By Mayra Marquez
Daily Bruin Contributor In a society that constantly flashes images
of being tall and thin as being ideal, the film “Real Women
Have Curves” advocates the opposite, all the while adding a
bit of cultural flavor. The film, directed by UCLA alumna Patricia
Cardoso, deals with thereal-life curves that Mexican-American Ana,
played by actress America Ferrera, must navigate through. The film,
presented by the UCLA Chicano/Latino Film and Television
Association will be screened tonight, free of charge at 7:30 p.m.
at the James Bridges Theater. It will be followed by a Q & A
with the director and screenwriter, and then a panel discussion
with the actresses in the film. The Colombian band, Very Be Careful
will also be a part of the celebration. “Real Women Have
Curves,” based on the teleplay by Josefina Lopez, also a UCLA
graduate, portrays working class Latina women in East Los Angeles.
“It’s not just the fact that it’s
Patricia’s film but also that she collaborated with Josefina
Lopez,” Victoria Irigoyen, Director of Melnitz movies and
Festival co-chair for the UCLA Chicano/Latino Film and Television
Association said. “It just shows that Latinos can be
successful in the industry and are paving new paths and that
here’s two women who are able to collaborate based on a
relationship they started at UCLA.” Cardoso, originally from
Colombia, has received high acclaim for her work even from the days
she was a UCLA student. Her thesis film “The Water
Carrier” was the winner of a Student Academy Award and two
Director’s Guild of America Awards. Currently, Cardoso
teaches a directing class through UCLA extension. “I
didn’t know anything about filmmaking before I went to UCLA.
I used to be an archaeologist and I studied anthropology and
archaeology in Colombia,” Cardoso said. “I came to do
my masters degree in film and so here they showed me to the
sculpture garden, they gave me a camera and they told me,
“˜Make a movie.’ It was very scary. I was terrified
because I had never done any creative work like that and with
creative work I was so insecure. But then I really found the space
to learn my craft and I had incredible support. I love UCLA.”
Lopez, who graduated from the School of Film and Television
screenwriting program, has about 40 plays in production. Currently
she is the Artistic Director for Casa 0101 in Boyle Heights, which
aims at increasing the artistic and expressive value of the area.
The film, which draws influence from Lopez’s actual
experience, takes the teenage Ana on a journey in which she must
explore her options between personal goals and family obligations.
A teacher at school, impressed by her writing encourages her to
apply for college while her disapproving mother, played by Lupe
Ontiveros wants her to help the family by working in her
sister’s sewing factory. Despite being about a
Mexican-American family, “Real Women Have Curves” is
able to cross ethnic lines and appeal to many more.
“It’s for the general audience. What’s amazing is
that all throughout, different populations can relate to it–having
curves and also with mothers and daughters. I think it’s very
universal,” Cardoso said. Universal themes and award-winning
performances helped the film garner praise and notice at the 2002
Sundance Film Festival. “Real Women Have Curves” was
the recipient of the Dramatic Audience Award. “I had worked
at Sundance for five years. I worked there while I was at the film
school and actually that’s how I paid my way to afford to go
to the school, ” Cardoso said. “I would start working
as an intern, stuffing envelopes and different things. Then, I
ended up being director of their Latin American program. I went for
five years in a row and I’d show my short films, so
it’s great to go back with a feature” The actresses in
the film also received recognition at Sundance. “Real Women
Have Curves” was awarded the Special Jury Prize for acting to
Ferrera and Ontiveros, who along with actresses Ingrid Oliu and
Soledad St. Hilaire will be present for the panel discussion
following the screening. While Sundance created a lot of buzz for
the film, according to Irigoyen it is a good sign that the film can
be brought back closer to home. “Sundance is a really great
show place for people in the industry and people who can afford to
fly there,” Irigoyen said. “As much good as Sundance is
doing in representing a lot of people of color and new perceptions
and great creative ideas, a lot of us who can’t afford to
attend Sundance miss out on what they are trying to show everyone
else.” The success of “Real Women Have Curves”
extends beyond awards and encompassing a wide audience, in that it
adds another accomplishment to the list of achievements in the
Latino film community. “I think everyday there are more
Latino movies, and Latino filmmakers,” Cardoso said. “I
keep hearing that there is this huge market. There are so many
Spanish language speakers in the U.S., so its a big
market.”
“Real Women Have Curves” will be shown tonight
beginning with a reception at 6:30 pm at the James Bridges Theater.
The event is free. For more information visit the Graduate Students
Associationat http://gsa.asucla.ucla.edu.