Screening/Discussion: Fall in Love, Not in Line: The Subversive Power of Comedy & Romance in Film

Join us for a screening of the short film, Tonight, We Eat Flowers followed by a presentation and discussion w/ filmmaker Bettina Escauriza.
About Tonight, We Eat Flowers: Luis, a recent immigrant who sells “hold music” and Jamilah, a gourmet stuck working in a cubicle, fall in love under unlikely circumstances that involve absolutely terrible music, a lot of blood, and edible flowers.

Following the screening will be a presentation and discussion led by the filmmaker, Bettina Escauriza. She will discuss the history of comedic and absurdist filmmaking, and its use by creatives to subvert norms, challenge the mainstream, and upend social conventions.

Barring taking up arms, comedy is one of the most potent tools used to critique, resist, and undermine oppressive structures both within and without. What are the origins of comedy and what role has humor played in shaping society? What are the intersections of comedy and romance in film? Can a prank change the world and make your crush fall in love with you?

About Bettina Escauriza – Originally from Asunción, Paraguay, she is a filmmaker, writer, artist, and actor living in Philadelphia. She is a natural storyteller from a family of frustrated mystics, spectacular liars, ill-fated thieves, and awful politicians. Her work deals with Indigenous knowledge, immigration, exile, and love. Her aim as a filmmaker is to tell stories about Indigenous people and people of color that are lush, sensual, thrilling, and complex – whose desire is to tell the truth about the communities she comes from by centering narratives of joy, defiance, and resistance in the face of oppression.
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