A free screening of Juchitan Queer Paradise, with a special short film entitled Two-Spirit People in the Modern World

In collaboration with Bringing The Circle Together, the Red Circle Project at AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) will be hosting a free night of documentary films: 'Two-Spirit People in the Modern World', a short film by Mike Garrido and Tarek Tohme and 'Juchitan Queer Paradise' by Patricio Henriquez. This important event will take place on Thursday, March 18, 2010 with a reception and screening at 7pm. Please visit www.apla.org/redcircleproject to RSVP for the event. Please contact me with any questions at 213-201-1311 or enaswood@apla.org

About the feature film 'Juchitan Queer Paradise': Juchitan is a Zapotec village in Mexico near the Guatemalan border. Here homosexuality is fully accepted; gays are simply a third gender. If a boy shows a predisposition to homosexuality his family will rejoice and be thankful for receiving what is considered a blessing. In Juchitan a man who wants to be a woman only has to dress like a woman to be considered and treated as a woman by the entire community. The film profiles three gay people: a teacher, a hairdresser and a shop owner.

March 20th, 2010 marks the fourth year of honoring National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. March 20th was selected by Native communities to commemorate National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day because it marks the start of spring, a time of beginnings and change. In Native cultures, seasons define the cycle and celebration of life. This day will serve as an opportunity to increase awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on Native Americans and Alaska Natives (NA/AN).

Bringing the Circle Together: A Native American Film Series

Bringing the Circle Together: A Native American Film Series is a FREE monthly film series located in downtown Los Angeles at the National Center for Preservation of Democracy. Directly across from our host sponsor, the Japanese American National Museum. The film series was established to provide quality documentaries by and about Indigenous cultures of the Americas, and bring together a central gathering place where discussion and awareness of issues can be shared with the Native community and its supporters.

The film series is held at the National Center for Preservation of Democracy located at 111 North Central Avenue, between 1st Street and Central Avenue, in downtown Los Angeles. The NCPD can be reached via train, bus, or parking in the area. Screenings will begin at 7pm, and it is advisable to arrive at least 15-20 minutes prior for seating. Each film will include a raffle at the end of the screening. (pdf for directions). Doors open at 6:30pm.

The film series is hosted by Lorin Morgan-Richards and is generously sponsored by the following organizations:

The Japanese American National Museum
Department of Cultural Affairs
American Indian Community Council
InterTribal Entertainment
Hecho de Mano
Nahui Ohlin

For more information about the film series please visit www.myspace.com/nafilmseries
or by email at nafilmseries@aol.com