The public is invited to The Big Picture screening of the award winning documentary Posada with producer-director Mark McGregor, and a discussion on Immigration.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
7:30 p.m.

The U.S. Border Patrol turns away 100,000 unaccompanied immigrant children every year. This is the story of three who stayed. Posada portrays the journeys of Densi, Johny and Wilber who, as teenagers, separately left their homes in Central America for the United States. They each were detained by immigration officials for months between 1999 and 2002. Their struggles helped pave the way for others to receive assistance. They relate their stories to Las Posadas, a Mexican tradition that retells the Christmas story of Joseph and Mary's search for shelter.

Posada was awarded the 2007 Prize for Human Rights and Religion by the 10th Annual Religion Today Film Festival in Trent, Italy; Official Selection of the 2008 World Youth Day Festival in Sydney, Australia; and awarded Best Short Documentary by the 2008 Orlando Hispanic Film Festival.

The evening will conclude with a remarks by local scholars, and a public forum with producer-director Mark McGregor.

Learn more about this feature documentary online at www.posadas-project.com.  Learn more about The Big Picture: Documentary Series for Faith and Culture.

Location The Rose Hills Auditorium, Ahmanson Weingart Hall Mount Saint Mary's College (Doheny Campus) 10 Chester Place, Los Angeles, CA 90007 View Maps & Directions

Admission Free and Open to the Public! Donations welcomed.

ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARIAN

Reverend Mark McGregor, S.J., MFA, a Catholic priest in the Jesuit order, wrote, directed and produced Posada. He began the Posadas Project, a national project that promotes Las Posadas and education and advocacy for immigrants in 2005. In 2009 grants from the Catholic Communications Campaign and Our Sunday Visitor Foundation has helped the project distribute Posada to over 7,000 schools, worship communities and services providers that reach immigrants.  In 1976, McGregor and his family drove from Panama to Washington state. After graduating from Seattle University in 1984, he entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained a priest in 1996. He graduated with a MFA from Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television in 2002. During his studies he served as a juvenile hall chaplain. Santa Clara University named him a Bannan Fellow in 2007-08. He teaches at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

ABOUT THE RESPONDENTS

Robert A. Hurteau, PhD, director of the Center for Religion and Spirituality, is a former missionary. He holds a doctorate in Pastoral Counseling/Practical Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Hurteau teaches in the Center’s Hispanic ministry programs, which were founded under the umbrella of Estudios Ministeriales. Dr. Hurteau continues to be involved in formal dialogue between various religions and peoples in Los Angeles, specifically with the L.A. Hindu-Catholic Dialogue, the L.A. Buddhist-Catholic Dialogue, and a seminar on Jewish-Catholic relations. Dr. Hurteau is on the board of Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Theology. He is a past president and current member of the Association of Professors of Mission, an ecumenical group of people who teach in the area of mission, and is a volunteer with its sister organization, the American Society of Missiology, which focuses on Christian mission, currently serving on its board of publications.

Marty Roers, MDiv is a minister and director of the Office for Service and Social Justice in the Peg Dolan RSHM Campus Ministry Center at Loyola Marymount University. His duties include coordinating and accompanying monthly service trips to Tijuana, Mexico with the De Colores Service Program, an outreach program to day laborers, and other community outreach programs. He also has a few years of international ministry and service experience.