(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)April 11, 2014

(MAHWAH, NJ)  – Director Pamela Yates and Producer Paco de Onís will screen and lead a discussion of their film, Dictator in the Dock, at Ramapo College of New Jersey on Monday, April 14 from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. in the H-Wing Auditorium. The film brings viewers into the courtroom as former dictator General Efraín Ríos Montt stands trial for genocide and crimes against humanity.

This historic case marked the first time that a former head of state was tried for genocide in the national court of the country where the crimes were committed. It was also the first time in the history of South or North America that genocide of indigenous peoples was tried in a court of law. It is significant that this occurred in a country where the population was primarily indigenous.

The filmmakers’ critically-acclaimed documentary, Granito: How to Nail a Dictator, screened at Ramapo College in November 2011. It told a haunting tale of genocide in Guatemala, and the new film returns to the present with a cast of characters joined by the quest to bring a dictator to justice.

Yates is a co-founder of Skylight Pictures, the New York City-based production company.  Four of her films were nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and one film won the award in 1984.

De Onís grew up in several Latin American countries.  Prior to Granito, his most recent production was The Reckoning and he previously produced State of Fear.  He has also produced documentaries for PBS (“On Our Own Terms” with Bill Moyers), National Geographic (“Secrets from the Grave“), New York Times Television (“Police Force, Paramedics”), and MSNBC (“Edgewise” with John Hockenberry).

The screening and presentation are free and open to the public.  For more information or to reserve a seat, please call 201.684.7409.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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