controversy-not only in her native Guatemala, but throughout the western hemisphere. In this program, Menchu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and other international awards, talks about her life both at home and in exile, her autobiographical I, Rigoberta Menchu, her associations with the Committee of the Peasant Union and The United Representation of the Guatemalan Opposition, and other topics. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#11377 Latin American History & Culture - A Sus Ordenes Mi Senador (Run time 29 min.) DVD $149.95

Within hours of the start of the 1973 coup against Salvador Allende- the world's first democratically chosen Marxist president-Allende was dead and the junta was in control of Chile. This program thoroughly examines the rise of Allende's Political Unity party and the trip-hammer response of General Augusto Pinochet, the man who seized the reins of power and then held them in his iron grip for almost two decades. Interviews with members of the Allende family, writer Antonio Skarmeta, and mothers of "the disappeared" shine light into the darkness of the Pinochet regime. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 29 minutes)


#32993 Latin American History & Culture - A Literary Journey to Avila and Alcala de Henares-in Spanish (Run time 42 min.) DVD $149.95

This program considers the works of Teresa de Avila, Juan de la Cruz, Gustavo Adolfo Becquer, Ruben Dario, Mariano Jose de Larra, Lope de Vega, Francisco de Quevedo, Mateo Aleman, and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 42 minutes)


#33498 Latin American History & Culture - Maya Heritage in Guatemala-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

This program examines the lives and lifestyles of the descendants of the ancient Mayans in present-day Guatemala. From the western mountains to the subtropical region, we explore the persistent Mayan influence on Guatemalan religion, festivals, crafts, and manufacturing. Several archaeological sites and ruins of Tikal are examined, and the regions of Selva Maya and Lake Atitlan are highlighted. (Spanish, 54 minutes)


#34662 Latin American History & Culture - Evita Peron: A Story of Transformation-in Spanish (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

Eva Maria Duarte was born in 1919, the youngest child of poor, unmarried parents. Before her death in 1951, she had transformed herself and the nation of Argentina by politically organizing and empowering women and working-class people, as well as creating a foundation that built hundreds of schools and hospitals. This program beautifully illustrates her journey, including her early days as a film and radio actress, her marriage to War Minister Juan Peron, her assistance in his election to the Presidency, her unconventional political accomplishments, and her reinvention of image of Argentina's First Lady. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#34663 Latin American History & Culture - Augusto Pinochet: The Dictator in His Labyrinth-in Spanish (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

The reign of Augusto Pinochet was the darkest period in Chilean, and possibly South American, history. This biography studies the defining events of the dictator's life and notorious rule, from his birth in 1915, through the development of his military career and his connections to fascist leaders, to his overthrow of the Allende government in 1973 and subsequent imposition of a murderous right-wing regime. The program also outlines the decay of the aging despot's power-his eventual arrest in England, his return to Chile, and the removal of his immunity from prosecution, raising the possibility that he might be tried for human rights abuses. (Spanish, 48 minutes)


#34668 Latin American History & Culture - Ernesto Sabato: The Conflict of Ideas-in Spanish (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

This program traces the dramatic and circuitous life journey of physicist turned novelist and literary critic Ernesto Sabato. His early Communist affiliation, his research in the Universidad Nacional de la Plata and at the Curie Laboratory in Paris, and his eventual abandonment of science on anti-totalitarian grounds are all set against the backdrops of war, revolution, and cultural upheaval. With keen insight into the subtlety and variety of Sabato's endeavors, the video studies examples of his extraordinary literary accomplishment and explores his political contribution as the head of Argentina's National Commission on the Disappearance of People. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#34669 Latin American History & Culture - Pablo Neruda: Love, Protest, and Exile-in Spanish (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Pablo Neruda epitomizes the Latin American intersection of politics and poetry. This program illustrates the magnitude of his achievements, examining his literary output as well as his political activities. Incorporating archival photographs, film footage, and scholarly commentary, the video describes Neruda's early writing, his attitude toward Stalin, his embrace of Communism, and the ideological stances that compelled him into hiding and exile. His love poems, his 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature, his contributions as Chilean diplomat and senator, and his passionate protest against the interference of the Nixon administration are all featured. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#39526 Latin American History & Culture - El Corrido Mexicano: Musica y Cuernos de Chivo-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $149.95

In existence for more than a century, the Mexican corrido-or musica de la frontera, as it has also come to be known-continues to be met with enthusiasm on both sides of the Mexico/U.S. border. Filmed on location in Mexico and San Diego, this program showcases performances of the following songs: "Terrible Cuerno de Chivo," by Los Sierrenos; "Ezequiel Rodriguez," by El Palomo y el Gorrion; "Operacion Pesada," by Los Tucanes de Tijuana; "Las Monjitas" and "El Mexicano Mojado," by Grupo Exterminador; and "Contrabando y Traicion," "Pacas de a Kilo," "Jefe de Jefes," "De Paisano a Paisano," and "Somos Mas Americanos" by Los Tigres del Norte. Some theme-related lyrics may be objectionable. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 55 minutes)


#176 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gabriel Garcia Marquez: La Magia de lo Real (Run time min.) DVD $149.95

This major production delves into the world of One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Autumn of the Patriarch-the world of Garcia Marquez-where historical riots and levitating grandmothers appear to be equally real (or unreal). Shot on the Colombian coast in Aracataca (Macondo), the Banana Zone, Cienaga, and Barranquilla, and incorporating rare archival footage, the program features the author himself and the people of whom he writes. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#6807 Latin American Literature & Drama - Ernesto Cardenal: Cantico Cosmico (Run time 30 min.) DVD $149.95

This program uses computer imagery and on-screen Spanish text to explore Cardenal's mystical masterwork of political cosmology. Rare interviews with the Nicaraguan poet are interwoven with excerpts from the legendary poem, "Cantico Cosmico." Written over the past thirty years, the poem takes us beyond a purely political understanding of Latin American history by incorporating scientific theories and religious concepts. Students can immerse themselves in both the poet and the poetry, while also learning the Spanish language. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#7604 Latin American Literature & Drama - Fernando del Paso (Run time 43 min.) DVD $149.95

One of the great historical novels of the Latin American literary "Boom," Noticas del Imperio, was penned by the Mexican novelist Fernando del Paso, who also wrote Jose Trigo and Palinuro de Mexico. But it is Noticas for which he is best known-the story of the short-lived empire of the Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, placed on the Mexican throne by the French. In it del Paso employs superb literary techniques to vividly re-create the historical period by interweaving various narrative types-letters, straightforward historical narrative, parody, and personal reflection. In this interview, del Paso discusses his writing techniques and the literary influences that contributed to their formation. (Spanish, 43 minutes)


#7605 Latin American Literature & Drama - Jose Donoso (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Jose Donoso, the late Chilean writer, ranks high in the pantheon of great Spanish-American novelists. Donoso was the author of Coronacion, Este Domingo, El Lugar sin Limites, and El Obsceno Pajaro de la Noche, his most famous work. Donoso is best known for his elaborate and less-than-complimentary descriptions of the fragile and decadent upper crust of Chilean society, threatened by an aspiring middle class and the anger and resentment of the workers and the poor. In this interview, conducted when he was in his seventies, Donoso speaks about his work and his literary technique. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#7606 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Run time 44 min.) DVD $149.95

The works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez have drawn international praise for their highly symbolic and marvelously ethereal representations of Latin America's social, political, and cultural psyche. In this program, the author discusses his life and work from a highly personal plane, delving deeply into the reasons why he writes, his intuitive methods, and the influences over time, especially the women in his family, which color his work. From a sunlit square in Cartagena, the setting for his second novel, Love in the Time of Cholera, he analyzes its plot and the motives of each main character, drawing interesting parallels between their fictional situations and those experienced by real-life characters from his youth. (Spanish, 44 minutes)


#8287 Latin American Literature & Drama - Fernando del Paso (Run time 43 min.) DVD $149.95

One of the great historical novels of the Latin American literary "Boom," Noticas del Imperio, was penned by the Mexican novelist Fernando del Paso, who also wrote Jose Trigo and Palinuro de Mexico. But it is Noticas for which he is best known-the story of the short-lived empire of the Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, placed on the Mexican throne by the French. In it del Paso employs superb literary techniques to vividly re-create the historical period by interweaving various narrative types-letters, straightforward historical narrative, parody, and personal reflection. In this interview, del Paso discusses his writing techniques and the literary influences that contributed to their formation. (Spanish with English subtitles, 43 minutes)


#8288 Latin American Literature & Drama - Jose Donoso (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Jose Donoso, the late Chilean writer, ranks high in the pantheon of great Spanish-American novelists. Donoso was the author of Coronacion, Este Domingo, El Lugar sin Limites, and El Obsceno Pajaro de la Noche, his most famous work. Donoso is best known for his elaborate and less-than-complimentary descriptions of the fragile and decadent upper crust of Chilean society, threatened by an aspiring middle class and the anger and resentment of the workers and the poor. In this interview, conducted when he was in his seventies, Donoso speaks about his work and his literary technique. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#8289 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Run time 44 min.) DVD $149.95

The works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez have drawn international praise for their highly symbolic and marvelously ethereal representations of Latin America's social, political, and cultural psyche. In this program, the author discusses his life and work from a highly personal plane, delving deeply into the reasons why he writes, his intuitive methods, and the influences over time, especially the women in his family, which color his work. From a sunlit square in Cartagena, the setting for his second novel, Love in the Time of Cholera, he analyzes its plot and the motives of each main character, drawing interesting parallels between their fictional situations and those experienced by real-life characters from his youth. (Spanish with English subtitles, 44 minutes)


#10014 Latin American Literature & Drama - Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Witch Writing (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95

This in-depth interview with Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez is presented in the form of a conversation with an old friend he has not seen in a long while. Filmed at "Gabo's" house in Cartagena, the program is structured to suggest an apparent disorder of time-a device used most notably in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Assisted by readings and dramatizations of his works, the master of "magic realism" focuses on the supernatural aspects of his spellbinding narrative style, in an effort to convey his particular vision of the world. (54 minutes)


#10015 Latin American Literature & Drama - Juan Ramon Jimenez: Platero y Yo (Run time 57 min.) DVD $149.95

Platero y Yo, the ever-popular poem series written by Nobel Laureate Juan Ramon Jimenez, chronicles the life of an amiable donkey and serves as a vehicle to comment on life in Moguer, Jimenez' native village. This imaginatively scripted program features a simulated TV interview with the writer whose style bridged the gap between Dario and the Generation of 1927. Based on authentic interviews and Jimenez' own writings, the program dispels misconceptions related to the different points of view between the author and the reader and offers valuable insights into the symbolism of the story's characters. Vivid descriptions of Jimenez' childhood in Andalusia are provided as well. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 57 minutes)


#10335 Latin American Literature & Drama - Isabel Allende: The House of the Spirits (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

Called "a novel of force and charm" by The Washington Post and "sharply observant" by The New York Times, The House of the Spirits earned Isabel Allende paeans of praise, making its author the most unexpected sensation from Latin America since the emergence of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In this classic interview, award-winning writer Isabel Allende discusses why she turned to writing novels, the impact of Chile's 1973 coup, her life as an emigre, and her recurring literary theme of exile. Although at peace with her life abroad, she also describes her longing for her homeland, which continues to take up space in her life. (46 minutes)


#10507 Latin American Literature & Drama - Pablo Neruda: Closer to Blood than to Ink (Run time 47 min.) DVD $149.95

Equally adept at writing simple love lyrics, surreal works of great complexity, and even epics, Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda was a master of many forms of poetry. This captivating program tells the story of the poet's life and prodigious work, set against the backdrop of the country that inspired him. Readings from his massive oeuvre amply demonstrate his sincere commitment to the Communist Party and his abiding love for the natural world. Described by Federico Garcia Lorca as a writer "closer to death than to philosophy, closer to grief than to intellect, closer to blood than to ink," Pablo Neruda stands as Chile's greatest poet. (47 minutes)


#10552 Latin American Literature & Drama - The Many Faces of Borges (Run time 82 min.) DVD $149.95

Jorge Luis Borges-"invented" in collaboration with virtually everyone, including himself-defies easy identification. In this birthday tribute, which begins with the master reading his classic Borges and I, the then-80-year-old short story writer, poet, essayist, and philosopher joins TV and radio personality Antonio Carrizo in a Borgesian discussion of the multiplicity of existence; the influence of his family, his friends, and writers from the past; his love of language; and the elusive Nobel Prize. Guests Roy Bartolomeo and Maria Kodama add insights into Borges as a lecturer and scholar, the universality of his writings, and even his blindness. (Spanish, 82 minutes)


#10608 Latin American Literature & Drama - Octavio Paz (Run time 90 min.) DVD $149.95

The evocative poems of Octavio Paz, as featured in Pasado en claro, are nourished by Paz' intrinsic belief that poetry constitutes "the secret religion of the modern age." A remarkable prose stylist, he also wrote a large body of essays on poetics, literary and art criticism, and Mexican history, politics, and culture. In this program, the late Nobel Laureate addresses a variety of subjects, including his ongoing interest in politics, his views on relations between Mexico and Spain, the aesthetics of surrealism, and the characteristics of great writers. (Spanish, 90 minutes, b&w)


#10609 Latin American Literature & Drama - Rosa Chacel (Run time 37 min.) DVD $149.95

Luminous and elliptical, provocative and abstruse, the writings of Rosa Chacel demonstrate a style that is at once beautiful and complex. In this program, the late author discusses her memories of Valladolid and her childhood isolation; her productive exiles in Rome, Brazil, and Argentina; her persistent anger toward the Spanish people; plus three of her books: Estacion, ida y vuelta, a remarkable antecedent of the nouveau roman; Teresa; and the autobiographical Desde el amanecer. Actually, "all of my work is autobiographical," says Ms. Chacel. (Spanish, 37 minutes, b&w)


#10610 Latin American Literature & Drama - Julio Cortazar (Run time 124 min.) DVD $149.95

Influenced by Jean Cocteau, Jules Verne, Alfred Jarry, and Jorge Luis Borges, it is not surprising that Julio Cortazar created a body of surrealist literature that depicts the world as a phantasmagoric maze. In this program, the late author reflects on his view of reality, the creative process, his sentimental nature, and other topics. In addition, he talks about several of his books, including Rayuela, a significant contribution to the novel and paradigmatic of the Boom; the politically charged El libro de Manuel; Octaedro; Las armas secretas; Historias de cronopios y famas; and Los premios. (Spanish, 2 parts, 74 minutes and 50 minutes, b&w)


#10611 Latin American Literature & Drama - Juan Rulfo (Run time 47 min.) DVD $149.95

Unlike the reputations of many of his more prolific contemporaries, Juan Rulfo's is based on only two works: Pedro Paramo, one of the few Latin American novels of that time to successfully lay bare the inner lives of country people, and El llano en llamas, a collection of short stories. In this program, the late author-a leading exponent of magic realism-analyzes both of those works. He describes his tragic childhood as well, including the Cristero revolt, his family's financial ruin, the death of his father and mother, and his life in an orphanage in Guadalajara. (Spanish, 47 minutes, b&w)


#10612 Latin American Literature & Drama - Alejo Carpentier (Run time 91 min.) DVD $149.95

In his writings, Alejo Carpentier strove to incorporate "the marvelous," a version of reality that he maintained was indigenous to the Americas. In this program, the late author/musicologist elaborates on his Los pasos perdidos, El siglo de las luces, and Concierto barroco, while providing an understanding of the impact of surrealism and the influence of the Generation of '98 on his writing, the political atmosphere of Cuba, and his childhood in France. "I didn't speak anything but French in the house," says Carpentier, "but I always wrote in Castilian." (Spanish, 91 minutes, b&w)


#10686 Latin American Literature & Drama - Harto de Borges (Run time 66 min.) DVD $149.95

