CALA faculty, Leonard Cortana, is a Ph.D Candidate at the Cinema Studies Department at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center, Harvard Law School. He holds undergraduate degrees in comparative politics and Spanish from Sciences Po Aix en Provence (France) and a EU Commission NOHA Masters degree in humanitarian assistance from Deusto University (Spain).
Cortana is also a filmmaker. His last documentary, Marielle’s Legacy Will not Die, follows activist movements spreading the intersectional legacy of Afro-Brazilian activist and politician Marielle Franco in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. You can see his work here: Leonard Cortana Vimeo His doctoral research focuses on the circulation of transnational film narratives about racial justice and activist movements that re-open wounded historical memories between Brazil, France and the US.
Cortana also earned a BA in cinema and aesthetics from Sorbonne University Paris. Prior to his doctoral studies, he conducted several artistic and educational projects with non-profits and UN agencies that engage with youth in multiple countries including Chile, Brazil, France, and Bulgaria. He became a Trainer for the European Commission’s Youth Program projects and the Children International Summer Village Organization (CISV) and designed methodologies in theater and storytelling for social inclusion.
CALA is pleased to announce that Leonard Cortana will be teaching a racial literacy series this spring semester starting on Monday, February 22 at 1 PM. See below for full details: 
Eligible NYU employees may register with 100% tuition remission. The two required forms are available here: