British Documentary Film Fest Includes Essay Contest

The British Embassy, in coordination with the Facultad de Letras (Faculty of Languages and Philosophy) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), The Tico Times and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Film Unit, will be staging a British Documentary Film Festival during the months of May and June.

The festival will take place over six weeks on the following dates: May 18 and 25 and June 8,15 and 22. All sessions will begin at 5 p.m. at the Roberto Murillo Theater in the UCR Escuela de Letras. A discussion will follow each screening, directed by an expert on the day’s topic.

All films are in English.Highlights include “Beyond Babel” (May 18), a look at the role of English on the world stage and its influence as a global language; “The 3rd Congress of Parliamentarians of African Descent” (May 25), featuring former Costa Rican legislators Epsy Campbell and Edwin Patterson; “The Laundry Bill” (June 1) an introduction to international money laundering; “Wings over the Wild: Lighthawk” (June 15), showcasing the turtle-conservation work of British biologist Sebastian Stroend as he does aerial surveys over Tortuguero National Park; and “Jane Goodall: China Diary” (June 15), a look at the famous primatologist’s work in China.

Admission is free but limited to 60 participants per screening.

In conjunction with the film festival, an essay competition will be held on the topic “The Role of the United Kingdom in Today’s World.” Post-secondary students who register before the festival begins and attend at least four of the six sessions may enter the competition. The grand prize is a round-trip ticket to London, and the winning essay will be published in The Tico Times Weekend section.

For more details on the festival and to register for the essay competition, e-mail Bruce Callow at the British Embassy at Bruce.Callow@fco.gov.uk.

For a complete schedule of films, see the Calendar pages.