Borges is fed up-with Borges. He repeatedly changed his writing style to get free of him, yet always felt fated, in the end, to be associated with his literary alter ego. This impressionistic program creatively blends archival footage, interviews, film clips, and artwork in an effort to pin down the man behind the mythic persona. Contemporaries Ariel Dorfman, Mempo Giardinelli, Martin Caparros, Luis Sepulveda, and Diego Curubeto, plus the late Borges himself, offer their insights into the life and literature of the enigmatic Latin American writer. According to Borges, anyone who reads his work and says, "Ah, that is Borges," has missed the point-and the real Borges. (Spanish, 66 minutes)


#11172 Latin American Literature & Drama - The Many Faces of Borges (Run time 82 min.) DVD $149.95

Jorge Luis Borges-"invented" in collaboration with virtually everyone, including himself-defies easy identification. In this birthday tribute, which begins with the master reading his classic Borges and I, the then-80-year-old short story writer, poet, essayist, and philosopher joins TV and radio personality Antonio Carrizo in a Borgesian discussion of the multiplicity of existence; the influence of his family, his friends, and writers from the past; his love of language; and the elusive Nobel Prize. Guests Roy Bartolomeo and Maria Kodama add insights into Borges as a lecturer and scholar, the universality of his writings, and even his blindness. (Spanish with English subtitles, 82 minutes)


#11369 Latin American Literature & Drama - La intrusa (Run time 61 min.) DVD $149.95

This is a story of passion involving two brothers, inseparable in work and play, and a woman who comes between them. Soon all three are trapped in their own hell of jealousy and death. Contains mature themes. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 61 minutes)


#11370 Latin American Literature & Drama - La otra historia de Rosendo Juarez (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95

Set in 1930s Spain amidst the politics of the right and the left, this is the tale of a man of humble origin who kills the town bully in a just fight. His life then takes a sudden turn, entangling him in a spiral of violence and suspicion. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 54 minutes)


#11371 Latin American Literature & Drama - La muerte y la brujula (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

This mystery revolves around a series of three identical assassinations, each committed on the third day of the month, for three consecutive months, in three different locations. Following the clues, a clever detective stumbles into the perfect trap. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 58 minutes)


#11372 Latin American Literature & Drama - El evangelio segun San Marcos (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95

This story captures a man's journey to the mystical house of a father, son, and daughter, where strange events bring the traveler to a better understanding of the redemptive power of Christ's suffering and death. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 54 minutes)


#11373 Latin American Literature & Drama - Emma Zunz (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

Beneath the timid personality of 19-year-old Emma Zunz there lurks a thirst for vengeance. In this tale, Emma's father, wrongly accused of a crime, commits suicide, sending her on a search for the real culprit. Contains mature themes. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 52 minutes)


#11374 Latin American Literature & Drama - El sur (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

In this story, a descendant of famous ancestors dreams of more heroic times ... until a serious accident takes him to the doors of death, where the past and the present mingle-and where he meets his final destiny. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 58 minutes)


#30137 Latin American Literature & Drama - Flor de Cacto: Para Empezar... ?Que es la Poesia? (Run time 30 min.) DVD $149.95

What are the characteristics of poetry that differentiate it from all other kinds of writing? This program answers that question through stimulating discussions about the content and formal elements of poetry with three of Mexico's leading contemporary poets-Elisa Ramirez, Vicente Quirarte, and David Huerta. Lively computer graphics and images complement the discussion and recital of poetry. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#30138 Latin American Literature & Drama - Flor de Cacto: La Imagen (Run time 31 min.) DVD $149.95

This program brings together contemporary Mexican poets Eduardo Langagne, Javier Sicilia, and Ricardo Castillo for a meditative discussion on the creation of the poetic image. The artists address the ways they are inspired and how an almost mystical transformation of reality occurs through poetic representation. Engaging visuals and computer animation complement the readings and commentary of the poets. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#30139 Latin American Literature & Drama - Flor de Cacto: La Metafora (Run time 30 min.) DVD $149.95

The essence of poetry, metaphors unite disparate objects and ideas, resulting in a new perception of reality. In this program, contemporary Mexican poets Alberto Blanco, Luis Cortes Bargallo, and Jose Luis Rivas discuss the creation and use of the metaphor in their own poetry and in the poetic traditions of their homeland. Stunning visuals and computer graphics accompanying the poets' readings and commentary make this program an engaging tool for the classroom. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#30140 Latin American Literature & Drama - Flor de Cacto: Mas Alla de las Palabras (Run time 30 min.) DVD $149.95

Being a poet is a commitment that truly goes "beyond the words." In this program, three contemporary Mexican poets-Antonio Deltoro, Jorge Esquinca, and Francisco Hernandez-discuss the catalysts that led them to write poetry and how their admiration for the art continues to grow. These noted artists share their perspective on what poetry has become for them in their own lives, relating many of their poems to personal experiences. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#31496 Latin American Literature & Drama - Neruda: Let Me Sing for You-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 41 min.) DVD $149.95

Nicknamed "The Emperor of the Stage," Franklin Caicedo has applied his remarkable talents to create a one-man show that movingly evokes the spirit of Chile's greatest poet, Pablo Neruda. In this program, Caicedo is filmed onstage, with students in a park, and at a variety of other venues as he dramatically recites "The Words," "Not Only Fire," "I Like You When You Are Silent," "Self-Portrait," "The Question," The Dead Woman," "Farewell," "Saddest Poem," "Letter on My Travels," and other selections from Neruda's oeuvre. (Spanish with English subtitles, 41 minutes)


#32991 Latin American Literature & Drama - A Literary Journey to San Millan de la Cogolla and Santo Domingo de Silos-in Spanish (Run time 30 min.) DVD $149.95

This program considers the works of Marco Fabio Quintiliano, Gonzalo de Berceo, Ana Maria Matute, Esteban Manuel de Villegas, Manuel Breton de los Herreros, Gregorio Martinez Sierra, Gerardo Diego, Rafael Alberti, Miguel de Unamuno, Federico Garcia Lorca, and Juan de Burgos. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 30 minutes)


#32992 Latin American Literature & Drama - A Literary Journey to Valladolid and Salamanca-in Spanish (Run time 38 min.) DVD $149.95

This program considers the works of Francisco de Quevedo, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel Delibes, Jose Zorrilla, Jorge Guillen, Rosa Chacel, Miguel de Unamuno, Fray Luis de Leon, Calderon de la Barca, and Carmen Martin Gaite. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 37 minutes)


#33497 Latin American Literature & Drama - Acto Unico: Marco Antonio de la Parra-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

Marco Antonio de la Parra has been acclaimed as one of the best playwrights and novelists of Chile's new generation of writers, and his works of have been performed at venues including the GALA Hispanic Theatre, in Washington, D.C., and Joseph Papp's Festival Latino, in New York. This outstanding program features an interview with the writer, scenes from a performance of his Madrid/Sarajevo, and a rehearsal of his La Vida Privada. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#34666 Latin American Literature & Drama - Julio Cortazar: Fantasy, Reality, and Revolution-in Spanish (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

The stories of Argentine writer Julio Cortazar convey a quest for identity, an obsession with the mysteries behind everyday reality, and an existential torment manifested in the fantastic. Using archival footage of the author and extensive commentary from his contemporaries-including biographer Mario Goloboff, filmmaker Manuel Antin, and former Argentine president Raul Alfonsin-this program examines the major events of Cortazar's wide-ranging life and career. His birth in Belgium, his early years as a school teacher, and his relationships with revolutionary leaders are all presented in detail, along with astute analysis of his complex and enigmatic work. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#176E Latin American Literature & Drama - Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Magical Realism (Run time 60 min.) DVD $149.95

This major production delves into the world of One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Autumn of the Patriarch-the world of Garcia Marquez-where historical riots and levitating grandmothers appear to be equally real (or unreal). Shot on the Colombian coast in Aracataca (Macondo), the Banana Zone, Cienaga, and Barranquilla, and incorporating rare archival footage, the program features the author himself and the people of whom he writes. (60 minutes)


#8323 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Teotihuacan: The Multicultural Jewel of Mesoamerica (Run time 34 min.) DVD $149.95

This program dramatizes the history of Teotihuacan through reenactments of the everyday life of its multicultural inhabitants. The chronology of events leading to its eventual rise to dominance as the stronghold of Aztec rule in Central Mexico is traced. Murals found on the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, and in the temple of the winged serpent god, Quetzalcoatl, are presented as pages of a nonexistent codex, and as the spiritual key to cultures that existed elsewhere in Mesoamerica. The process by which the murals were created is reenacted. The city's abandonment in the face of barbarian invasions by tribes from the north in AD 700 is traced to its rebirth under the Aztecs. Various concepts of Aztec religious cosmology are examined, including the movement of time, the division of ages into Ocelotl, Ehecatl, Quiyahuitl, and Atl, and the cult of Quetzalcoatl. (Spanish with English subtitles, 34 minutes)


#8324 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Chichen Itza: The Fall of the Mayan Empire (Run time 32 min.) DVD $149.95

It is the 13th Katun on the Mayan wheel of favorable times, in the 10th Mayan baktun, and the last days of the Mayan empire at Chichen Itza are at hand. This visually stunning reenactment examines the course of its demise through codices written by Chilam Balam, the last Mayan diviner. Beginning with an overview of the city's multicultural composition, it examines Chichen Itza as a major trading center between Uxmal and Coba, then extrapolates that the influx of further cultural influences may have weakened the Mayans' hold over the city. Conflicts between portions of the Mayan population and newcomers, particularly over differing religious traditions, are insinuated in the codices along with indications of growing internal unrest. The idea that Mayan preeminence may have been lost through a defeat in a game of pelota is fascinating food for thought. (Spanish with English subtitles, 32 minutes)


#8337 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Palenque: The Walls of Mayan History (Run time 29 min.) DVD $149.95

Using the first known major settlement of the Mayan culture as a setting, this program illuminates several important rites and rituals of the Mayans who lived there through the interpretations of the many inscriptions found on the walls of its main buildings. The life and death of significant rulers such as Halach Vinic, the Solar Prince, and Kuk Quetzl, the last lord of Palenque, are examined. Rituals that are explained and reenacted include the daily blood ritual, at which Mayan warriors, slicing into their own flesh, hoped to secure everlasting life and perpetuate the seasonal corn crop essential to the culture's existence. The concept of humankind as a sacred bridge between the heavens and the "slithering earth" reveals the significance of human sacrifice in religious rituals, a point clearly reinforced through interpretations of inscriptions indicating the sacrifice and burial of Mayan children in the tomb of Halach Vinic in AD 693. (Spanish with English subtitles, 29 minutes)


#2597 Spanish History & Culture - The Spanish Civil War (Run time 25 min.) DVD $149.95

This program covers the roots of the Spanish Civil War-the electoral defeat of right-wing forces by the union of left-wing parties into the Popular Front; the polarization of Left and Right as Fascism and Communism loomed on the far side of the Pyrenees; the young officers' conspiracy that began the uprising in Morocco. Within days, the conflict had spread to Spain, and the bitter Civil War had begun. The program covers the course of the war: the battles, the targeting of civilians (including the bombing of Guernica), the human cost, the intervention of the totalitarian powers and the non-intervention of the democracies-until, at the end, the Soviet Union withdrew its support and the International Brigades were disbanded, Nationalist forces entered Madrid, and the war was over, leaving more than a million people dead, wounded, or as refugees. (25 minutes, b&w)


#2677 Spanish History & Culture - Granada (Run time 40 min.) DVD $149.95

This program tells the story of Granada, which is the history of Spain encapsulated: the Moorish conquest and the Moorish presence-art, technology, military might, wealth, religious devotion, indecipherable inscriptions, all somewhat mysterious to the non-Islamic eye; and the Reconquista-an 800-year-long war that is seen here only in its after-effects, ruins and a sense of something ineffable, inexpressible, unattainable lost forever. (40 minutes)


#3913 Spanish History & Culture - Santiago de Compostela (Run time 30 min.) DVD $149.95

It rains 300 days a year in this breathtakingly beautiful and utterly remote corner of northwestern Spain. The harsh landscape and the unforgiving sea have helped shape the generally cynically nature of Galicians-where else do you find a street called "Salsipuedes" (Get away if you can). Yet this is also the terminus of the arduous pilgrimage to Santiago's famed cathedral and the tomb of St. James. (30 minutes)


#3915 Spanish History & Culture - Madrid: The City Today (Run time 27 min.) DVD $149.95

It has been called so noisy as to be unlivable, this city that eats close to midnight and spends an unbelievable amount of time talking. The subjects range from literature to bullfights, but the venue is invariably the cafe. Look beneath the chaos of modernity, and today's Madrid is not so different from that of Perez Galdos. (27 minutes)


#3937 Spanish History & Culture - Picasso and His Time (Run time 57 min.) DVD $149.95

This superb documentary covers the long and extraordinary life of Picasso, beginning with the first period of his life in Malaga, La Coruna, and Barcelona (the time of his classic painting) and continuing in Paris, Vallauris, and Vouvenargue. This beautifully photographed program follows the development of this genius through the Pink and Blue Periods, surrealism, cubism, sculpture, and ceramics: a unique artist who excelled in all styles and all media and remained-regardless of where he was-Spanish to the core. (57 minutes)


#10588 Spanish History & Culture - The Heritage of Flamenco (Run time 60 min.) DVD $149.95

In Andalusia and all around the world, the sensual rhythms of flamenco ignite the blood with joy and sorrow. This program helps make accessible the mysterious, intimate, plaintive form of music known as flamenco, promoting a deeper appreciation of Spanish culture. Background information on Moorish Spain and a chronology of Gypsy history provide the context for generous footage of a juerga-an informal flamenco performance-that includes a full complement of dancers, singers, guitarists, and palmeros. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#29734 Spanish History & Culture - Antoni Gaudi (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

Over the course of his career, Antoni Gaudi translated the gothic revival style into a sensuous, surreal, and highly idiosyncratic design language that established him as the leader within the Spanish art nouveau movement. Using location footage, drawings, and archival photos and film, this program places Gaudi within the context of his profession and his times. His Colonia Guell, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, and Sagrada Familia are featured. (Spanish, 48 minutes)


#29747 Spanish History & Culture - Diego Velazquez (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

The leading painter of the Spanish Baroque period, Diego Velazquez covered a wide range of subjects, from royal portraits of King Philip IV and his family to perhaps the most celebrated of all self-portraits, Las Meninas. Filmed on location at The Escorial, The Prado, and in Velazquez's native Seville, this program chronicles the life of the artist through his work, examining his Classical education and apprenticeship under Francisco Pacheco as well as numerous canvases from his long career as court painter. (Spanish, 48 minutes)


#33950 Spanish History & Culture - En El Inicio de los Tiempos-in Spanish (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

Starting with the birth of the universe, this program brings to light the geologic formation of the Iberian Peninsula, the flourishing of the dinosaurs, and the rise of humankind. Using extensive dramatization, En El Inicio de los Tiempos traces the advances of the earliest humans, rendering a detailed and highly plausible scenario of existence during the unrecorded chapters of human history. Maps and photos of archaeological artifacts provide additional insights into life during prehistoric times. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#33951 Spanish History & Culture - De Altamira al til de Metal-in Spanish (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

The discovery of the Altamira caves in the 19th century radically altered the popular perception of early human life on the planet. This program explores the world of the Paleolithic and Mesolithic peoples who called the Iberian Peninsula home. Images of artifacts, paintings, and archaeological sites reveal how the ancients of unrecorded history progressed from Stone Age to Bronze Age and from hunting/gathering to agriculture. In addition, re-creations of life in prehistoric times show how modern humans' ancestors worked-and expressed their artistic natures. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#33952 Spanish History & Culture - Tarteso, El Reino Legendario de Argantonio-in Spanish (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

