'Las Madres de Berks:' Documentary Screening + Dialogue with Michelle Angela Ortiz

Visual Artist Michelle Angela Ortiz will be screening her short documentary, Las Madres de Berks, as part of her Familias Separadas public art project which amplifies the stories of families affected by detention and deportation in Pennsylvania.

'Las Madres de Berks' shares the testimonials of four mothers that were detained for 2 years with their children at The Berks County Residential Center, a family prison in Pennsylvania. The documentary also features the artworks that Ortiz created based on the Berks mother's stories that were unveiled in Harrisburg during a statewide action against family detention led by her community partner, the Shut Down Berks Coalition. This screening is presented in partnership with the Shut Down Berks Coalition. The film has Spanish and English subtitles.

The screening will be followed by a talkback to learn ways to take action to end family detention with Ortiz, Jasmine Rivera of Shut Down Berks Coalition, and Ale Cabrales and Erik Vargas of Penn for Immigrant Rights, moderated by Paul Farber of Monument Lab/Penn Center for Public Art and Space.

Presented at the University of Pennsylvania by: Greenfield Intercultural Center (GIC), The Center for Public Art and Space at the Weitzman School of Design, La Casa Latina, Lauder College House, Latin American and Latino Studies, PAACH, PAAGSA, and Penn for Immigrant Rights.