touchy

one of us is showing jorge sanjinés' yawar mallku (1969) (blood of the condor) in a film series we put together about human rights. the film shows us peace corps workers particiating in the forced sterilization of bolivian peasants. it's unclear whether the sterilization is metaphorical or meant to be "based on actual events." the film stimulated anti-us sentiment in boliva, from which peace corps was expelled in 1971. eventually, this email reached our desk.




Louis:

Don’t know if this has made it’s way to you or not. Who is the faculty person who is discussing the film? It’s probably worth prodding the speaker today to let him/her know that there might be someone in the audience coming at this with some base of information and a distinct hostility to the movie. Just so the person helping you out is prepared in case hostile questions start coming up.

Ken

From: Davies, Diana K
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 8:37 AM
To: Creekmur, Corey; Cmiel, Kenneth J; Weismann, Amy
Subject: FW: disturbing flyer

I apologize if you get multiple copies of this message from Bill, Tom, or others, but I thought you’d want to know about this. --D

Diana K. Davies
Director of International Programs
226 International Center
University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 52242
Tel. 319-335-0371; Fax 319-335-0280
http://intl-programs.uiowa.edu/
From: Baldridge, Thomas H
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 6:56 PM
To: Reisinger, William M; Davies, Diana K
Subject: FW: disturbing flyer

Bill & Diana -- FYI. Matt is a former Peace Corps volunteer who worked in Bolivia. He is the youngest of the Hayeks in the family law firm and highly regarded in town.
Tom

From: Matthew J. Hayek [mailto:mhayek@hhbmlaw.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 6:10 PM
To: Baldridge, Thomas H
Subject: disturbing flyer

Hello Tom,

Check out the attached flyer, which my law clerk showed me earlier today. She is an Iowa undergrad and received it from her Spanish teacher.

"Blood of the Condor" was a political propaganda film from 1969 that depicted fictional Peace Corps volunteers who sterilize Quechua Indian campesinas. The Peace Corps has always denied sterilizing women; there is no documentary or other evidence suggesting volunteers engaged this or any other improper behavior; and the film director himself admitted that the story was based on the claim of a deceased friend of his that Peace Corps volunteers might have been up to no good. In short, the film is propaganda. The actors who play Peace Corps volunteers are, as I recall, Germans with bad accents.

That "Blood of the Condor" created a groundswell of emotion and girded President Torres, the nationalist leader who came to power after a 1970 coup, is widely known. If a film class wants to study political propaganda film, great. But this flyer references several U of I departments. The content, which speaks for itself, appears to be sanctioned by the U of I.

I don't know what you know about these departments, or the individuals listed at the bottom of the flyer, but I thought I would forward this to you.

Regards,
Matt
(RPCV Bolivia 1992-1994)

Matthew J. Hayek
Hayek, Hayek, Brown, Moreland & Hayek, L.L.P.
120½ East Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240-3976
Tel.: 319.337.9606 Fax: 319.338.7376
E-mail: mhayek@hhbmlaw.com
Website: http://www.hhbmlaw.com