By: Celia Martinez

The Latinos in Music Film Program, presented by the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) hosted an outdoor screening of Mexican film director Beto Gomez’s film “Hasta el Ultimo Trago Corazon,” on Saturday June 23 at Dvorak Park in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.

The PRAA is an organization with a core audience in the Puerto Rican community, but reaches out to diverse audiences as well. The Latinos in Music Film Program is meant to emphasize musical contributions of Mexican and Puerto Rican composers.

“Making cross-cultural connections with other cultures is very important to us,” said Carlos Hernandez, executive director of the PRAA.

The Film, “Hasta el Ultimo Trago Corazon,” is a documentary film that follows some of Mexico’s most influential women in the music industry including Chavela Vargas, Lila Downs and Eugenia Leon.

“My daughter was the excuse,” said Gomez of his inspiration for making the film. “My daughter wasn’t born in Mexico and I wanted to show her the strength of the Latina woman.”

The Latinos in Music Film Program will host another film screening in the Humboldt Park Boat House, 1400 N. Sacramento Ave, on Saturday July 28th from 7pm-10pm. The featured film will be “Sono Sono Tite Curet” and will also present a live bombazo performance by AfriCaribe.

The PRAA is also in the process of hosting a Smithsonian exhibition titled “American Sabor.” The exhibition features contributions by Latinos to American music from 1940- present and will open August 2nd. This was the motivation to feature Gomez’s film on Saturday. “It’s an honor to be here in Pilsen and working with a very talented director,” said Hernandez.