ZonaSur Cinema Club: Blood + Bonds

Event information

ZonaSur Cinema Club is back for 2026 - and you're invited!

Come and join us for an evening of riveting, passionate Latin American film and thoughtful discussion at Common Ground Oxford on Thursday January 22nd.

This instalment's theme will be 'Blood + Bonds - Stories of Family and Community'.
What do we inherit from our birth environment, both physical, emotional and spiritual? How strongly do these bonds define our identity and our chances in life?

To explore together, we'll be screening two films:

'El Hijo' (Venezuela, 2021, 15 minutes).

Directed by Venezuelan filmmaker Pablo Zapata, 'El Hijo' is a tense and intimate short film inspired by the stories of Horacio Quiroga.

It follows a father and his adolescent son living in isolation, exploring themes of trust, responsibility, and the fragile boundary between protection and danger. Minimal dialogue, atmospheric tension, and psychological depth make this a powerful study of family bonds and human vulnerability.

'La Suprema' (Colombia, 2023, 1 hour 23 minutes).
La Suprema, the debut feature by Colombian director Felipe Holguín Caro, tells the story of Laureana, a determined Afro‑Colombian teenager in a remote Caribbean village.

When her estranged uncle fights for a world boxing title, she rallies her community—without electricity or television—to witness the match together. The film celebrates hope, resilience, and collective empowerment, and has won international recognition including awards at Huelva and Fribourg film festivals.
It is Colombia’s official submission for the upcoming Academy Awards and Goya Awards.

The evening will be presented by Nick Hagan, curator of independent Oxford bookshop Curio Books + Culture, and featuring a Q&A between our audience, director Pablo Zapata, Lorena Briscoe, founder of ZonaSur Productions, and a special guest.

ZonaSur Cinema Club is dedicated to showcasing the rich diversity of Latin American cinema, highlighting stories that reflect the cultural, social, and political realities of the region. Our aim is to foster dialogue and deepen understanding through film. Supported by BFI HUB SOTH EAST.