The history of Tartessos, the first great mining economy of Iberia, is also a story of prosperity-and ruin. This program makes extensive use of dramatizations, images of artifacts, footage of ruins, maps, and 3-D re-creations of ships and buildings to illustrate the skilled craft of metalwork, science of navigation, spread of overseas trade, intersection of cultures, development of written language, and use of currency as history unfolded during that remarkable epoch. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 56 minutes)


#33953 Spanish History & Culture - Las Grandes Potencias se Disputan Iberia-in Spanish (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

After the disappearance of Tartessos, other Iberian locales rose to prominence and flourished-until their successes drew the unwanted attention of rival civilizations. This program tracks the history of Iberia during the era of Carthaginian and Roman expansion. Paintings, dramatizations, and maps reconstruct the course of the Punic Wars. In addition, the characteristics and cultures of these embattled regions are examined through re-creations of everyday life, images of artifacts, and footage of ruins in Girona, Tarragona, Teruel, Galicia, Asturias, Soria, and Seville. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 48 minutes)


#33954 Spanish History & Culture - Hispania, un Producto de Roma-in Spanish (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

This program chronicles Rome's conquest and protracted pacification of the Iberian Peninsula-and the subsequent Romanization of its peoples as Hispania was integrated into an empire united by Roman law, Roman language, and the remarkable Roman road. A wide range of visuals brings this era of warfare and uneasy peace to life, including dramatizations, 3-D computer animations, paintings, mosaics, sculptures, edifices, artifacts, maps, and ruins in Girona, Aragon, Cuenca, Soria, Cadiz, Seville, Cordoba, Asturias, and Burgos. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 52 minutes)


#33955 Spanish History & Culture - Del Imperio Cristiano a los Reinos Barbaros-in Spanish (Run time 44 min.) DVD $149.95

This program charts the turbulent history of the Iberian Peninsula under the Romans and Visigoths. The feudalistic divide between landowners and farmers, the brutal suppression and subsequent legalization of Christianity, barbarian invasions and the disintegration of the western Roman Empire, Visigothic rule, and incursions by Muslim armies are described through dramatizations, maps, artifacts, paintings, and footage of early churches. Many 3-D computer re-creations-villas, an amphitheater, a church, and entire towns-are included as well. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 44 minutes)


#33956 Spanish History & Culture - El Islam y la Resistencia Cristiana-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

This program focuses on the rise of the Moorish civilization on the Iberian Peninsula. Spotlights on Moorish poetry, music, science, medicine, engineering, commerce, and agriculture during that time underscore Islam's lasting influence on the region. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#33957 Spanish History & Culture - La Disgregacion del Islam Andalusi y el Avance Cristiano-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

From the death of Almanzor and the breakup of Moorish al-Andalus into taifas to Christian victory at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, this program depicts the continuous transformation of the Iberian Peninsula as rival powers shaped the land's destiny. The alliances and struggles among Christians, Moors, Almoravides, and Almohads are captured through numerous dramatizations and maps. Key figures, including Alfonso VI and El Cid, are featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#33958 Spanish History & Culture - La Peninsula de los Cinco Reinos-in Spanish (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

This program employs dramatizations, maps, art, and architecture to follow the ongoing struggles between Christians and Moors-and among the Christians themselves-during the years 1213 through 1347 as the Christian reconquista changed into a Crusade. It also contrasts these clashes of arms with the cultural revival among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Iberian melting pot. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 52 minutes)


#33959 Spanish History & Culture - La Epoca de las Calamidades-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

This program delves into a period of violence and catastrophe in Spanish history as civil war and ongoing campaigns against the Moors, on the one hand, and the Black Death and economic and agricultural crises, on the other, ravaged the Iberian Peninsula. Dramatizations and maps, architecture and art, bring to life a narrative that spotlights pivotal events such as the Battle of Rio Salado and key personages-the Trastamaras, Pedro the Cruel, and others-who moved Spain ever closer to becoming a world power. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#33960 Spanish History & Culture - La Monarquia de los Reyes Catolicos-in Spanish (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

The union of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, two able rulers known jointly as the Catholic Monarchs, set the stage for the unification of Spain religiously as well as politically and economically. This program utilizes dramatizations, location footage of historical landmarks, and maps to illustrate their consolidation of power, including the final conquest of Granada, the expulsion of the Jews, and the establishment of the Inquisition in Spain. Spanish conquests in the Mediterranean and Columbus's voyages of discovery are also mapped out. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 52 minutes)


#33961 Spanish History & Culture - Carlos V: Un Monarca, un Imperio, y una Espada-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

A child of Belgium, a speaker of French, and a Habsburg on his father's side, there was little Spanish about Charles V, yet Spain was the core of his kingdom. This program follows the cosmopolitan "Carlos Quinto," King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, through two coronations, a wedding, wars with France and the Ottoman Empire, the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, and his retirement to the Monastery of Yuste. Dramatizations, maps, artwork, and noteworthy buildings from all over Europe are featured throughout. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#33962 Spanish History & Culture - La Espana de Felipe II: Un Imperio Sin Emperador-in Spanish (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95

Philip II ruled over Spain at its peak of world influence...and at the start of its long slide from prominence. This program depicts the life and times of this absolutist monarch through dramatizations, artwork, and maps. High-profile topics, including the Inquisition, the Armada, and the Battle of Lepanto, are presented while addressing controversies such as the imprisonment and death of the king's heir, Don Carlos. Cultural elements such as the Ommegang Pageant, the works of El Greco, and architectural landmarks are also highlighted. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 54 minutes)


#33963 Spanish History & Culture - America, un Mundo Nuevo-in Spanish (Run time 47 min.) DVD $149.95

After Columbus came the conquistadors: intrepid men who, for good and ill, have left an indelible mark on world history. This program dramatizes the conquests of Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro in the Viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru, stories characterized by courage and brutality-on both sides. In addition, cultural exchanges between New World and Old and their effects over time are considered. Viewer discretion is advised. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 47 minutes)


#33964 Spanish History & Culture - La Decadencia Politica en el Siglo de Oro-in Spanish (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

Spain's Golden Age is recognized as the most fertile and glorious era in Spanish arts and letters. Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco de Quevedo, Calderon de la Barca, Diego Velazquez, and many others created works of enduring renown...even as their country fell into ruin. This program contrasts the marvels of the Siglo de Oro through dramatizations, film clips, artwork, and visits to important locales with the ineffectiveness of Kings Philip III and IV-a long period of rule that was largely characterized by political and military decay and disaster. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 46 minutes)


#33965 Spanish History & Culture - La Decadencia de un Imperio de los Austrias a los Borbones-in Spanish (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

Charles II was the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. This program follows the continuing decline of Spanish influence during Charles the Bewitched's life-and the War of the Spanish Succession that broke out upon his death. The Peace of Utrecht, which marked the triumph of balance of power over hereditary rights of rule, is addressed as well. Dramatizations, artwork, and visits to important locales bring this period to life. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 46 minutes)


#33966 Spanish History & Culture - La Nueva Espana de Felipe V-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

Under Philip V, Spain at last began to recover from the long stagnation it had suffered during the twilight of the Habsburg dynasty. Employing dramatizations and maps, this program charts the reign of the first Bourbon king of Spain and the geopolitical forces that shaped the Europe of the Enlightenment-most notably the Spanish and Austrian wars of succession and their treaties. Bourbon reformism is also considered, and homage is paid to the arts and architecture of the times. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#33967 Spanish History & Culture - Carlos III: Luces y Sombras del Reformismo Ilustrado-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

Told in flashback during the final days of Charles III's life, this program scrutinizes that enlightened monarch's reign, a period of moderate reformism that required balancing innovation with the heavy weight of tradition. Successful domestic initiatives such as the renovation of Madrid, controversial incidents including the reform riot of 1766 and the expulsion of the Jesuits, and disastrous foreign policy decisions that drew Spain into the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution are each looked at in their turn. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 49 minutes)


#33968 Spanish History & Culture - A la Sombra de la Revolucion-in Spanish (Run time 45 min.) DVD $149.95

Charles IV succeeded to the Spanish throne in 1788. One year later, the cataclysmic revolution in neighboring France dealt European monarchism a blow of seismic proportions. Focusing on Charles' reign-conducted with extreme passivity and ending in abdication-this program uses film clips, dramatizations, paintings, and architectural landmarks to examine a country caught in the throes of sociopolitical turmoil. Queen Maria Luisa and her lover Manuel de Godoy, the true royal powers, are spotlighted as Spain's fortunes in the shadow of Napoleonic France are appraised. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 45 minutes)


#33969 Spanish History & Culture - Vivan las Caenas!"-in Spanish" (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Beginning with the Battle of Bailen, this program charts the erratic course of politics in Spain that saw Ferdinand VII deposed by Napoleon and replaced by the emperor's brother, Joseph; reinstated at the end of the Peninsular War by the victorious allied forces; constrained by a coup in 1820 to abide by the liberal Constitution of 1812; and unbound by a second coup to resume his authoritarian reign-an era known as the Decada Ominosa. Wars for independence in Spain's American possessions are also chronicled. Dramatizations and film clips capture the harshness of the period. Viewer discretion is advised. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#33970 Spanish History & Culture - Por la Senda Liberal-in Spanish (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

With the Pragmatic Sanction, the Spanish rule passed to Ferdinand VII's young daughter, Isabella, upon his death-and touched off the Carlist Wars, with Ferdinand's brother Don Carlos pitting himself against Queen Regent Maria Cristina. This program employs dramatizations, artwork, maps, film clips, and footage of palaces and other landmarks to make sense of the complex political and social forces at work during the years of the First and Second Carlist Wars. Battles and reprisals as well as reforms and socioeconomic progress all have a place in this story of Spain's turn toward liberalismo. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#33971 Spanish History & Culture - Viva Espana con Honra!"-in Spanish" (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

The reign of Isabella II was characterized by palace intrigues, antechamber influences, barracks conspiracies, and military pronunciamientos. This program illustrates the factionalist ferment that led to the Revolution of 1868, the expulsion of the queen, the regency of Francisco Serrano, and the short reign of Amadeus I. Film clips, artwork, dramatizations, and maps shed light on the unrest at home and in Cuba as well as on moderate progress in public works and slight improvements in commerce and finance. The advantageous Spanish war against Morocco is also presented. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 46 minutes)


#33972 Spanish History & Culture - El Regreso de los Borbones-in Spanish (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Beginning with the brief tenure of Amadeus I, continuing on through the short-lived First Republic, and concluding with the reign of Alfonso XII and the early years of Alfonso XIII, this program thoroughly acquaints viewers with the second Bourbon restoration. Using dramatizations, architectural landmarks, artwork, and film clips, it covers upsurges of regionalismo and cantonalismo, the Third Carlist War, Cuban separatism, socialism, ongoing industrialization, mass emigration, and work- and education-related social reforms. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#33973 Spanish History & Culture - Alfonso XIII-in Spanish (Run time 63 min.) DVD $149.95

After reprising key events from Alfonso XIII's early years-most notably the loss of Spain's remaining colonies in 1898-this program traces his reign up to the military debacle at Annual. Vintage film and dramatizations bring early-20th-century Spain to life as they document major challenges to Spanish monarchal rule: Catalan agitation for autonomy, the spread of socialism and anarchism, the execution of Francisco Ferrer Guardia, labor violence, and ongoing warfare in Morocco. Sociocultural aspects of the times, such as the literary Generation of '98, are also singled out. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 63 minutes)


#33974 Spanish History & Culture - Espana, Espana-in Spanish (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

The dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera. Spain's Second Republic. The Spanish Civil War. This program, composed almost entirely of period footage and photographs, seeks to understand the tortuous sociopolitical forces at work in Spain between the two world wars. Profiles of public figures and popular movements combined with background on liberal reforms and horrific atrocities evoke an image of a people torn between hope and despair. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 58 minutes)


#33975 Spanish History & Culture - Franco, Franco, Franco!-in Spanish (Run time 64 min.) DVD $149.95

For nearly 40 years, the totalitarian regime of Generalisimo Francisco Franco defined Spain. This program draws upon archival footage and photographs to show what life was like for Spaniards during that era: on the one hand, post-war economic hardships, curtailed civil liberties, and stringent governmental suppression of opposition, while on the other, widespread modernization and, following the Spanish Miracle, an improved standard of living. Franco's grooming of the future king, Juan Carlos, is also covered. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 64 minutes)


#33976 Spanish History & Culture - Espana en Libertad-in Spanish (Run time 61 min.) DVD $149.95

The coronation of Juan Carlos I marked the third restoration of Spanish Bourbon rule. This program tracks the mixed fortunes of post-Franco Spain as it transitioned into a parliamentary monarchy and moved forward into the 21st century. News footage of policymakers and events addresses free elections, economic restructuring, membership in the E.U., educational reforms, and social security as well as the failed 23-F coup, high unemployment, labor strikes, and terrorism. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 61 minutes)


#34453 Spanish History & Culture - En El Inicio de los Tiempos-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

Starting with the birth of the universe, this program brings to light the geologic formation of the Iberian Peninsula, the flourishing of the dinosaurs, and the rise of humankind. Using extensive dramatization, En El Inicio de los Tiempos traces the advances of the earliest humans, rendering a detailed and highly plausible scenario of existence during the unrecorded chapters of human history. Maps and photos of archaeological artifacts provide additional insights into life during prehistoric times. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 51 minutes)


#34454 Spanish History & Culture - De Altamira al Util de Metal-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

The discovery of the Altamira caves in the 19th century radically altered the popular perception of early human life on the planet. This program explores the world of the Paleolithic and Mesolithic peoples who called the Iberian Peninsula home. Images of artifacts, paintings, and archaeological sites reveal how the ancients of unrecorded history progressed from Stone Age to Bronze Age and from hunting/gathering to agriculture. In addition, re-creations of life in prehistoric times show how modern humans' ancestors worked-and expressed their artistic natures. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 51 minutes)


#34455 Spanish History & Culture - Tarteso, El Reino Legendario de Argantonio-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

The history of Tartessos, the first great mining economy of Iberia, is also a story of prosperity-and ruin. This program makes extensive use of dramatizations, images of artifacts, footage of ruins, maps, and 3-D re-creations of ships and buildings to illustrate the skilled craft of metalwork, science of navigation, spread of overseas trade, intersection of cultures, development of written language, and use of currency as history unfolded during that remarkable epoch. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 56 minutes)


#34456 Spanish History & Culture - Las Grandes Potencias se Disputan Iberia-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

After the disappearance of Tartessos, other Iberian locales rose to prominence and flourished-until their successes drew the unwanted attention of rival civilizations. This program tracks the history of Iberia during the era of Carthaginian and Roman expansion. Paintings, dramatizations, and maps reconstruct the course of the Punic Wars. In addition, the characteristics and cultures of these embattled regions are examined through re-creations of everyday life, images of artifacts, and footage of ruins in Girona, Tarragona, Teruel, Galicia, Asturias, Soria, and Seville. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 48 minutes)


#34457 Spanish History & Culture - Hispania, un Producto de Roma-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

This program chronicles Rome's conquest and protracted pacification of the Iberian Peninsula-and the subsequent Romanization of its peoples as Hispania was integrated into an empire united by Roman law, Roman language, and the remarkable Roman road. A wide range of visuals brings this era of warfare and uneasy peace to life, including dramatizations, 3-D computer animations, paintings, mosaics, sculptures, edifices, artifacts, maps, and ruins in Girona, Aragon, Cuenca, Soria, Cadiz, Seville, Cordoba, Asturias, and Burgos. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 52 minutes)


#34458 Spanish History & Culture - Del Imperio Cristiano a los Reinos Barbaros-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 44 min.) DVD $149.95

