Showing: 02 April 2025
From one of Argentina’s most exciting and original directors Pablo Trapero, White Elephant is a compelling and highly charged film about courage and human triumph.
In the "Villa Virgin", a shantytown in the slums of Buenos Aires, Julian and Nicolas - two priests and long-standing friends - work tirelessly to help the local people. Nicolas joins Julian in overseeing the construction of a hospital following the failure of a project he was leading in which paramilitary forces assassinated members of the community. Deeply troubled by his actions, Nicolas finds solace in Luciana, a young, attractive atheist social worker.
Inspired by the true story of Argentinian priest and activist Father Carlos Mugica, it traces the moral tightrope these men must walk in their bid to stand up for the victims of a corrupt system. Tense, superbly constructed and ultimately uplifting, White Elephant is a transfixing story of will, violence and survival.
The screening will be followed by a discussion led by Dr Gul Kacmaz Erk, Lead for Architecture and Planning at Queen’s University, Belfast. Gul will be joined by two guest speakers: Dr Agustina Martire, StreetSpace coordinator and Architecture lecturer, and Dr Ricki O’Rawe, researcher in the question of identity across Latin American literature and art.
This event is part of CACity presents: Walled Cities 7, a short film season exploring political conflict in divided communities and walled cities around the world. Presented by CACity (Cinema and Architecture in the City) Research Group, in collaboration with Queen’s University, Belfast and Film Hub NI. The film screenings will be accompanied by an exhibition of student’s work from the Cinematic Architecture courses at Queen’s.
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