1898 Film Series

Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free two-day film program exploring the impact of U.S. expansion during the 20th century. These films are presented in conjunction with the exhibition “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions”  and will take place in the National Portrait Gallery McEvoy Auditorium. Registration required.

On Sunday, Sept. 24, the National Portrait Gallery will screen “War for Guam,” produced and directed by Frances Negrón-Muntaner. This 57-minute film explores World War II and its enduring legacy in Guam, a U.S. territory since 1898. Rare archival footage and testimony from survivors and their descendants sheds light on the Native people of Guam, the CHamoru, and the militarization of their island. Following the screening, National Portrait Gallery curator Taína Caragol will moderate a public dialogue between filmmaker Frances Negrón-Muntaner; Lauren Swaddell, senior associate with expertise in Pacific conservation and Indigenous engagement at the Pew Charitable Trust; and Neil Weare, civil rights attorney and co-founder of Right to Democracy.   

On Sunday, Oct. 1, the Portrait Gallery will screen two films. “The Spanish American War,” produced by Blackhawk Films, is a 22-minute compilation of brief newsreels of the War of 1898 between the United States and Spain. It offers a rare testament of the parallel—yet coincidental—development of U.S. overseas expansion and early films. “Foreign in a Domestic Sense,” directed by Natalia Lassalle Morillo and Sofía Gallisá Muriente, layers narratives of Puerto Ricans who have migrated to Central Florida as a result of political and environmental disasters. Their stories bring to light more contemporary issues around displacement and community. A panel discussion with directors Natalia Lassalle Morillo and Sofía Gallisá Muriente and filmmaker, director, and writer Judith Escalona will be moderated by Taína Caragol, curator of painting and sculpture and Latino art and history. Together they will explore the film’s relevance to the past and present.

The Portrait Gallery strives to provide programs that are accessible to all visitors. If you have questions about the accessibility of this program, or if you would like to request real-time captioning (CART), sign language interpretation, or any other accommodations, please contact [email protected] and [email protected]. Two weeks' advance notice is appreciated for requesting accommodations.

Image Credit: LEFT: War for Guam. Directed by Frances Negrón-Muntaner, 2015. Distributed by Third World Newsreel. RIGHT: Foreign in a Domestic Sense. Directed by Natalia Lassalle Morillo and Sofía Gallisá Muriente, 2021. Courtesy of the Artists.

Image Credit: Americans disembarking in Ponce, July 27, 1898 by Manuel Cuyàs Agulló. Oil on canvas. Museo de Arte de Ponce The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.; gift of José and Mary Jane Fernández.

Image Credit: Padre José Torres Palomo by Unidentified photographer, Date unknown. Photograph. The Richard F. Taitano Micronesia Area Collection Research Center.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 800 G Street Northwest, Washington, United States