'Volver a los 17'
HCC Latinx Studies Dept. hosts film, presentation inspired by Chilean folk song
The Latinx Studies department at Holyoke Community College is hosting a short film and live presentation by dancer Michelle Marroquin and musician Tony Silva on Wed., April 7 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Their film, Volver a los 17 ("Return to 17"), was inspired by the iconic Chilean folk song of the same name by singer Violeta Parra, whose poetic lyrics speak to the longing, remembering and honoring of the tender age of 17, when love first bursts into bloom. In the film, Silva plays guitar as Marroquin's dance leads viewers on an abstract journey of memory and loss and asks how the past has made us who we are.
Marroquin is a bicultural dance artist who has created interactive performances in the Pioneer Valley since 2014. Silva is a guitarist and composer, specializing in Rumba Flamenca and Latin American folk music.
Since COVID -19 severely limited their ability to perform live, the Easthampton-based husband and wife team shifted into making music/dance films under the name Dragon Circle Productions.
Volver is the third film they have co-created in the last six months.
During the April 7 Zoom presentation, Marroquin and Silva will share the film and present a brief retrospective of their work. The audience will have an opportunity to converse with one another, share responses, and participate in a discussion on the themes that inspired the film: exile, memory, loss, and identity.
The presentation is part of the HCC's ongoing series of events highlighting Latinx artists and cultures and the college's Latinx Studies program. It is supported in part by a grant from Holyoke Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
See an interview with the artist and a preview of their film on Holyoke Media.
To register for the event, please follow this link.
Learn more about the artists at: www.MichelleMarroquin.com and www.TonySilva.com
