At a time of heated and divisive debate over immigration, The Medford Film Collaborative in conjunction with Medford Conversations is proud to announce its second film in the Race and Diversity Series. Harvest of Empire. by directors, Wendy Thompson-Marquez and Eduardo López is a powerful documentary that exposes the direct connection between the long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the immigration crisis we face today.

From the territorial expansionist policies that decimated the young economies of Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba, to the covert operations that imposed oppressive military regimes in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, Harvest of Empire provides an unflinching look at the origins of the growing Latino presence in the United States. Adapted from the landmark book written by journalist Juan Gonzalez, the film tells the story of an epic human saga that is largely unknown to the great majority of citizens in the U.S., but must become part of our national conversation about immigration.

The film features present day immigrant stories, rarely seen archival material, as well as interviews with such respected figures as Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Junot Díaz, Mexican historian Lorenzo Meyer, journalists Maria Hinojosa and Geraldo Rivera, Grammy award-winning singer Luis Enrique, and poet Martín Espada.

Sunday, August 20, 2018 (3 – 6 pm)

Hosted by Tufts University

ASEAN Auditorium, Tufts Fletcher School

160 Packard Avenue, Medford

This film is free but registration is requested so that we can plan for refreshments and discussion facilitators. Tickets Online www.SanctuaryUCC.org/HarvestOfEmpire. Tickets will be possible at the door provided space is not sold out. Donations to support the series can also be made at the time of registration.