Greg Berger: Amor en tiempos de influenza (Love in the Time of Flu) and La rebeldia bajo sitio (Rebellion Under Siege)

Powerful Mexican documentaries get a screening at Rice Media Center

Comments (0) By D.L. Groover Thursday, Jan 21 2010

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Sometimes to get his Mexican documentaries screened in the U.S., and sometimes just to be provocative, filmmaker Greg Berger resorts to free rooftop screenings, such as the recent showings of his short political films Amor en tiempos de influenza (Love in the Time of Flu) and La rebeldia bajo sitio (Rebellion Under Siege) held atop the Museo del Barrio in NYC last August. Here in Houston, he has a plushier venue with its own ceiling - the Media Center at Rice University. Berger, a professor of film at the University of Morelos, calls himself a "revolutionary tourist," and his work focuses on Mexico's social problems and the evident strain between the country and its northern neighbor. He might use street theater tactics like Michael Moore does, but Berger's much more personable and a lot less annoying. Berger's work is quick, like a pointed jab to the gut that leaves you outraged and struggling for breath. The documentaries screen together at 7 p.m. Rice University, 6100 Main. For information, call 713-348-4882 or visit www.ricecinema.rice.edu. $5.
Fri., Jan. 22, 7 p.m., 2010