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"The Head of Joaquin Murrieta" Film Screening on October 28

Join us for a film screening of "The Head of Joaquin Murrieta" and a panel discussion with filmmaker John J. Valadez on October 28.

For over a decade, filmmaker John J. Valadez searched for the remains of Joaquin Murrieta, a legendary Mexican outlaw who blazed a trail of revenge and rebellion following the theft of his land, and the rape and murder of his wife. In the summer of 1853 he was killed by bounty hunters. They put his head in a jar, displayed it across California, and charged people a dollar to see their trophy.

One hundred and sixty-two years later, Valadez is convinced he finally has the head. Together they embark on a quixotic, cross-country road trip through history, memory, and myth to bury the fabled head of Joaquin Murrieta, and finally lay to rest a dark and troubled past. This irreverent, entertaining, and often disturbing tale that tears open a painful and long ignored history: the lynching of Mexican Americans in the southwest.

Join the Peabody-winning and Emmy-nominated Valdez for an exclusive screening of the film and a panel discussion including Loyola faculty members Benjamin Johnson (History) and Héctor García (Modern Languages). The film screening begins at 5:00 in Mundelein 205 with a reception following in Piper Hall.