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Fenómenos Naturales

Third Film in the 2026 Spanish Film Festival

Join us at the Student Union Theater for the first film of the Spanish Film Festival. Professor Granados will be presenting this film with discussion to follow.

Synopsis
Spanish with English subtitles

With Andrea Doimeadios, Reinier Díaz, Armando Miguel Gómez

Why will your students love Natural Phenomena? This wildly original tropical Cuban reinterpretation of Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz is nothing short of mind-blowing. While the iconic red shoes make an appearance, everything else is reimagined in unexpected and delightful ways.

In late-1980s Cuba, local nurse Vilma is a crack shot eager to enter the national skeet shooting competition. The prize money would help her fulfill her dream of a bigger, more comfortable home where she could care for her injured husband and raise their soon-to-arrive child. Unfortunately for her, pregnant women are barred from competing, dashing her hopes — until a freak tornado whisks her over the rainbow to Niña Bonita, the isle hosting the tournament. Donning a blue dress and red slippers, Vilma sets out to prove her mettle in a strange land.

Natural Phenomenon captivates with its depiction of a strong, determined woman facing personal and social challenges as she seeks emancipation in a limiting context. A darkly comedic portrait of Cuban society, the film is a flourishing take on social cinema, a striking and moving narrative that addresses themes of freedom.

Exploring the rarely discussed topic of the exile of entire populations due to land exploitation, the film intertwines the protagonist’s struggle with broader social transformations in Cuba.

Related campus initiatives

Greater La Crosse community

When

  • 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8

Where

Student Union Theatre, 120 Student Union

UWL campus map for building location and nearby parking lots.

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Student Union

If you go

  • Free, no registration needed

Contact

For questions about this event or to request disability accommodations , contact Dane Devetter at 608.785.8325 or ddevetter@uwlax.edu.

Parking

Payment may be required. No permit?
Use Passport Parking.

Additional parking info
Website for Parking | Email for Parking | Call for Parking

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