This program charts the turbulent history of the Iberian Peninsula under the Romans and Visigoths. The feudalistic divide between landowners and farmers, the brutal suppression and subsequent legalization of Christianity, barbarian invasions and the disintegration of the western Roman Empire, Visigothic rule, and incursions by Muslim armies are described through dramatizations, maps, artifacts, paintings, and footage of early churches. Many 3-D computer re-creations-villas, an amphitheater, a church, and entire towns-are included as well. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 44 minutes)


#34459 Spanish History & Culture - El Islam y la Resistencia Cristiana-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

This program focuses on the rise of the Moorish civilization on the Iberian Peninsula. Spotlights on Moorish poetry, music, science, medicine, engineering, commerce, and agriculture during that time underscore Islam's lasting influence on the region. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#34460 Spanish History & Culture - La Disgregacion del Islam Andalusi y el Avance Cristiano-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

From the death of Almanzor and the breakup of Moorish al-Andalus into taifas to Christian victory at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, this program depicts the continuous transformation of the Iberian Peninsula as rival powers shaped the land's destiny. The alliances and struggles among Christians, Moors, Almoravides, and Almohads are captured through numerous dramatizations and maps. Key figures, including Alfonso VI and El Cid, are featured. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#34461 Spanish History & Culture - La Peninsula de los Cinco Reinos-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

This program employs dramatizations, maps, art, and architecture to follow the ongoing struggles between Christians and Moors-and among the Christians themselves-during the years 1213 through 1347 as the Christian reconquista changed into a Crusade. It also contrasts these clashes of arms with the cultural revival among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Iberian melting pot. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 52 minutes)


#34462 Spanish History & Culture - La Epoca de las Calamidades-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

This program delves into a period of violence and catastrophe in Spanish history as civil war and ongoing campaigns against the Moors, on the one hand, and the Black Death and economic and agricultural crises, on the other, ravaged the Iberian Peninsula. Dramatizations and maps, architecture and art, bring to life a narrative that spotlights pivotal events such as the Battle of Rio Salado and key personages-the Trastamaras, Pedro the Cruel, and others-who moved Spain ever closer to becoming a world power. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#34463 Spanish History & Culture - La Monarquia de los Reyes Catolicos-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

The union of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, two able rulers known jointly as the Catholic Monarchs, set the stage for the unification of Spain religiously as well as politically and economically. This program utilizes dramatizations, location footage of historical landmarks, and maps to illustrate their consolidation of power, including the final conquest of Granada, the expulsion of the Jews, and the establishment of the Inquisition in Spain. Spanish conquests in the Mediterranean and Columbus's voyages of discovery are also mapped out. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 52 minutes)


#34522 Spanish History & Culture - Carlos V: Un Monarca, un Imperio, y una Espada-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

A child of Belgium, a speaker of French, and a Habsburg on his father's side, there was little Spanish about Charles V, yet Spain was the core of his kingdom. This program follows the cosmopolitan "Carlos Quinto," King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, through two coronations, a wedding, wars with France and the Ottoman Empire, the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, and his retirement to the Monastery of Yuste. Dramatizations, maps, artwork, and noteworthy buildings from all over Europe are featured throughout. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#34523 Spanish History & Culture - La Espana de Felipe II: Un Imperio Sin Emperador-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95

Philip II ruled over Spain at its peak of world influence...and at the start of its long slide from prominence. This program depicts the life and times of this absolutist monarch through dramatizations, artwork, and maps. High-profile topics, including the Inquisition, the Armada, and the Battle of Lepanto, are presented while addressing controversies such as the imprisonment and death of the king's heir, Don Carlos. Cultural elements such as the Ommegang Pageant, the works of El Greco, and architectural landmarks are also highlighted. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 54 minutes)


#34524 Spanish History & Culture - America, un Mundo Nuevo-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 47 min.) DVD $149.95

After Columbus came the conquistadors: intrepid men who, for good and ill, have left an indelible mark on world history. This program dramatizes the conquests of Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro in the Viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru, stories characterized by courage and brutality-on both sides. In addition, cultural exchanges between New World and Old and their effects over time are considered. Viewer discretion is advised. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 47 minutes)


#34525 Spanish History & Culture - La Decadencia Politica en el Siglo de Oro-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

Spain's Golden Age is recognized as the most fertile and glorious era in Spanish arts and letters. Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco de Quevedo, Calderon de la Barca, Diego Velazquez, and many others created works of enduring renown...even as their country fell into ruin. This program contrasts the marvels of the Siglo de Oro through dramatizations, film clips, artwork, and visits to important locales with the ineffectiveness of Kings Philip III and IV-a long period of rule that was largely characterized by political and military decay and disaster. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 46 minutes)


#34526 Spanish History & Culture - La Decadencia de un Imperio de los Austrias a los Borbones-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

Charles II was the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. This program follows the continuing decline of Spanish influence during Charles the Bewitched's life-and the War of the Spanish Succession that broke out upon his death. The Peace of Utrecht, which marked the triumph of balance of power over hereditary rights of rule, is addressed as well. Dramatizations, artwork, and visits to important locales bring this period to life. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 46 minutes)


#34527 Spanish History & Culture - La Nueva Espana de Felipe V-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

Under Philip V, Spain at last began to recover from the long stagnation it had suffered during the twilight of the Habsburg dynasty. Employing dramatizations and maps, this program charts the reign of the first Bourbon king of Spain and the geopolitical forces that shaped the Europe of the Enlightenment-most notably the Spanish and Austrian wars of succession and their treaties. Bourbon reformism is also considered, and homage is paid to the arts and architecture of the times. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#34528 Spanish History & Culture - Carlos III: Luces y Sombras del Reformismo Ilustrado-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

Told in flashback during the final days of Charles III's life, this program scrutinizes that enlightened monarch's reign, a period of moderate reformism that required balancing innovation with the heavy weight of tradition. Successful domestic initiatives such as the renovation of Madrid, controversial incidents including the reform riot of 1766 and the expulsion of the Jesuits, and disastrous foreign policy decisions that drew Spain into the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution are each looked at in their turn. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 49 minutes)


#34880 Spanish History & Culture - A la Sombra de la Revolucion-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 45 min.) DVD $149.95

Charles IV succeeded to the Spanish throne in 1788. One year later, the cataclysmic revolution in neighboring France dealt European monarchism a blow of seismic proportions. Focusing on Charles' reign-conducted with extreme passivity and ending in abdication-this program uses film clips, dramatizations, paintings, and architectural landmarks to examine a country caught in the throes of sociopolitical turmoil. Queen Maria Luisa and her lover Manuel de Godoy, the true royal powers, are spotlighted as Spain's fortunes in the shadow of Napoleonic France are appraised. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 45 minutes)


#34881 Spanish History & Culture - Vivan las Caenas!"-in Spanish with English Subtitles" (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Beginning with the Battle of Bailen, this program charts the erratic course of politics in Spain that saw Ferdinand VII deposed by Napoleon and replaced by the emperor's brother, Joseph; reinstated at the end of the Peninsular War by the victorious allied forces; constrained by a coup in 1820 to abide by the liberal Constitution of 1812; and unbound by a second coup to resume his authoritarian reign-an era known as the Decada Ominosa. Wars for independence in Spain's American possessions are also chronicled. Dramatizations and film clips capture the harshness of the period. Viewer discretion is advised. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#34882 Spanish History & Culture - Por la Senda Liberal-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 53 min.) DVD $149.95

With the Pragmatic Sanction, the Spanish rule passed to Ferdinand VII's young daughter, Isabella, upon his death-and touched off the Carlist Wars, with Ferdinand's brother Don Carlos pitting himself against Queen Regent Maria Cristina. This program employs dramatizations, artwork, maps, film clips, and footage of palaces and other landmarks to make sense of the complex political and social forces at work during the years of the First and Second Carlist Wars. Battles and reprisals as well as reforms and socioeconomic progress all have a place in this story of Spain's turn toward liberalismo. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)


#34883 Spanish History & Culture - Viva Espana con Honra!"-in Spanish with English Subtitles" (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

The reign of Isabella II was characterized by palace intrigues, antechamber influences, barracks conspiracies, and military pronunciamientos. This program illustrates the factionalist ferment that led to the Revolution of 1868, the expulsion of the queen, the regency of Francisco Serrano, and the short reign of Amadeus I. Film clips, artwork, dramatizations, and maps shed light on the unrest at home and in Cuba as well as on moderate progress in public works and slight improvements in commerce and finance. The advantageous Spanish war against Morocco is also presented. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 46 minutes)


#34884 Spanish History & Culture - El Regreso de los Borbones-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Beginning with the brief tenure of Amadeus I, continuing on through the short-lived First Republic, and concluding with the reign of Alfonso XII and the early years of Alfonso XIII, this program thoroughly acquaints viewers with the second Bourbon restoration. Using dramatizations, architectural landmarks, artwork, and film clips, it covers upsurges of regionalismo and cantonalismo, the Third Carlist War, Cuban separatism, socialism, ongoing industrialization, mass emigration, and work- and education-related social reforms. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#34885 Spanish History & Culture - Alfonso XIII-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 63 min.) DVD $149.95

After reprising key events from Alfonso XIII's early years-most notably the loss of Spain's remaining colonies in 1898-this program traces his reign up to the military debacle at Annual. Vintage film and dramatizations bring early-20th-century Spain to life as they document major challenges to Spanish monarchal rule: Catalan agitation for autonomy, the spread of socialism and anarchism, the execution of Francisco Ferrer Guardia, labor violence, and ongoing warfare in Morocco. Sociocultural aspects of the times, such as the literary Generation of '98, are also singled out. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 63 minutes)


#34886 Spanish History & Culture - Espana, Espana-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

The dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera. Spain's Second Republic. The Spanish Civil War. This program, composed almost entirely of period footage and photographs, seeks to understand the tortuous sociopolitical forces at work in Spain between the two world wars. Profiles of public figures and popular movements combined with background on liberal reforms and horrific atrocities evoke an image of a people torn between hope and despair. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 58 minutes)


#34887 Spanish History & Culture - Franco, Franco, Franco!-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 64 min.) DVD $149.95

For nearly 40 years, the totalitarian regime of Generalisimo Francisco Franco defined Spain. This program draws upon archival footage and photographs to show what life was like for Spaniards during that era: on the one hand, post-war economic hardships, curtailed civil liberties, and stringent governmental suppression of opposition, while on the other, widespread modernization and, following the Spanish Miracle, an improved standard of living. Franco's grooming of the future king, Juan Carlos, is also covered. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 64 minutes)


#34888 Spanish History & Culture - Espana en Libertad-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 61 min.) DVD $149.95

The coronation of Juan Carlos I marked the third restoration of Spanish Bourbon rule. This program tracks the mixed fortunes of post-Franco Spain as it transitioned into a parliamentary monarchy and moved forward into the 21st century. News footage of policymakers and events addresses free elections, economic restructuring, membership in the E.U., educational reforms, and social security as well as the failed 23-F coup, high unemployment, labor strikes, and terrorism. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 61 minutes)


#37120 Spanish History & Culture - The Spanish Civil War, Part 2-in Spanish (Run time 46 min.) DVD $149.95

This program follows the fortunes of the Nationalist and Republican forces from the fall of the Alcazar to the Nationalists to the last stand of the Second Republic's Army of the North at the Battle of Santander. The withdrawal of the Republican government to Valencia; Generalisimo Franco's self-appointment as Spain's head of state; the start of the siege of Madrid; the last major Republican victory, at Guadalajara; and the bombing of Guernica are covered as well. Commentary by historians Gabriel Cardona and Albert Balcells; Ricardo Miralles, of the University of the Basque Country; Armando Lopez Salinas, former leader of the Spanish Communist Party; and others is featured. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (Spanish, 45 minutes, b&w/color)


#164 Spanish Literature & Drama - Lope de Vega: Fuenteovejuna (Run time min.) DVD $149.95

The greatest Spanish work of the Siglo de Oro is here presented as a feature film that painstakingly and lovingly re-creates the medieval world of Lope's play. Spain's greatest actors are cast in this joyous production. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 2 hours 22 minutes)


#165 Spanish Literature & Drama - La leyenda del Alcalde de Zalamea (Run time min.) DVD $149.95

This dramatization of the story of the alcalde of Zalamea-based on the plays of Lope and Calderon-demonstrates the traditional Spanish values of honor and loyalty, and the potential conflict between them. An RTVE production. Drama in Spanish. (2 hours)


#953 Spanish Literature & Drama - Unamuno: Abel Sanchez (Run time min.) DVD $149.95

The story of Cain and Abel set in Unamuno's Spain and seen through the eyes of the philosopher for whom good and evil are neither absolutes nor opposites. An RTVE production. Dramatization in Spanish. (3 hours, b&w)


#956 Spanish Literature & Drama - Tirso de Molina: El Burlador de Sevilla (Run time 122 min.) DVD $149.95

A superb production of Tirso's most famous work, the play that introduced the theme of Don Juan into European literature. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 2 hours)


#5230 Spanish Literature & Drama - Calderon de la Barca: La Vida Es Sueno (Run time 74 min.) DVD $149.95

The Spanish classic, performed in the classic Spanish style-beautifully spoken and clear to the ear. With Julio Nunez as Segismundo and a first-rate supporting cast. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 74 minutes, b&w)


#8372 Spanish Literature & Drama - Federico Garcia Lorca: Remembering the Earth (Run time 59 min.) DVD $149.95

Over half a century has passed since famed poet-playwright Federico Garcia Lorca was killed in Granada at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. He lives on, however, in his immortal Canciones, Romancero Gitano, and La Casa de Bernarda Alba and other works that captured the soul of espana and the heart of the literary world. This documentary, produced by RTVE, traces his life from Fuentevagueros in Andalusia to his death at age 38 in 1936. Archival footage and personal interviews with family members, poets, writers, and artists including Edward Albee and Philip Levine provide an accurate portrait of both Lorca the man and the literary giant. Portions of Lorca's most famous works, interwoven throughout the program, are accompanied by contemporary images of the places he held most dear. (Spanish, 59 minutes)


#8819 Spanish Literature & Drama - Federico Garcia Lorca: Remembering the Earth (Run time 59 min.) DVD $149.95

Over half a century has passed since famed poet-playwright Federico Garcia Lorca was killed in Granada at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. He lives on, however, in his immortal Canciones, Romancero Gitano, and La Casa de Bernarda Alba and other works that captured the soul of espana and the heart of the literary world. This documentary, produced by RTVE, traces his life from Fuentevagueros in Andalusia to his death at age 38 in 1936. Archival footage and personal interviews with family members, poets, writers, and artists including Edward Albee and Philip Levine provide an accurate portrait of both Lorca the man and the literary giant. Portions of Lorca's most famous works, interwoven throughout the program, are accompanied by contemporary images of the places he held most dear. (59 minutes)


#9122 Spanish Literature & Drama - Miguel de Unamuno: El Rector (Run time 55 min.) DVD $149.95

A distinguished senior member of the Generation of '98 and Rector of Salamanca University, Miguel de Unamuno considered himself an "ideoclast": someone who breaks in ideas like boots, making them his own by wearing and using them. This program combines documentary material and dramatizations to present the story of a multitalented Spanish philosopher, essayist, novelist, poet, and playwright against the backdrop of his turbulent times. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 54 minutes)


#9123 Spanish Literature & Drama - Ramon Maria del Valle-Inclan: El Fulgor de la Palabra (Run time 55 min.) DVD $149.95

At first a pro-aristocracy Carlist and later a communist with anarchist leanings, Ramon Maria del Valle-Inclan ran the political gamut from right to left. In this program, documentary material and dramatizations are blended to provide an account of a major Spanish novelist and playwright-whose esperpentos such as Tirano Banderas and Los Cuernos de Don Friolera prefigured the theater of the absurd-within the context of his nation's political turmoil. An RTVE production. (Spanish, 56 minutes)


