AFI FILM FEST: WEEK 2

L istings and commentary for Week 2 of the American Film Institute Film Festival of Los Angeles, which runs through March 26:

THURSDAY

“Mi Vida”/”Miss . . . or Myth?” (U.S.A., 1986, Barnsdall, 8:30 p.m.). A program of two films made in the Santa Cruz area. The first, “Mi Vida,” is a well-intentioned, if unremarkable, look at a young Mexican woman’s attempt to better the lot of herself and her family. Far more interesting is “Miss . . . or Myth,” chronicling the work of women protesting the annual Miss California pageant. Unquestionably biased, the film still proves itself forceful through the use of archival footage illustrating how little the event has changed despite its organizer’s many rationalizations. While the guerrilla theatre actions of those opposing the show can be tiresome, there’s no denying their stance that it presents “a limited image” of women. Recommended.