On Thursday, April 10 at 5pm, the McGillicuddy Humanities Center will present a screening of Courts of Belonging a film by University of Maine alumnus Santiago Tijerina along with a conversation with the director at IMRC Center 104.
Courts of Belonging highlights the futsal court located in Portland Maine’s Kennedy Park and how its games build community for immigrant and refugee residents of the neighborhood. Futsal, a version of soccer with a small ball on a paved surface with five players, first arose in South America and has steadily gained popularity internationally and in Portland. The documentary emphasizes how the futsal games offer a sense of belonging to socially isolated immigrants and refugees residing in East Bayside, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Maine. Players take the court in multilingual pickup games organized by Kennedy Park Pickup Soccer almost every day.
This event is part of the McGillicuddy Humanities Center 2024-2025 Annual Symposium From Talkies to TikTok: 100 Years of Audiovisual Storytelling. The event is also part of Maine Impact Week. The event is a part of Maine Impact Week, an annual showcase of UMaine’s impact on the state and beyond. It is hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School.
For more information, contact mhc@maine.edu.