#9124 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Machado: A Lomos de la Quimera (Run time 55 min.) DVD $149.95

The most important Spanish poet of his generation and the most popular as well, Antonio Machado shared the misgivings voiced by other members of the Generation of '98 regarding the decadence and complacency of Spain. Composed of documentary material and dramatizations, this program profiles the life and achievements of a Spanish literary master, author of such enduring works as Campos de Castilla and Juan de Mairena. An RTVE production. (Spanish, 60 minutes)


#10629 Spanish Literature & Drama - Lope de Vega's La Viuda Valenciana (Run time 57 min.) DVD $149.95

A leading light of Spain's Golden Age, master of the picaresque, and author of perhaps as many as 1,800 comedias, Lope de Vega led a life that was as dramatic as his plays. Originally written for his young mistress Dona Marta de Nevares Santoyo, who as a prominent actress of the day actually played the leading role, this classic revival for Spanish television eloquently showcases Lope's incisive wit and brilliant style. Contains mature themes and explicit material. An RTVE production. (Spanish, 57 minutes)


#11375 Spanish Literature & Drama - Rafael Alberti: De lo Viva y lo Lejano (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

This program visits with the poet and playwright Rafael Alberti-until recently the last surviving member of the Generation of 1927-in one of his final appearances. Interviews with Alberti's wife, Asuncio Mateo; Jose Bello, an intimate of Alberti and others of the Generation; Robert Marrast, of the University of Burdeos; and others reflect on the life and turbulent times of this well-known writer, while archival footage reveals Alberti in his prime. Readings from his Surrealist Sobre los angeles and other writings are included, as well as examples of his artwork, a pursuit of his early years. An RTVE production. (Spanish, 56 minutes)


#29750 Spanish Literature & Drama - Miguel de Cervantes (Run time 42 min.) DVD $149.95

Using drawings, paintings, letters, maps, and footage of notable landmarks, this program presents the adventures and tribulations of Miguel de Cervantes, arguably the best-known figure in Spanish literary history. In addition to Don Quixote, one of the most influential and widely read classics in Western literature, the program also introduces Cervantes' Novelas Ejemplares, a group of short stories that he claimed were the first to be written in Castilian. (Spanish, 43 minutes)


#29792 Spanish Literature & Drama - Federico Garcia Lorca (Run time 54 min.) DVD $149.95

Initially trained as a classical pianist, Lorca became one of Spain's greatest poets and dramatists. This program weaves archival footage with dozens of photos and manuscripts to examine his work, his influences, and his friendships with other luminaries, including Luis Bunuel, Salvador Dali, and Pablo Neruda. Such poetic works as Llanto por Ignacio Sanchez Mejias, Poema del Cante Jondo, and Romancero Gitano are discussed in the context of their creation, as well as the plays La Zapatera Prodigiosa, Bodas de Sangre, Yerma, and La Casa de Bernarda Alba. The roles of Yerma and Bernarda are closely examined, as well as Lorca's tragic muse Margarita Xirgu, for whom these parts were written. The program concludes with his murder by the Nationalists in his native Granada. (Spanish, 53 minutes)


#30145 Spanish Literature & Drama - Introduction to Spanish Literature-in Spanish (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

Characterized by expressions of individuality, popularismo, criticism, stoicism, humor, piety, and dignity, the literature of Spain spans ten centuries, includes some of history's most significant writers, and contains landmark works of every major literary genre. This program provides an overview of Iberian history as it relates to Spanish literature. The formation of regional tongues and their importance in the cultural life of Spain are discussed, with an emphasis on the three languages that, apart from Castilian, are most in evidence today: Catalan, Gallego, and Basque, or Euskera. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rosalia de Castro's Cantares Gallegos, Miguel de Unamuno's "Alma Vasca," Salvador Espriu's La Piel de Toro, and Eduardo Pondal's "Yo Naci en la Pequena Ponteceso." (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30146 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Middle Ages: From Anonymity to Authorship-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

The 13th and 14th centuries saw a remarkable cultural flowering under Alfonso X and the appearance of Spain's first important literary achievements. In this program, leading scholars compare and contrast the writings of the masters of the late Middle Ages, whose works gave rise to some of Spain's most memorable heroes. Dramatic readings include excerpts from the anonymously written Cantar de Mio Cid, Alfonso el Sabio's Cantigas de Santa Maria and Siete Partidas, Gonzalo de Berceo's Milagros de Nuestra Senora, Rabbi Sem Tob's Proverbios Morales, and Juan Manuel's El Libro de los Estados and El Conde Lucanor. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30147 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Renaissance: From Courtly Tradition to Loco Amor-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

Despite the dampening effects of the Inquisition and the Counter-Reformation, the Renaissance gave a powerful impetus to learning and experimentation-and in the process ensconced Castilian as the language of choice for both poetry and prose. In this program, renowned experts place the masters of the Renaissance within the context of their times. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Fernando de Rojas's La Celestina, Juan Alfonso de Baena's Cancionero de Baena, the Marques de Santillana's Dialogo de Bias Contra Fortuna, Jorge Manrique's Coplas a la Muerte del Maestre Don Rodrigo, and selected romanceros. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30148 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Siglo de Oro Begins: Picaros and Mystics-in Spanish (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

At the onset of Spain's Golden Age, the genres of pastoral fiction and mystic poetry attained their fullest expression while the picaresque story made its bracing debut. In this program, respected authorities scrutinize the lives and works of those who paved the way for Cervantes, Vega, and Gongora. Dramatic readings include excerpts from the anonymously written Lazarillo de Tormes, Mateo Aleman's Guzman de Alfarache, Jorge Montemayor's Los Siete Libros de la Diana, and poems from Fray Luis de Leon and San Juan de la Cruz. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30149 Spanish Literature & Drama - Apogee of the Golden Age-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

During the 17th century, Spain witnessed a flowering of letters that was nourished by religious zeal, epic adventures, and a new sense of realism. In this program, leading scholars provide insights into the writings and personalities of Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and other giants of Spanish literature. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Cervantes' Don Quijote and Los Trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda, Vega's Fuenteovejuna, Tirso de Molina's El Burlador de Sevilla, Calderon de la Barca's La Vida Es Sueno, and Francisco de Quevedo's "Poderoso Caballero Es Don Dinero." (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30150 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Enlightenment: Keeping the Fire Burning-in Spanish (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

The 18th century in Spain was less a period of literary achievement than a time of intellectual ferment, as the Bourbon monarchs attempted sweeping social and cultural reforms. In this program, renowned experts put into perspective the writings of those who kept the flame of literature alight during the Age of Reason. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Torres Villarroel's El Censor, Benito Jeronimo Feijoo's "Fabula de las Batuecas y Paises Imaginarios," Padre Isla's Fray Gerundio, Jose Cadalso's Noches Lugubres and Cartas Marruecas, and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos's Memoria para el Arreglo de la Policia de los Espectaculos y Diversiones Publicas y Sobre Su Origen en Espana. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30151 Spanish Literature & Drama - The 19th Century: Romanticism and Realism-in Spanish (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Despite the political and economic chaos of the 19th century-or perhaps because of it-this period produced brilliant literature while setting the stage for the Generation of '98. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the lives and works of the masters of Romanticism and Realism. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Jose Espronceda's Cancion del Pirata, Jose Zorrilla's Romances Historicos, and Gustavo Adolfo Becquer's Rimas as well as from the writings of the Duque de Rivas, Rosalia de Castro, Leopoldo "Clarin" Alas, and Benito Perez Galdos. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30152 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Generation of '98-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

A passionate dissatisfaction with Spain's immediate past and a keen awareness of the need for a rebirth of spirit and letters was a mindset held in common by a disparate group of writers later renowned as the Generation of '98. They also enjoyed a shared love of old towns and the countryside and early poets such as Berceo and Juan Ruiz. This program seeks to understand the icons of that Generation through dramatic readings from Antonio Machado's El Manana Efimero and Campos de Castilla, Miguel Unamuno's La Soledad de la Hispana Castellana and El Sepulcro de Don Quijote, Pia Baroja's El Arbol de la Ciencia, Jose "Azorin" Martinez Ruiz's Castilla, and other works. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30153 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Generation of '27-in Spanish (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

At the heart of the Generation of '27 lies experimentation with a host of popular artistic as well as political "isms" including neo-Gongorism, Ultraism, Creationism, Surrealism, socialism, and communism. In this program, renowned experts profile key members of this post-World War I group. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Luis Cernuda's Donde Habite el Olvido, Rafael Alberti's "Cita Triste de Charlot," Ramon Gomez de la Serna's Flor de Greguerias, Pedro Salinas's La Voz a Ti Debida, and Federico Garcia Lorca's Romancero Gitano, Bodas de Sangre, Poeta en Nueva York, and "Romance Sonambulo." (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30154 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Spanish Civil War: Blood and Ink-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

When Spain's army mutinied against the Second Republic in 1936, it marked the beginning of a bitter civil war that lasted three years and cost one million Spanish lives. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the writings and personalities of those who captured this devastating period in poetry and prose. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rafael Alberti's "Romancero General de la Guerra," Antonio Machado's "Muerte de un Nino Herido," Jose Maria Peman's "De Ellos Es el Mundo" and "Poema de la Bestia y el Angel," and Miguel Hernandez' Viento del Pueblo. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30155 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Writers in Exile-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

After the Spanish Civil War, the defeated Republicans had only two options: to stay in Spain and accept the rule of Franco's authoritarian regime or to leave their homeland and go into exile. In this program, leading scholars talk about the lives and works of Spain's dispossessed literary elite, whose voices refused to be silenced. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rafael Alberti's "A Traves de la Niebla," Leon Felipe's Espanol del Exodo y del Llanto, Luis Cernuda's "Un Espanol Habla de Su Tierra," Rosa Chacel's "Cultura y Pueblo," and Ramon Sender's Requiem por un Campesino Espanol. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30156 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Literature under Dictatorship: 1940 to 1975-in Spanish (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

How did life in post-civil war Spain-a time of uncertainty and oppression-influence the writings of the period? In this program, renowned experts explore the literature of the Franco era through the experiences of Ana Maria Matute and other writers who chose to stay in Spain after the Nationalist victory in 1939. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Camilo Jose Cela's La Colmena, Luis Martin-Santos's Tiempo de Silencio, Carmen Martin Gaite's Entre Visillos, Miguel Delibes' Cinco Horas con Mario, and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester's Don Juan, as well as from the works of Matute, Jaime Gil de Biedma, and Jose Angel Valente. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30157 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Literature of Spain: 1975 to the Present-in Spanish (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

With the death of Franco came a loosening of political restrictions and a restoration of many civil liberties. In this program, respected authorities look at the past 25 years of literature in post-Franco Spain and the literary inclinations of the next up-and-coming generation of poets, authors, and playwrights. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Manuel Vazquez Montalban's "Sin Memoria," Francisco Umbral's Mortal y Rosa, Juan Goytisolo's Senas de Identidad, Rosa Regas' Fabula Moralista, and Antonio Gala's Poemas de Amor. (Spanish, 50 minutes)


#30159 Spanish Literature & Drama - Introduction to Spanish Literature-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

Characterized by expressions of individuality, popularismo, criticism, stoicism, humor, piety, and dignity, the literature of Spain spans ten centuries, includes some of history's most significant writers, and contains landmark works of every major literary genre. This program provides an overview of Iberian history as it relates to Spanish literature. The formation of regional tongues and their importance in the cultural life of Spain are discussed, with an emphasis on the three languages that, apart from Castilian, are most in evidence today: Catalan, Gallego, and Basque, or Euskera. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rosalia de Castro's Cantares Gallegos, Miguel de Unamuno's "Alma Vasca," Salvador Espriu's La Piel de Toro, and Eduardo Pondal's "Yo Naci en la Pequena Ponteceso." (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30160 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Middle Ages: From Anonymity to Authorship-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

The 13th and 14th centuries saw a remarkable cultural flowering under Alfonso X and the appearance of Spain's first important literary achievements. In this program, leading scholars compare and contrast the writings of the masters of the late Middle Ages, whose works gave rise to some of Spain's most memorable heroes. Dramatic readings include excerpts from the anonymously written Cantar de Mio Cid, Alfonso el Sabio's Cantigas de Santa Maria and Siete Partidas, Gonzalo de Berceo's Milagros de Nuestra Senora, Rabbi Sem Tob's Proverbios Morales, and Juan Manuel's El Libro de los Estados and El Conde Lucanor. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30161 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Renaissance: From Courtly Tradition to Loco Amor-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

Despite the dampening effects of the Inquisition and the Counter-Reformation, the Renaissance gave a powerful impetus to learning and experimentation-and in the process ensconced Castilian as the language of choice for both poetry and prose. In this program, renowned experts place the masters of the Renaissance within the context of their times. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Fernando de Rojas's La Celestina, Juan Alfonso de Baena's Cancionero de Baena, the Marques de Santillana's Dialogo de Bias Contra Fortuna, Jorge Manrique's Coplas a la Muerte del Maestre Don Rodrigo, and selected romanceros. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30162 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Siglo de Oro Begins: Picaros and Mystics-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

At the onset of Spain's Golden Age, the genres of pastoral fiction and mystic poetry attained their fullest expression while the picaresque story made its bracing debut. In this program, respected authorities scrutinize the lives and works of those who paved the way for Cervantes, Vega, and Gongora. Dramatic readings include excerpts from the anonymously written Lazarillo de Tormes, Mateo Aleman's Guzman de Alfarache, Jorge Montemayor's Los Siete Libros de la Diana, and poems from Fray Luis de Leon and San Juan de la Cruz. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30163 Spanish Literature & Drama - Apogee of the Golden Age-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

During the 17th century, Spain witnessed a flowering of letters that was nourished by religious zeal, epic adventures, and a new sense of realism. In this program, leading scholars provide insights into the writings and personalities of Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and other giants of Spanish literature. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Cervantes' Don Quijote and Los Trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda, Vega's Fuenteovejuna, Tirso de Molina's El Burlador de Sevilla, Calderon de la Barca's La Vida Es Sueno, and Francisco de Quevedo's "Poderoso Caballero Es Don Dinero." (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30164 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Enlightenment: Keeping the Fire Burning-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

The 18th century in Spain was less a period of literary achievement than a time of intellectual ferment, as the Bourbon monarchs attempted sweeping social and cultural reforms. In this program, renowned experts put into perspective the writings of those who kept the flame of literature alight during the Age of Reason. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Torres Villarroel's El Censor, Benito Jeronimo Feijoo's "Fabula de las Batuecas y Paises Imaginarios," Padre Isla's Fray Gerundio, Jose Cadalso's Noches Lugubres and Cartas Marruecas, and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos's Memoria para el Arreglo de la Policia de los Espectaculos y Diversiones Publicas y Sobre Su Origen en Espana. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30165 Spanish Literature & Drama - The 19th Century: Romanticism and Realism-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Despite the political and economic chaos of the 19th century-or perhaps because of it-this period produced brilliant literature while setting the stage for the Generation of '98. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the lives and works of the masters of Romanticism and Realism. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Jose Espronceda's Cancion del Pirata, Jose Zorrilla's Romances Historicos, and Gustavo Adolfo Becquer's Rimas as well as from the writings of the Duque de Rivas, Rosalia de Castro, Leopoldo "Clarin" Alas, and Benito Perez Galdos. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30166 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Generation of '98-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

A passionate dissatisfaction with Spain's immediate past and a keen awareness of the need for a rebirth of spirit and letters was a mindset held in common by a disparate group of writers later renowned as the Generation of '98. They also enjoyed a shared love of old towns and the countryside and early poets such as Berceo and Juan Ruiz. This program seeks to understand the icons of that Generation through dramatic readings from Antonio Machado's El Manana Efimero and Campos de Castilla, Miguel Unamuno's La Soledad de la Hispana Castellana and El Sepulcro de Don Quijote, Pia Baroja's El Arbol de la Ciencia, Jose "Azorin" Martinez Ruiz's Castilla, and other works. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30167 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Generation of '27-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

