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"Highly Recommended. A humanistic portrayal of one of the
most influential figures from Chile and a key figure in the advancement of
Latino culture in the U.S." -National Media Review "Alegría's 'Viva Chile Mierda,' the most recited poem of the Salvador Allende era, was written in the 1960s, when Alegría was a professor at UC Berkeley; it was also the time of the 'University Without Walls' movement that responded to the call of universal higher education." -Western Institute for Social Research Fernando Alegría grew up in the Independencia barrio of Sandtiago de Chile. This barrio was filled with the dreams of immigrants from all over the world and gave birth to the lyrical voices of Pablo Neruda, Violeta Parra, Volodia Teitelboim, and gave Alegría not only his voice, but also his indomitable spirit of rebellion and sense of national identity. As an academic, visionary, writer and revolutionary, Alegría brought prestise and legitimacy to the Spanish language. Alegría's works, factual or fictional, capture the spirit of the people and places they depict. His gift of being able to articulate the feelings of a people, in a witty, reflective and lyrically beautiful manner, endeared Alegría to his countrymen and women and earned him recognition from many literary and cultural icons. Produced by Uwe Blesching and Marcia Campos. 2008 JSCA 52 min. Also available in English |