The Mexican Museum to Present Screening of World-Acclaimed Documentary SUNÚ

On Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., The Mexican Museum will host a special screening of SUNÚ - film director Teresa Camou's internationally acclaimed documentary film about the agricultural treasure known as maize(corn), which is being threatened by the introduction of genetically modified seeds in Mexico.

Opening a series of Bay Area events, the screening will take place at The Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco.Following the film, there will be a panel discussion that includes Camou and Gabriela Cámara, renowned chef and owner of Contramar and Cala in Mexico City and San Francisco. Tickets are $10 and available through Eventbrite. Refreshments will be provided by The Mexican Museum.

Press conference: Prior to the screening, a press conference will be held from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. with Camou and museum representatives. The press conference will give members of the media the opportunity to ask questions about the film and how GMO seeds are threatening the growth of corn, corn-based cuisine, Mexico's farmers and communities, and the environment.

Sunú is the indigenous word for maize for the Tarahumara people of Northern Mexico. Maize is an essential part of the spirituality and culture in communities throughout Mexico, and one of the most important grains in the world. Seen through the eyes of small, mid-size and large indigenous and independent Mexican maize producers, Sunú knits together a diverse variety of stories from a rural world where genetically modified seeds threaten the existence of maize. The film documents how farmers work the land and cultivate their seeds, while staying true to their cultures and forms of spirituality, fighting to remain independent, and protecting maize.

Camou's years of work with social-justice organizations in the indigenous communities of the Sierra Tarahumara compelled her to make a film that catches the simple beauty of this world. With this documentary, she seeks to provide a greater understanding of these rural communities. Her hope is that Sunú not only changes the way we think, as outsiders, but that it also inspires people to take action. Camou will be in the Bay Area and available for interviews from Feb. 28 - March 7 and March 13 -15. SUNÚ is being distributed by EPF Media, a distributor and producer of innovative documentaries that educate and raise awareness of social issues. For the SUNÚ trailer, photos, and press kit, please visit:http://www.epfmedia.com/sunu.

About the Director, Teresa Camou:

Born and raised in México, Teresa Camou began as a professional puppeteer, working from 1996 through 2011 as part of Bread and Puppet Theatre in Vermont, where she continues to collaborate to this day. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts and Social Science from Bennington College in 2004, she returned to Mexico and founded El Indígena de la Sierra Taraumara Theatre, an indigenous Mexican puppet theater company based in Mexico's Sierra Madre.

In 2009, Camou won a grant from the Chihuahuan Institute of Culture to publish a collection of scripts and stories from the theater named "Andares, Cantares," which won the Publicaciones del Gobierno del Estado Award. Camou is also a critically acclaimed filmmaker. She directed and produced two short documentaries about issues related to Tarahumara communities and two short animated films, "El Entierro" (2008) and "Tewe Chiva Nesero" (2007), which received honorable mention at the Chihuahua International Film Festival. SUNÚ marks her first feature film.

About Gabriela Cámara: Gabriela Cámara, restaurateur and chef, opened the renowned Contramar with a group of friends in Mexico City in 1998 while she was studying history at Universidad Iberoamericana. Today, Contramar is both a neighborhood restaurant and a cultural institution of seafood-focused Mexican cuisine and high-quality service. Throughout her career, Cámara has opened 10 restaurants that have in different ways fused new links between art, food, culture, and the environment. In 2015, she opened Cala in San Francisco, which uses local, sustainable Bay Area ingredients and offers second-chance employment to community members with a conviction history. For more information, please visit www.calarestaurant.com.

About The Mexican Museum: Founded by the well-known San Francisco artist Peter Rodriguez in 1975 in the heart of the Mission District, The Mexican Museum is located at the Fort Mason Center. It is the realization of his vision to present the aesthetic expression of the Mexican and Mexican American people. Today, the museum's vision has expanded to include the full scope of the Mexican, Chicano, and Latino experience - including the arts, history, and heritage of their respective cultures.

In 2012, The Mexican Museum became an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex. The Museum joins over 200 organizations in 45 states, Puerto Rico and Panama that are in association with the Smithsonian. The Mexican Museum currently has a Permanent Collection of more than 16,500 objects reflecting Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican, Chicano and Latin American art.

The Mexican Museum, open Thursday - Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., is located at the Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco. Admission is FREE. The Museum offers a wide variety of programs, including Family Sundays, exhibitions, special events, lectures, and public programming throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit:http://www.mexicanmuseum.org or call (415) 202-9700.

The Mexican Museum has begun construction of its permanent home in the heart of the Yerba Buena Gardens Art District, which is expected to open in 2019. People are encouraged to support The Mexican Museum by becoming new members, or by joining the Builder's Society online or by mailing a check to: The Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D, San Francisco, CA 94123. For more information on the Builder's Society, please contact Edgar De Sola at (415) 202-9700 ext. 225.