At the heart of the Generation of '27 lies experimentation with a host of popular artistic as well as political "isms" including neo-Gongorism, Ultraism, Creationism, Surrealism, socialism, and communism. In this program, renowned experts profile key members of this post-World War I group. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Luis Cernuda's Donde Habite el Olvido, Rafael Alberti's "Cita Triste de Charlot," Ramon Gomez de la Serna's Flor de Greguerias, Pedro Salinas's La Voz a Ti Debida, and Federico Garcia Lorca's Romancero Gitano, Bodas de Sangre, Poeta en Nueva York, and "Romance Sonambulo." (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30168 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Spanish Civil War: Blood and Ink-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

When Spain's army mutinied against the Second Republic in 1936, it marked the beginning of a bitter civil war that lasted three years and cost one million Spanish lives. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the writings and personalities of those who captured this devastating period in poetry and prose. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rafael Alberti's "Romancero General de la Guerra," Antonio Machado's "Muerte de un Nino Herido," Jose Maria Peman's "De Ellos Es el Mundo" and "Poema de la Bestia y el Angel," and Miguel Hernandez' Viento del Pueblo. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30169 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Writers in Exile-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

After the Spanish Civil War, the defeated Republicans had only two options: to stay in Spain and accept the rule of Franco's authoritarian regime or to leave their homeland and go into exile. In this program, leading scholars talk about the lives and works of Spain's dispossessed literary elite, whose voices refused to be silenced. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rafael Alberti's "A Traves de la Niebla," Leon Felipe's Espanol del Exodo y del Llanto, Luis Cernuda's "Un Espanol Habla de Su Tierra," Rosa Chacel's "Cultura y Pueblo," and Ramon Sender's Requiem por un Campesino Espanol. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30170 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Literature under Dictatorship: 1940 to 1975-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

How did life in post-civil war Spain-a time of uncertainty and oppression-influence the writings of the period? In this program, renowned experts explore the literature of the Franco era through the experiences of Ana Maria Matute and other writers who chose to stay in Spain after the Nationalist victory in 1939. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Camilo Jose Cela's La Colmena, Luis Martin-Santos's Tiempo de Silencio, Carmen Martin Gaite's Entre Visillos, Miguel Delibes' Cinco Horas con Mario, and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester's Don Juan, as well as from the works of Matute, Jaime Gil de Biedma, and Jose Angel Valente. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#30171 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Literature of Spain: 1975 to the Present-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

With the death of Franco came a loosening of political restrictions and a restoration of many civil liberties. In this program, respected authorities look at the past 25 years of literature in post-Franco Spain and the literary inclinations of the next up-and-coming generation of poets, authors, and playwrights. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Manuel Vazquez Montalban's "Sin Memoria," Francisco Umbral's Mortal y Rosa, Juan Goytisolo's Senas de Identidad, Rosa Regas' Fabula Moralista, and Antonio Gala's Poemas de Amor. (Spanish with English subtitles, 50 minutes)


#32289 Spanish Literature & Drama - Ramon Sender: Perceptions of a Life-in Spanish (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

Perhaps Spain's best-known novelist before the Spanish Civil War, Ramon Sender belonged to the social narrative and existential schools and was a member of the vaunted Generation of 1925. When his wife and family were killed in the war, he fled into exile during which time he wrote some of his finest works. In this program, location footage, archival photos, and realia are combined with the thoughtful commentary of literary critic Rafael Conte, writers Jose Luis Castillo Puche and Francisco Carrasquer, family members, and friends in a discussion of Sender's rich record of accomplishment. His 64 novels and numerous short stories, plays, poems, and essays were each a journey of discovery as he explored social injustice, faith and redemption, and his new life in the New World. (Spanish, 58 minutes)


#32290 Spanish Literature & Drama - Alvaro Cunqueiro: The Days of a Storyteller-in Spanish (Run time 106 min.) DVD $149.95

Alvaro Cunqueiro is regarded as the undisputed master of Galician literature and the only Spanish writer to achieve recognition beyond the linguistic boundaries of Galicia. He was an extremely versatile author, trying virtually every genre-from medieval cantigas to literatura fantastica. This program uses a variety of interviews with Cunqueiro, archival footage, and the reminiscences of fellow writers and friends as vehicles for understanding the author's own particular brand of humor and subtle lyricism. His tales of magical universes and of memory, myth, and legend rank among the richest in Spanish literature. (Spanish, 1 hour 46 minutes)


#32291 Spanish Literature & Drama - Camilo Jose Cela: A Rose in Padron-in Spanish (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

Nobel Laureate Camilo Jose Cela, called "the leading figure in Spain's literary renewal during the post-war era" by the Swedish Academy, combined a marked fondness for experiment, a provocative attitude, and an old Spanish tradition of hilarious grotesqueness, which so often constitutes the other side of despair. This lyrical program captures the insights of Cela and many who knew him, shedding light on subjects such as his childhood; his experiences during the Spanish Civil War; his winning of the Nobel Prize; his noteworthy contribution as publisher of the literary magazine Papeles de Son Armadans; and his prodigious oeuvre, including the book that first made his name, La Familia de Pascual Duarte-after Don Quixote, quite possibly the most read novel in Spanish literature. (Spanish, 56 minutes)


#32292 Spanish Literature & Drama - Luis Sepulveda: The Other World-in Spanish (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

Enamored of reading and writing, inspired by his grandmother's storytelling, and matured by eight years in prison for clandestine revolutionary activities against the Pinochet regime, Luis Sepulveda has become a writer with something to say-with an international following that wants to hear it. In this program, Sepulveda talks with veteran journalist Enzo Biagi about his childhood, his experiences in revolutionary Chile, and his decades of exile in Latin America and Europe. He also discusses three of his most popular works: Un Viejo Que Leia Novelas de Amor, Nombre de Torero, and Historia de Una Gaviota y El Gato Que Enseo a Vol. Archival footage from the turbulent '60s and '70s provides a powerful backdrop for the interview. (Spanish, 55 minutes)


#32315 Spanish Literature & Drama - Manuel Rivas: Esta Es Mi Tierra-in Spanish (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

Hosted and narrated by Manuel Rivas and filmed in his native Galicia, this program showcases the work of the prize-winning Spanish journalist and author of the internationally acclaimed novel, The Carpenter's Pencil. As personable as he is talented, Rivas reads excerpts from his novel, a portrayal of the human cost of the Spanish Civil War, along with several of his poems. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 57 minutes)


#32977 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Machado-in Spanish (Run time 52 min.) DVD $149.95

Filmed at locations throughout Spain, this program offers a literary retrospective of one of the leading poets of the Generation of '98, Antonio Machado. Machado scholar Jose Carlos Gallardo and Manuel Nunez Encabo of the Antonio Machado Foundation provide insightful commentary on the poet's life and works, including Soledades, Nuevas Canciones, Juan de Mairena, and his masterpiece, Campos de Castilla. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#32981 Spanish Literature & Drama - Antonio Machado-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $149.95

Filmed at locations throughout Spain, this program offers a literary retrospective of one of the leading poets of the Generation of '98, Antonio Machado. Machado scholar Jose Carlos Gallardo and Manuel Nunez Encabo of the Antonio Machado Foundation provide insightful commentary on the poet's life and works, including Soledades, Nuevas Canciones, Juan de Mairena, and his masterpiece, Campos de Castilla. (Spanish with English subtitles, 51 minutes)


#34331 Spanish Literature & Drama - Introduction to Spanish Literature-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

Characterized by expressions of individuality, popularismo, criticism, stoicism, humor, piety, and dignity, the literature of Spain spans ten centuries, includes some of history's most significant writers, and contains landmark works of every major literary genre. This program provides an overview of Iberian history as it relates to Spanish literature. The formation of regional tongues and their importance in the cultural life of Spain are discussed, with an emphasis on the three languages that, apart from Castilian, are most in evidence today: Catalan, Gallego, and Basque, or Euskera. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rosalia de Castro's Cantares Gallegos, Miguel de Unamuno's "Alma Vasca," Salvador Espriu's La Piel de Toro, and Eduardo Pondal's "Yo Naci en la Pequena Ponteceso." A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34332 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Middle Ages: From Anonymity to Authorship-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

The 13th and 14th centuries saw a remarkable cultural flowering under Alfonso X and the appearance of Spain's first important literary achievements. In this program, leading scholars compare and contrast the writings of the masters of the late Middle Ages, whose works gave rise to some of Spain's most memorable heroes. Dramatic readings include excerpts from the anonymously written Cantar de Mio Cid, Alfonso el Sabio's Cantigas de Santa Maria and Siete Partidas, Gonzalo de Berceo's Milagros de Nuestra Senora, Rabbi Sem Tob's Proverbios Morales, and Juan Manuel's El Libro de los Estados and El Conde Lucanor. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34333 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Renaissance: From Courtly Tradition to Loco Amor-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

Despite the dampening effects of the Inquisition and the Counter-Reformation, the Renaissance gave a powerful impetus to learning and experimentation-and in the process ensconced Castilian as the language of choice for both poetry and prose. In this program, renowned experts place the masters of the Renaissance within the context of their times. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Fernando de Rojas's La Celestina, Juan Alfonso de Baena's Cancionero de Baena, the Marques de Santillana's Dialogo de Bias Contra Fortuna, Jorge Manrique's Coplas a la Muerte del Maestre Don Rodrigo, and selected romanceros. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34334 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Siglo de Oro Begins: Picaros and Mystics-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 48 min.) DVD $149.95

At the onset of Spain's Golden Age, the genres of pastoral fiction and mystic poetry attained their fullest expression while the picaresque story made its bracing debut. In this program, respected authorities scrutinize the lives and works of those who paved the way for Cervantes, Vega, and Gongora. Dramatic readings include excerpts from the anonymously written Lazarillo de Tormes, Mateo Aleman's Guzman de Alfarache, Jorge Montemayor's Los Siete Libros de la Diana, and poems from Fray Luis de Leon and San Juan de la Cruz. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34335 Spanish Literature & Drama - Apogee of the Golden Age-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

During the 17th century, Spain witnessed a flowering of letters that was nourished by religious zeal, epic adventures, and a new sense of realism. In this program, leading scholars provide insights into the writings and personalities of Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and other giants of Spanish literature. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Cervantes' Don Quijote and Los Trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda, Vega's Fuenteovejuna, Tirso de Molina's El Burlador de Sevilla, Calderon de la Barca's La Vida Es Sueno, and Francisco de Quevedo's "Poderoso Caballero Es Don Dinero." A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34336 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Enlightenment: Keeping the Fire Burning-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

The 18th century in Spain was less a period of literary achievement than a time of intellectual ferment, as the Bourbon monarchs attempted sweeping social and cultural reforms. In this program, renowned experts put into perspective the writings of those who kept the flame of literature alight during the Age of Reason. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Torres Villarroel's El Censor, Benito Jeronimo Feijoo's "Fabula de las Batuecas y Paises Imaginarios," Padre Isla's Fray Gerundio, Jose Cadalso's Noches Lugubres and Cartas Marruecas, and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos's Memoria para el Arreglo de la Policia de los Espectaculos y Diversiones Publicas y Sobre Su Origen en Espana. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34337 Spanish Literature & Drama - The 19th Century: Romanticism and Realism-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 50 min.) DVD $149.95

Despite the political and economic chaos of the 19th century-or perhaps because of it-this period produced brilliant literature while setting the stage for the Generation of '98. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the lives and works of the masters of Romanticism and Realism. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Jose Espronceda's Cancion del Pirata, Jose Zorrilla's Romances Historicos, and Gustavo Adolfo Becquer's Rimas as well as from the writings of the Duque de Rivas, Rosalia de Castro, Leopoldo "Clarin" Alas, and Benito Perez Galdos. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34338 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Generation of '98-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

A passionate dissatisfaction with Spain's immediate past and a keen awareness of the need for a rebirth of spirit and letters was a mindset held in common by a disparate group of writers later renowned as the Generation of '98. They also enjoyed a shared love of old towns and the countryside and early poets such as Berceo and Juan Ruiz. This program seeks to understand the icons of that Generation through dramatic readings from Antonio Machado's El Manana Efimero and Campos de Castilla, Miguel Unamuno's La Soledad de la Hispana Castellana and El Sepulcro de Don Quijote, Pia Baroja's El Arbol de la Ciencia, Jose "Azorin" Martinez Ruiz's Castilla, and other works. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34339 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Generation of '27-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

At the heart of the Generation of '27 lies experimentation with a host of popular artistic as well as political "isms" including neo-Gongorism, Ultraism, Creationism, Surrealism, socialism, and communism. In this program, renowned experts profile key members of this post-World War I group. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Luis Cernuda's Donde Habite el Olvido, Rafael Alberti's "Cita Triste de Charlot," Ramon Gomez de la Serna's Flor de Greguerias, Pedro Salinas's La Voz a Ti Debida, and Federico Garcia Lorca's Romancero Gitano, Bodas de Sangre, Poeta en Nueva York, and "Romance Sonambulo." A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34340 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Spanish Civil War: Blood and Ink-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

When Spain's army mutinied against the Second Republic in 1936, it marked the beginning of a bitter civil war that lasted three years and cost one million Spanish lives. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the writings and personalities of those who captured this devastating period in poetry and prose. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rafael Alberti's "Romancero General de la Guerra," Antonio Machado's "Muerte de un Nino Herido," Jose Maria Peman's "De Ellos Es el Mundo" and "Poema de la Bestia y el Angel," and Miguel Hernandez' Viento del Pueblo. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34341 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Writers in Exile-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

After the Spanish Civil War, the defeated Republicans had only two options: to stay in Spain and accept the rule of Franco's authoritarian regime or to leave their homeland and go into exile. In this program, leading scholars talk about the lives and works of Spain's dispossessed literary elite, whose voices refused to be silenced. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rafael Alberti's "A Traves de la Niebla," Leon Felipe's Espanol del Exodo y del Llanto, Luis Cernuda's "Un Espanol Habla de Su Tierra," Rosa Chacel's "Cultura y Pueblo," and Ramon Sender's Requiem por un Campesino Espanol. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34342 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Literature under Dictatorship: 1940 to 1975-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

How did life in post-civil war Spain-a time of uncertainty and oppression-influence the writings of the period? In this program, renowned experts explore the literature of the Franco era through the experiences of Ana Maria Matute and other writers who chose to stay in Spain after the Nationalist victory in 1939. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Camilo Jose Cela's La Colmena, Luis Martin-Santos's Tiempo de Silencio, Carmen Martin Gaite's Entre Visillos, Miguel Delibes' Cinco Horas con Mario, and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester's Don Juan, as well as from the works of Matute, Jaime Gil de Biedma, and Jose Angel Valente. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#34343 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Literature of Spain: 1975 to the Present-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 49 min.) DVD $149.95

With the death of Franco came a loosening of political restrictions and a restoration of many civil liberties. In this program, respected authorities look at the first 25 years of literature in post-Franco Spain and the literary inclinations of the next up-and-coming generation of poets, authors, and playwrights. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Manuel Vazquez Montalban's "Sin Memoria," Francisco Umbral's Mortal y Rosa, Juan Goytisolo's Senas de Identidad, Rosa Regas' Fabula Moralista, and Antonio Gala's Poemas de Amor. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (50 minutes) Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#36026 Spanish Literature & Drama - Cervantes y la Leyenda de Don Quijote: El Espiritu de un Libro-in Spanish (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

