The UNM Department of English is partnering with the National Hispanic Cultural Center for our fourth annual, free film screening of Bless Me, Ultima on Saturday, September 6, 2025. The English Department has been partnering with NHCC since 2022 to host a free screening of the film adaptation of Bless Me, Ultima in honor of the novel’s fiftieth anniversary (1972-2022) and in memory of Rudolfo Anaya, New Mexico’s padrino of Chicano literature.
This year’s film screening is part of NHCC’s Noche de Familia/Noche de Curanderismo and will feature a special limpia (cleansing) workshop for registered participants prior to the film. The workshop begins at 4 pm and has limited seating.
Dr. Mario Del Angel Guevara is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chicana and Chicana Studies at UNM, and holds a PhD from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at UNM, a certificate in Mexican traditional medicine from CEDEHC in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and certificates on Spanish-English translation and interpretation from the National Center for Interpretation at the University of Arizona. Over the past several years, Dr. Del Angel Guevara has been instructing bilingual courses on Curanderismo: Traditional Medicine of Mexico and the Southwest, in addition to courses on Spanish as a second language, heritage language, and medical Spanish. His research focuses on the contributions and lives of curanderos in southern, central, and northern Mexico, with a specialization in the Fidencista healing movement, a movement of curanderos who follow the teachings of El Niño Fidencio in Nuevo León, Mexico. Dr. Del Angel Guevara adds a special touch to this year’s film and offers a unique experience for registered participants.
All events will take place in the Roy E. Disney Performing Arts Building at the NHCC, located at 1701 4th Street SW. This is a free, ticketed event that is open to the public with limited seating. For tickets, please visit https://my.nmculture.org/48277/48278.
Noche de Familia / Noche de Curanderismo is an event for the entire family, with herbs, food, and film for people of all ages, especially those who hold Bless Me, Ultima and New Mexico near and dear to their hearts. Let’s celebrate cultural connectivity and indigenous medicine with an evening of curanderismo!
