September 2021: Latinx Creators
To celebrate National Hispanic Month, we’re highlighting some of our favorite Latinx films and filmmakers. Míralo!
Jesse’s Rec
Y tu mamá también (2001)
The most influential Latinx movie I can remember watching is easily Y tu mamá también. From the expansive, bohemian road trip through Mexico to my first exposure to the dynamic duo of Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal, this movie expanded my idea of what life as a young adult could, and maybe should, be like. In many ways it replaced whatever coming-of-age story I previously imagined living out myself when I first watched it as a teenager (at the recommendation of my cousin who insisted I study the first scene to learn what having non-pornographic sex was actually like). The sexiness, the bravado, the vulnerability, it all comes so easily and with such ferociousness in this movie that you can’t help but wish you were a part of it. Maybe this also has something to do with a two-week trip I’m taking to Colombia soon, but the indelible impact this movie had on me has not faded even as I’ve grown older than characters depicted in the film. I hope it never does.
Kirk’s Rec
Post Tenebras Lux (2012)
Carlos Reygadas’ challenging art films aren’t for the faint of heart but his awe-inducing visual style and deep existentialist stories showcase his native Mexico in a light unlike anyone else in cinema. In particular, his divisive Post Tenebras Lux lulls the viewer with gorgeous long takes but commands back their attention with memorable sequences of sex and violence. Even if you hate it, you will absolutely never forget it.
Chris’ Rec
Kiltro (2006)
Ya boi wrote a whole essay on Miami Connection for this very site, so you know I love DIY films and directors with gumption. This is Chilean filmmaker Ernesto Díaz Espinoza’s first feature shot after taking a few courses in movie-making, and he filmed it with his friend from high school Marko Zaror, who happens to be a legit Taekwondo god (and will be featured in the 4th John Wick). Like most DIY filmmakers, Díaz Espinoza learned by watching. Kiltro references a Bond film, Japanese horror, Morricone scores, and Leos Carax! It’s like Díaz Espinoza’s brain is made of our Movie Club.
Stephanie’s Rec
Machete (2010)
Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis, Machete builds a gritty and action-packed world where ex-Federale “Machete”, played by Danny Trejo, uses his deadly skills to enact justice. Billed on the surface as an exploitation action film, the story goes deeper, touching on issues of government corruption, immigrant exploitation, and the drug trade, while still maintaining levity through wacky and outrageous action sequences.
Dylan’s Rec
La Llorona (2019)
Jayro Bustamante’s slow burn horror film La Llorona is almost too quiet a film. An inverted haunted house film the movie grapples with the horrors the ruling class have committed against the indigenous people of Guatemala. There’s always something lurking in the corner, be it a literal ghost or a ghost from your past, and at the end of the day, is there a difference?