Featuring film clips, reenactments, and dramatizations, this program examines the imperishable spirit of Don Quijote through the life of Cervantes and the literary masterpiece that bears Quijote's name. Topics range from the place of Don Quijote in world literature and its influence on later writers, to autobiographical parallels between Quijote and Cervantes, to the universal qualities of Quijote and Sancho Panza, to the eternal search for utopia. Commentary by Gunter Grass, Jose Saramago, Mario Vargas Llosa, and other authors and professors adds academic authority. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 56 minutes)


#36210 Spanish Literature & Drama - Cervantes and the Legend of Don Quijote: The Spirit of a Book (Run time 56 min.) DVD $149.95

Featuring film clips, reenactments, and dramatizations, this program examines the imperishable spirit of Don Quijote through the life of Cervantes and the literary masterpiece that bears Quijote's name. Topics range from the place of Don Quijote in world literature and its influence on later writers, to autobiographical parallels between Quijote and Cervantes, to the universal qualities of Quijote and Sancho Panza, to the eternal search for utopia. Commentary by Gunter Grass, Jose Saramago, Mario Vargas Llosa, and other authors and professors adds academic authority. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (56 minutes)


#37237 Spanish Literature & Drama - Manuel Altolaguirre: The Generation of '27-in Spanish (Run time 51 min.) DVD $149.95

Poet, editor, publisher, printer-Manuel Altolaguirre achieved success in all of these roles, living a life fully committed to Spanish literature. This program documents his career, travels, and romances, focusing on his membership in the Generation of '27, his actions during the Spanish Civil War, and his later years in Latin America. Featuring accounts of Altolaguirre's magazine and book publishing activities, the program sheds light on his friendship with Federico Garcia Lorca and the leadership role that Altolaguirre assumed in the anti-fascist movement after Lorca's murder. His sojourn in Cuba, his cinematic work in Mexico, and his divorce and second marriage are also depicted. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 51 minutes)


#37238 Spanish Literature & Drama - Jose Ortega y Gasset: Philosophy and Politics-in Spanish (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

Believing that a philosopher's chief aim should be to challenge prejudices and useless traditions, Jose Ortega y Gasset promulgated a worldview based on "reason with life as its foundation." This program depicts the life and accomplishments of the famous Spanish intellectual, from his early studies in turn-of-the-century Malaga to his spectacular funeral in Madrid in 1955. Featuring interviews with Ortega scholars and some of his contemporaries-including celebrated writer Francisco Ayala as well as Ortega pupil Julian Marias-the film covers Ortega's years in Germany and Argentina, his admiration for Victoria Ocampo, and his ambivalence towards the Franco regime. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 58 minutes)


#37239 Spanish Literature & Drama - Juan Ramon Jimenez: A Movement Toward Purity-in Spanish (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

Awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Literature, Juan Ramon Jimenez was a master of impressionistic language and imagery. This program explores the Spanish poet's life and career with the help of scholarly interviews, archival photographs, and excerpts from Jimenez' writings. Conveying his youthful interest in Romanticism and Symbolism, his subsequent emphasis on color and tonality, and his lifelong engagement with the spiritual dimensions of death and nothingness, the program describes the poet's bouts with depression, his ties to other Spanish writers such as Ruben Dario and Francisco Villaespesa, and the travels undertaken by Jimenez and his wife, Zenobia Camprubi. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 58 minutes)


#37292 Spanish Literature & Drama - Lope de Vega's La Dama Boba-in Spanish (Run time 95 min.) DVD $149.95

Intellectual Nise and her seemingly featherbrained sister Finea are in need of husbands-a situation their mother has well in hand. It's the penniless poet and cavalier Laurencio for Nise, and the vain Liseo for Finea...until Laurencio learns about Finea's generous dowry. Wit and romance abound in Manuel Iborra's effervescent film adaptation of the classic La Dama Boba. Jose Coronado, Silvia Abascal, Macarena Gomez, Veronica Forque, and Roberto Sanmartin star. A heartfelt exposition on the nature of identity and the transformative power of love. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 95 minutes)


#37302 Spanish Literature & Drama - Manuel Altolaguirre: The Generation of '27-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $149.95

Poet, editor, publisher, printer-Manuel Altolaguirre achieved success in all of these roles, living a life fully committed to Spanish literature. This program documents his career, travels, and romances, focusing on his membership in the Generation of '27, his actions during the Spanish Civil War, and his later years in Latin America. Featuring accounts of Altolaguirre's magazine and book publishing activities, the program sheds light on his friendship with Federico Garcia Lorca and the leadership role that Altolaguirre assumed in the anti-fascist movement after Lorca's murder. His sojourn in Cuba, his cinematic work in Mexico, and his divorce and second marriage are also depicted. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish with English subtitles, 51 minutes)


#37303 Spanish Literature & Drama - Jose Ortega y Gasset: Philosophy and Politics-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

Believing that a philosopher's chief aim should be to challenge prejudices and useless traditions, Jose Ortega y Gasset promulgated a worldview based on "reason with life as its foundation." This program depicts the life and accomplishments of the famous Spanish intellectual, from his early studies in turn-of-the-century Malaga to his spectacular funeral in Madrid in 1955. Featuring interviews with Ortega scholars and some of his contemporaries-including celebrated writer Francisco Ayala as well as Ortega pupil Julian Marias-the film covers Ortega's years in Germany and Argentina, his admiration for Victoria Ocampo, and his ambivalence towards the Franco regime. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish with English subtitles, 58 minutes)


#37304 Spanish Literature & Drama - Juan Ramon Jimenez: A Movement Toward Purity-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time 58 min.) DVD $149.95

Awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Literature, Juan Ramon Jimenez was a master of impressionistic language and imagery. This program explores the Spanish poet's life and career with the help of scholarly interviews, archival photographs, and excerpts from Jimenez' writings. Conveying his youthful interest in Romanticism and Symbolism, his subsequent emphasis on color and tonality, and his lifelong engagement with the spiritual dimensions of death and nothingness, the program describes the poet's bouts with depression, his ties to other Spanish writers such as Ruben Dario and Francisco Villaespesa, and the travels undertaken by Jimenez and his wife, Zenobia Camprubi. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish with English subtitles, 58 minutes)


#2173 Latin American History & Culture - Jose Guadalupe Posada (Run time 56 min.) DVD $159.95

Posada, a witness to the Porfiriate and the Revolution, was one of the great explorers of the spirit of Mexico. The satire and tragedy of Mexican life and death were his subjects; his insights and artistic vision rank this precursor of Mexican muralism among the foremost of Mexican artists. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#2241 Latin American Literature & Drama - Crossing Borders: The Journey of Carlos Fuentes (Run time 58 min.) DVD $159.95

This sly, irreverent, affectionate portrait of Mexico's foremost novelist probes beneath the surreal surface of his work to expose the roots of his fiction and its place in the world of literature. The camera follows Fuentes' career from Washington, D.C., to Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City-cities which have left a mark on his personality and writing. Included are interviews with William Styron and other writer-friends and scenes from Fuentes' Old Gringo with Jane Fonda and Gregory Peck. (58 minutes)


#2174 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Mitos, Rituales y Costumbres Aztecas (Run time 56 min.) DVD $159.95

A striking documentary about Aztec civilization, history, traditions, and rituals-including human sacrifice. In Spanish. (56 minutes)


#6803 Spanish History & Culture - Miro: The Catalan Master (Run time 55 min.) DVD $159.95

In this program, 20th-century surrealist Joan Miro talks about his life and the various influences on his work. It features a complete selection of Miro's masterpieces, with each piece brought to life through expert commentary. Known primarily for his abstract paintings, Miro's other works include murals, sculptures, tapestries, and ballet sets. Such works as Catalan Landscape are best known for their humorous fantasy, which uses a restricted range of pure colors and dancing shapes to achieve the effect. An RTVE production. (55 minutes)Spanish


#987 Spanish Literature & Drama - Federico Garcia Lorca: El Balcon Abierto (Run time min.) DVD $159.95

An absolutely brilliant approach to the subject of Lorca: his works, his life-particularly its ending-and above all his role and his influence in the Spain of today. The very opposite of a solemn homage, the program is a joyful celebration of the rediscovery of the greatest Spanish writer of the 20th century. An RTVE production. Docudrama in Spanish. (90 minutes)


#7601 Spanish Literature & Drama - Vicente Blasco Ibanez: Entre Naranjos (Run time 90 min.) DVD $159.95

(Between the Orange Trees) This is a magnificently filmed three-part production of the classic 1900 Blasco Ibanez novel. Rafael Brull, a young man dominated by the environment of a small town in Levant, dreams of escaping the provincial life. When he meets Leonora, a famous opera singer, he tries to win her love, but gains only her friendship and the beauty of her voice. Shocked by her son's visits to Leonora's house, Rafael's mother arranges his marriage to the daughter of a wealthy local orange exporter. With Leonora, Rafael flees the impending marriage and travels the world, only to return to Levant and his provincial roots. Directed by Josefina Molina. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 3 parts, 90 minutes each)


#7602 Spanish Literature & Drama - Vicente Blasco Ibanez: La Vida Como Novela (Run time 83 min.) DVD $159.95

(Life as a Novel) Blasco Ibanez-idealist and adventurer-is the magnificent heir to Cervantes, of the restless spirit of the Spanish Golden Age. Among his many novels are La Barraca (The Cabin), Blood and Sand, and his masterwork, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In this dramatization of his life, directed by award-winning Spanish director Luis Berlanga, Blasco Ibanez appears as the fiercely independent, solitary genius he was-the rebellious student, unruly romantic, subversive journalist, fertile novelist, anti-monarchy political activist, and fervent admirer of Victor Hugo, Lamartine, and Zola. This is a fascinating personal portrait of one of the most important Spanish literary figures of the 19th and 20th centuries. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 2 parts, 83 minutes each)


#5231 Spanish Literature & Drama - Jose Zorrilla: Don Juan Tenorio (Run time 137 min.) DVD $169.95

The first appearance of the Don Juan legend in literary form was in Tirso's El Burlador de Sevilla. Moliere's Dom Juan, da Ponte's libretto for Mozart's Don Giovanni, and the "Don Juan in Hell" scene in George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman are the other most famous versions, with the notable addition of Zorrilla's play. It was the most successful play of the nineteenth century in Spain. The reason is made obvious by this stylish, lavish, and captivating production. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 2 hours 17 minutes)


#8369 Spanish Literature & Drama - Clarin Leopoldo Alas: La Regenta (Run time 300 min.) DVD $199.95

The mere name, Clarin, the notorious novelist and Spanish literary critic, was enough to turn a 19th-century writer's blood cold. His biting and often bellicose articles made him the nation's most feared critical voice. This program, produced by RTVE, is a dramatization of Clarin's most famous work, La Regenta (The Professor's Wife), generally considered the greatest Spanish naturalistic novel of that period. Brimming with political irony and stinging commentary on social scandals of the day, the work consecrated Clarin as a major literary genius, and earned for itself a lofty place in the canon of Spanish literature. (Spanish with English subtitles, 5 hours)


#8373 Spanish Literature & Drama - Don Juan (Run time 82 min.) DVD $199.95

The swashbuckling, romantic character of Don Juan is explored in this RTVE dramatization of the classic tale, shot on location at some of Spain's most glorious homes and castles. Jose Luis Garcia Berlanga, one of Spain's foremost filmmakers, directed the program, which features an all-star Spanish cast headed by Jose Coronado as Don Juan. This performance contains mature themes and explicit material. In Spanish. (2 parts, 82 minutes and 84 minutes)


#38969 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Five Follies of Don Quixote-in Spanish (Run time 114 min.) DVD $199.95

With compelling dramatizations filmed at authentic Spanish locations, this program explores the farcical structure of Don Quixote as well as the parallels between Cervantes' magnum opus and his own unusual life. Studying the richness of meaning and moral commentary associated with the would-be knight-errant, the program highlights the universality of Cervantes' narrative-while evoking contrasts with our own age and its vastly different take on idealism, honesty, and individuality. Organized thematically, the film guides viewers through five distinct "follies"-Friendship, Reason, Liberty, Love, and Adventure-closely tied to the character of Don Quixote and, interestingly, his creator. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Spanish, 113 minutes)


#10693 Spanish Literature & Drama - Esta Es Mi Tierra (Run time min.) DVD $269.85

In this lyrical three-part series, Jose Saramago, Ana Maria Matute, and Camilo Jose Cela share their visions of the urban and rural spaces that have shaped their lives and their writings. Combining readings of their works with lush footage of the landscapes they love, these leading Iberian writers make an eloquent argument for the importance of a sense of place in literature. An RTVE Production. In Spanish. 3-part series, 38-55 minutes each.


#38720 Spanish Language - La Buena Vida!-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $299.7

This inviting six-part series showcases young Spanish men and women living authentic lives in a variety of locations in Spain. Language learners will enjoy spending time with these genuinely interesting people as they go to school or work, pursue their favorite pastimes, and interact with family and friends. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Spanish, 6-part series, 11 minutes each.


#4501 Spanish History & Culture - La Cueva de Altamira (Run time 175 min.) DVD $299.95

The discovery of the Altamira Caves in 1875 brought to light more than an extraordinary array of prehistoric beauty; it opened a new chapter in our understanding of paleolithic man. This fascinating group of programs revisits the discovery of the caves and the puzzlement it entailed; examines the surrounding Cantabrian region to set the stage for homo sapiens sapiens 15,000 years ago, and explains the anthropological theories regarding Altamira man; and shows in detail the paintings and other artifacts found in the caves. Because the Spanish government intended to ban future filming, particular care was taken with this RTVE production to insure the utmost in fidelity of perspective and color. In Spanish. (2 hours 55 minutes, 3 cassettes)


#11376 Spanish Literature & Drama - Los pazos de Ulloa (Run time 240 min.) DVD $349.95

This classic production is based on Emilia Pardo Bazan's two most famous novels: Los pazos de Ulloa and its sequel, La madre naturaleza. Straddling the border between Naturalism and Realism, these works illustrate the decay of feudalism in 19th-century Galicia, as depictions of the beautiful countryside are contrasted with the spreading decadence of the humans inhabiting it. Sordid episodes of drunkenness, adultery, and incest are balanced by the author's engaging narrative style, skillful characterization, and insightful social commentary. An RTVE production. (Spanish, 4 hours on four videocassettes)


#3898 Spanish Literature & Drama - Don Quijote-in Spanish (Run time 310 min.) DVD $395.95

Here is a true and faithful interpretation of one of the bulwarks of world literature. It is a grandly conceived, beautifully executed visual epic, rooted in Cervantes' own words. The episodic format of the production follows the structure of the book as the adventures gradually reveal Don Quijote's character and madness. Don Quijote wanted, in his youth, to be an actor; his words in this production never stray far from Cervantes' text, as Quijote is left to act out his fantasies-the same ones, of course, that motivated so many of Cervantes' contemporaries to head for the New World as conquistadors in search of honor and glory. With Fernando Rey as Don Quijote and Alfredo Landa as Sancho Panza. An RTVE Production. (5 hours 10 minutes in five parts)


#4035 Spanish Literature & Drama - Don Quijote (Run time 310 min.) DVD $395.95

Here is a true and faithful interpretation of one of the bulwarks of world literature. It is a grandly conceived, beautifully executed visual epic, rooted in Cervantes' own words. The episodic format of the production follows the structure of the book as the adventures gradually reveal Don Quijote's character and madness. Don Quijote wanted, in his youth, to be an actor; his words in this production never stray far from Cervantes' text, as Quijote is left to act out his fantasies-the same ones, of course, that motivated so many of Cervantes' contemporaries to head for the New World as conquistadors in search of honor and glory. With Fernando Rey as Don Quijote and Alfredo Landa as Sancho Panza. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 5 hours 10 minutes in five parts)


#30106 Latin American Literature & Drama - Mexican Folktales: Los Cuentos del Tlacuache (Run time min.) DVD $399.8

Mexico's traditional folktales are brought to life through the spirited renditions of charming marionettes. The narrator of the series, a jovial possum, relates the stories to his friend the owl. The fables originate from Aztec, Mayan, or Christian sources and are a fusion of the history, mythology, and indigenous culture of Mexico. Spanish, 4-part series, 34-52 minutes each.


