Event: Filmmaker Melissa Eidson will speak at The University of Texas at Austin following a screening of her film “No Son Invisibles: Maya Women and Microfinance,” a documentary showing the transformative power of microfinance for Maya women in Chiapas, Mexico.
When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.
Where: The University of Texas at Austin, Mezes Hall Auditorium, Room 1.306.
Background: Following the stories of three Maya women, the 46-minute documentary shows how microfinance provides a strong source of change and empowerment for indigenous women in Chiapas, Mexico, one of the poorest regions in the world. The film shows how a microcredit organization in the highlands of Mexico uses a microfinancing model, developed by 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus, to help clients learn how to manage in the modern world by starting their own businesses with small loans. Featuring commentary from Yunus, the pioneer of microcredit and founder Grameen Bank, the documentary shows how — with a small amount of credit to start their own businesses — the Maya women can bring their families and their villages out of abject poverty.
The event is hosted by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies. Admission is free. A Q-and-A will follow the film screening.
