Join us for this must-see series as we explore issues related to Latin American stories, art, culture, environmental concerns, social struggles, and diverse points of view.

Cine Americas will take place over three days: October 15–17, 2026. All programming is free and includes snacks and soft drinks.

Day III

Films + Guest Director

Showtime: 5:00 PM
Total screening time:  142′ minutes 

Denise Zmekhol Arab-Brazilian award-winning director whose films have been recognized for their elegant visual style and deft storytelling. Her documentary CHILDREN OF THE AMAZON was supported by ITVS and broadcasted on PBS.  Zmekhol is the director and producer of SKIN OF GLASS, which received funding from ITVS, the National Endowment for the Arts, IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, Latino Public Broadcasting and several private foundations.

Children of the Amazon   Directed by Denise Zmekhol Brazil, 2008, 72 minutes Spanish w/ English subtitles

Documentary

Journey with Brazilian filmmaker Denise Zmekhol to the heart of the Amazon rainforest in search of the indigenous children she photographed fifteen years ago. Children of the Amazon invites you to see through the eyes of these inspiring, remarkably resilient people whose lives are transformed by a road carved through their forest home by an outside world. From Chief Amir Suruis embattled efforts to stop illegal loggers to the assassination of legendary rubber tapper Chico Mendes, this poetic and visually stunning film engages our senses and sympathies as global issues take on a profound human perspective.

Acompaña a la cineasta brasileña Denise Zmekhol al corazón de la selva amazónica en busca de los niños indígenas que fotografió quince años atrás. Children of the Amazon invita al espectador a ver el mundo a través de los ojos de estas personas inspiradoras y extraordinariamente resilientes, cuyas vidas se transforman con la construcción de una carretera que atraviesa el bosque que habitan, impulsada por un mundo exterior. Desde los incansables esfuerzos del jefe Amir Surui por detener a los madereros ilegales hasta el asesinato del legendario recolector de caucho Chico Mendes, esta película poética y visualmente impactante despierta nuestros sentidos y nuestra empatía, mientras los problemas globales adquieren una profunda dimensión humana.

Skin of Glass Directed by Denise Zmekhol Brazil, 2023, 90 minutes Spanish w/ English subtitles

Documentary

SKIN OF GLASS follows director Denise Zmekhol’s journey after discovering that her late father’s most celebrated work as an architect, a modernist glass skyscraper in the heart of São Paulo affectionately known as the Pele de Vidro (“Skin of Glass”), has become occupied by hundreds of homeless families. The film delicately interweaves the personal and political in a poetic and cinematic meditation on displacement, inequality, and loss. In the wake of a shocking tragedy that took place during the film’s production, Zmekhol connects with the residents of the Pele de Vidro and is brought face to face with the intimate, human consequences of an exploding population and global housing crisis.

SKIN OF GLASS sigue el viaje de la directora Denise Zmekhol tras descubrir que la obra más célebre de su difunto padre como arquitecto —un rascacielos modernista de vidrio en el corazón de São Paulo, conocido cariñosamente como la Pele de Vidro (“Piel de vidrio”)— ha sido ocupado por cientos de familias sin hogar. La película entrelaza delicadamente lo personal y lo político en una meditación poética y cinematográfica sobre el desplazamiento, la desigualdad y la pérdida. Tras una tragedia impactante ocurrida durante la producción de la película, Zmekhol establece vínculos con los residentes de la Pele de Vidro y se enfrenta de cerca a las consecuencias íntimas y humanas del crecimiento explosivo de la población y de la crisis mundial de vivienda.