#34762 Spanish Literature & Drama - Masters of the Spanish Word (Run time min.) DVD $449.75

Examining the lives and accomplishments of major authors writing in Spanish, this five-part series offers remarkable insight into their poetic, dramatic, and fictional expression. Calderon de la Barca, Gustavo Becquer, Ruben Dario, and Rafael Alberti are each featured in a program, with an additional episode devoted to the picaresque novel, a literary form with Spanish origins. Incorporating archival photographs, paintings, and drawings, these visual histories make up a powerful narrative woven through four centuries of Spanish-language literature. English, 5-part series, 20-25 minutes each.


#32990 Latin American History & Culture - The Beauty of the Castilian Language Through Literature-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $449.85

This superb three-part adaptation of Roberto Hoya's Paisaje Interior con Letras presents the sonorous wordsmithing of renowned Castilian-speaking authors, poets, playwrights, and others against the backdrop of the locales that inspired them. Readings combined with biographical information, landscape panoramas, close-ups of architecture and monuments, portraits and photos, and period music give viewers a sense of time and place as they hear and appreciate the beauty of the Castilian language. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 3-part series, 30-42 minutes each.


#39525 Latin American History & Culture - Todo el Mundo es Musica: Iberoamerica-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $449.85

This three-part series takes viewers to Mexico, Cuba, and Argentina to sample Latin American-influenced world music-and get a glimpse of the regions, traditions, and lifestyles that make that music unique. On concert stages, in cantinas, and on the streets, these musicians know how to bring audiences to their feet! Each program features numerous songs as well as interviews with band members. Specialists and experts also contribute their views on the music and the cultural, political, or historical circumstances from which particular songs arise. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 3-part series, 55 minutes each.


#8322 Precolumbian History & Culture (Spanish) - Ciudades del Mexico Antiguo (Run time min.) DVD $449.85

The Cities of Ancient MexicoThis three-part series traces the path of the Mayans and other ancient cultures through three of Mexico's major ancient cities-Teotihuacan, Palenque, and Chichen Itza. Fully dramatized and shot on location, the programs delve into the ancient traditions, politics, social structure, and religious practices of these highly developed cultures, as they illuminate the history, architecture, and cultural significance of each city. Each program provides complete architectural drawings of the city discussed, and explains the functions of its major buildings. Spanish with English subtitles.3-part series, 29-34 minutes each.


#9121 Spanish Literature & Drama - Generacion del '98 (Run time min.) DVD $449.85

The year 1898 was the political, social, and cultural culmination of three decades of turmoil involving Spain, its overseas possessions, and the United States. This meticulously prepared series offers a penetrating view of Miguel de Unamuno, Ramon Maria del Valle-Inclan, and Antonio Machado-three of the preeminent writers who came to be known as members of the Generation of '98. An RTVE production. Spanish, 3-part series, 55 minutes each.


#37236 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Creators of the 20th Century-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $449.85

Traumatized by civil war and fascist rule during much of the 20th century, Spain nevertheless produced its share of great thinkers and writers. This three-part series will familiarize viewers with a trio of Spanish authors-Manuel Altolaguirre, Jose Ortega y Gasset, and Juan Ramon Jimenez-all of whom left enduring literary legacies at home and around the world. Each episode features a compelling narrative enriched with rarely seen archival footage and detailed scholarly commentary. Not available in French-speaking Canada. Spanish, 3-part series, 51-58 minutes each.


#37301 Spanish Literature & Drama - Spanish Creators of the 20th Century-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $449.85

Traumatized by civil war and fascist rule during much of the 20th century, Spain nevertheless produced its share of great thinkers and writers. This three-part series will familiarize viewers with a trio of Spanish authors-Manuel Altolaguirre, Jose Ortega y Gasset, and Juan Ramon Jimenez-all of whom left enduring literary legacies at home and around the world. Each episode features a compelling narrative enriched with rarely seen archival footage and detailed scholarly commentary. Not available in French-speaking Canada. Spanish with English subtitles, 3-part series, 51-58 minutes each.


#30214 Spanish Language - Talk Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $539.7

This spirited six-part series, filmed in the Mediterranean city of Valencia and its environs, introduces all of the basics of contemporary conversational Spanish while highlighting cultural aspects of the country. Each program uses a friendly group of speakers talking in a wide range of real-world settings to inspire beginners to have their say. "!Hablar espanol es muy divertido!" A BBC Production. Spanish and English, 6-part series, 17 minutes each.


#30136 Latin American Literature & Drama - Flor de Cacto: Poesia y Poetas de Mexico (Run time min.) DVD $599.8

Mexican poetry synthesizes indigenous and foreign traditions, resulting in a rich cultural amalgam. These four programs explore the roots of contemporary Mexican poetry by bringing together many of Mexico's finest poets for a series of in-depth discussions about poetic form, technique, and the poetry life. Engaging video and computer graphics complement the readings and commentary of the poets. Spanish, 4-part series, 30 minutes each.


#32288 Spanish Literature & Drama - Modern Literary Voices-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $599.8

Spanish literature in the 20th century was driven by tradition, experimentation, civil strife, exile, and New World promise. In this beautifully wrought series, the lives and works of four iconoclastic writers are examined through a mixture of expert commentary; the reminiscences of family, friends, and fellow writers; archival film and photos; and contemporaneous journals, articles, and posters. Spanish, 4-part series, 55-106 minutes each.


#5957 Latin American History & Culture - Mujeres de America Latina (Run time min.) DVD $649.35

This series examines life in 13 Latin American nations through the eyes of its women. Some of the women transport drugs across borders, fight in rebel armies, bear children in poverty, search for sons and daughters who have vanished during political pogroms, and generally bear the burden of living a harsh, third-world existence. Other women-teachers, engineers, and politicians-also contribute their stories. Combined, the women-different as the countries of Latin America are different-paint a disturbing portrait of people struggling against all odds to survive racial and class discrimination, revolution, political injustice, and chronic economic instability. This is Latin America as never seen before. Produced, directed, and presented by Carmen Sarmiento Garcia. Caution: some of these programs contain graphic violence. All should be previewed before being shown to students. An RTVE production. Also available in English. 13-part series, 58 minutes each.Spanish


#10705 Latin American Literature & Drama - Biografia: The Lives of Latin American Writers (Run time min.) DVD $649.75

This five-part series brings to life Latin America's literary luminaries of the 19th and 20th centuries: Argentinian writer Julio Cortazar, Chilean Nobel Laureates Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, Mexican poet Octavio Paz, and Cuban patriot-poet Jose Marti. Family, friends, and scholars discuss the writers' lives and works and the events that shaped them, providing detailed portraits of each. Spanish, 5-part series, 26 minutes each.


#10711 Latin American Literature & Drama - Profiles: The Faces of Latin America Today (Run time min.) DVD $649.75

This outstanding five-part series features interviews with some of the leading writers that define contemporary Latin America. Spanish, 5-part series, 30 minutes each.


#29167 Latin American Literature & Drama - Biografia: The Lives of Latin American Writers (Run time min.) DVD $649.75

This five-part series brings to life Latin America's literary luminaries of the 19th and 20th centuries: Argentinian writer Julio Cortazar, Chilean Nobel Laureates Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, Mexican poet Octavio Paz, and Cuban patriot-poet Jose Marti. Family, friends, and scholars discuss the writers' lives and works and the events that shaped them, providing detailed portraits of each. Spanish with English subtitles, 5-part series, 28 minutes each.


#29173 Latin American Literature & Drama - Profiles: The Faces of Latin America Today (Run time min.) DVD $649.75

This outstanding five-part series features interviews with some of the leading writers that define contemporary Latin America. Spanish with English subtitles, 5-part series, 28 minutes each.


#32320 Spanish History & Culture - Felipe II-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $699.65

This landmark seven-part series pays tribute to King Philip II-Felipe-of Spain. His tempestuous reign, captured by his contemporaries Lope de Vega, Cervantes, Titian, and El Greco, inaugurated the Golden Age of Spanish culture. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 7-part series, 55-67 minutes each.


#33978 Spanish History & Culture - Prehistoria e Historia-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $719.95

Beginning with the arrival of humankind on the Iberian Peninsula, this six-part series takes a sociocultural approach to the history of the region that has come to be called Spain. It spotlights Tartessos, the first great mining economy of Iberia, and subsequent domination by the Carthaginians, Romans, and Visigoths. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 6-part series, 44-56 minutes each.


#39009 Spanish History & Culture - The Invisible Line: Spain's Islamic Heritage-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $727.6

Guiding viewers through the rich and complex history of the Iberian peninsula, this eight-part series showcases major facets of the Islamic presence in Spain and the prolonged interaction between Arab, North African, and indigenous European cultures. Each episode focuses on surviving remnants of the architecture and design forged by Islamic society, incorporating 3-D animated reconstructions while relating historical narratives of the period. Students will encounter the full length and breadth of medieval Spain-from the Roman influence of late antiquity to the emergence of the Spanish empire after the reconquista. Not available in French-speaking Canada. Spanish, 8-part series, 25 minutes each.


#10607 Latin American Literature & Drama - Five Latin American Authors Speak (Run time min.) DVD $749.75

Composed of captivating archival interviews hosted by media celebrity Joaquin Soler Serrano, this series spotlights five of Latin America's preeminent authors-Octavio Paz, Rosa Chacel, Julio Cortazar, Juan Rulfo, and Alejo Carpentier-whose writings represent a rich legacy to the world. These programs offer illuminating insights into their lives, their work, and the events that shaped them. In Spanish. 5-part series, 37-124 minutes each.


#33979 Spanish History & Culture - Historia Medieval-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $749.75

This five-part series tracks the unification of Spain through times of peace and periods of societal upheaval. Key themes include the rise and fall of the Moors and the consolidation of national political power under the Catholic monarchs of Castile and Aragon. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 5-part series, 52-53 minutes each.


#34891 Spanish History & Culture - Historia Medieval-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $749.75

This five-part series tracks the unification of Spain through times of peace and periods of societal upheaval. Key themes include the rise and fall of the Moors and the consolidation of national political power under the Catholic monarchs of Castile and Aragon. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish with English subtitles, 5-part series, 52-53 minutes each.


#11368 Latin American Literature & Drama - Los Cuentos de Borges (Run time min.) DVD $899.7

It is through his short stories that Jorge Luis Borges best demonstrates what has come to be called the Borgesian principle: the potential for convergence and harmony that exists between the acts of reading and writing, remembering and imagining, reasoning and dreaming. A blend of narrative economy and metaphysical speculation involving many of Borges' classic themes, this six-part series of dramatized fictions leads viewers into the realm of the surreal, where anything is possible-and even likely. An RTVE Production. 6-part series, 54-61 minutes each.


#34890 Spanish History & Culture - Prehistoria e Historia-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $899.7

Beginning with the arrival of humankind on the Iberian Peninsula, this six-part series takes a sociocultural approach to the history of the region that has come to be called Spain. It spotlights Tartessos, the first great mining economy of Iberia, and subsequent domination by the Carthaginians, Romans, and Visigoths. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish with English subtitles, 6-part series, 44-56 minutes each.


#33980 Spanish History & Culture - Historia Moderna-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $1049.65

This seven-part series traces the progress of Spanish history through the reigns of "Carlos Quinto"; Philip II, III, and IV; Charles II; Philip V; and Charles III-periods of ability and ineptitude, enlightenment and condemnation, punctuated by the Siglo de Oro and the Inquisition. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 7-part series, 46-54 minutes each.


#34892 Spanish History & Culture - Historia Moderna-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $1049.65

This seven-part series traces the progress of Spanish history through the reigns of "Carlos Quinto"; Philip II, III, and IV; Charles II; Philip V; and Charles III-periods of ability and ineptitude, enlightenment and condemnation, punctuated by the Siglo de Oro and the Inquisition. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish with English subtitles, 7-part series, 46-54 minutes each.


#33981 Spanish History & Culture - Historia Contemporanea-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $1349.55

Starting with the Napoleonic era, this nine-part series depicts Spain as it struggles through invasion and civil war, abdications and restorations, and elections and coups on its path to parliamentary monarchy and the 21st century. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 9-part series, 45-64 minutes each.


#34893 Spanish History & Culture - Historia Contemporanea-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $1349.55

Starting with the Napoleonic era, this nine-part series depicts Spain as it struggles through invasion and civil war, abdications and restorations, and elections and coups on its path to parliamentary monarchy and the 21st century. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish with English subtitles, 9-part series, 45-64 minutes each.


#37450 Latin American Literature & Drama - Fire & Ink: The Legacy of Latin American Literature-Spanish with Optional English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $1689.35

Myth, magical realism, hard-edged realism, fantasy-the literature of Latin America encompasses all these forms, and more. This 13-part series guides viewers chronologically and thematically through the region's varied genres and narrative styles, linking them to centuries of warfare, colonization, and national struggles for independence and identity. Excerpts from influential works are plentiful, while detailed commentary is provided by an impressive array of scholars-including Eduardo Galeano, celebrated Uruguayan journalist; Sergio Pitol, Mexican writer and Cervantes Prize recipient; Doris Summer, professor of Romance Languages and Literature at Harvard University; and Jose Rabasa, professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Berkeley. An FFH&S/Tranquilo Production. Spanish with optional English subtitles, 13-part series, 50 minutes each.


#30144 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Glories of Spanish Literature-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $1949.35

Filmed on location at literary landmarks throughout Spain, this stylish 13-part series-created in consultation with the University of Salamanca-thoroughly examines the rich history of Spanish literature. Each program blends scholarly interviews and dramatic readings with images of manuscripts and artwork to sharply profile the Spanish authors, poets, and playwrights whose names rank high in the Western literary canon. Spanish, 13-part series, 50 minutes each.


#30158 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Glories of Spanish Literature-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $1949.35

Filmed on location at literary landmarks throughout Spain, this stylish 13-part series-created in consultation with the University of Salamanca-thoroughly examines the rich history of Spanish literature. Each program blends scholarly interviews and dramatic readings with images of manuscripts and artwork to sharply profile the Spanish authors, poets, and playwrights whose names rank high in the Western literary canon. Spanish with English subtitles, 13-part series, 50 minutes each.


#34330 Spanish Literature & Drama - The Glories of Spanish Literature-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $1949.35

Filmed on location at literary landmarks throughout Spain, this stylish 13-part series-created in consultation with the University of Salamanca-thoroughly examines the rich history of Spanish literature. Each program blends scholarly interviews and dramatic readings with images of manuscripts and artwork to sharply profile the Spanish authors, poets, and playwrights whose names rank high in the Western literary canon. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. 13-part series, 50 minutes each. Spanish with burned-in English subtitles.


#33977 Spanish History & Culture - Memoria de Espana-in Spanish (Run time min.) DVD $4048.65

Produced by RTVE, "the PBS of Spain," Memoria de Espana is an encyclopedia of Spanish history. Spanning 23 hours of world-class video, it stretches from the geologic formation of the Iberian landmass to the 21st century-a monumental project worthy of the epic story it tells. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish, 27-part series, 44-64 minutes each.


#34889 Spanish History & Culture - Memoria de Espana-in Spanish with English Subtitles (Run time min.) DVD $4048.65

Produced by RTVE, "the PBS of Spain," Memoria de Espana is an encyclopedia of Spanish history. Spanning 23 hours of world-class video, it stretches from the geologic formation of the Iberian landmass to the 21st century-a monumental project worthy of the epic story it tells. Not available in French-speaking Canada. An RTVE Production. Spanish with English subtitles, 27-part series, 44-64 minutes each.