From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15th of every year, the world celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month to highlight everything from this amazing community, allowing for these voices to be heard once again. While during this time you can indulge yourself in many of the creative areas that these countries involve themselves in, a small list of the most critically and commercially acclaimed films is in this article to serve as a first step for this amazing journey.
“Y tu mamá también” (translated to “And Your Mother Too”) is a 2001 romance film from Mexico. It became one of the most well-known movies from this country with the iconic Alfonso Cuarón directing, and the actors Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna who is most well-known for his main role in “Andor,”
This is one of the best love triangles in any film, following the story of two young friends falling in love with an older woman, while slowly questioning their relationship between each other. The story takes us on a road trip where the two long-time friends try to impress Luisa and take her to a beach on the rural area of Mexico, exploring desire, control and attractiveness.
“Amores Perros” is a 2000 drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, who would later become an Oscar winner for Best Director. As a debut film, this has all of the rawness and emotions that a new director can bring to the screen, as he creates three separate stories that all interconnect through one theme: dogs.
The movie mentions various themes and makes all history’s incredible stand-alone moments, while also joining them in a perfect way. Situations of dog fights in the slums of Mexico, cheating and the power of fame and finally the relationship between a father who was a hitman and his daughter who he was never able to support show different sides of the country and of the final situation where everything collapses makes for an incredible climax.
“El secreto de sus ojos” (translated to “The Secret of Their Eyes”) is a 2009 Argentinian drama film, which quickly became a staple in the country’s long film history, winning the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and establishing even more the strength of storytelling in Latin American countries.
This is a crime film, showing the case of a retired criminal investigator writing a novel about an unsolved murder case. The passage of time plays an incredibly strong part in this story, with many highlighting how it can play with your own emotions about the events that have happened throughout it. The connection this theme has with the amazing acting makes for a one-of-a-kind film.
“Utama” is a 2022 drama film from Bolivia, and is categorized as one of the highlights of the country. It showed a beautiful story about an Indigenous family, with an even more shocking cinematography that made every frame look like a beautiful painting.
The film tells us the story of an elderly couple living in the Andes, who receive a visit from their grandson and quickly learn about the deteriorating health of his grandfather. The movie continues into a story of letting go, cultural differences between younger and older generations and family. An overall heart-touching story, with amazing performances and incredible work from the whole staff.
While these are only 4 films, Hispanic America has many films and art that stays in the shadow for its difficulty of getting to other markets. Understanding these difficulties and trying to surpass them and expand our horizons in films can not only teach us about their cultures but also make us understand a lot more about the world.
