Coincidentally, I happened to be working on a piece about brownface when this list popped up in my feed: A Mountain of Hispanic Heritage. Letterboxd shared 10 films that feature Hispanic stories for Hispanic Heritage Month. Letterboxd, is this the best you could do? I am not denying that there are some great stories on which these films were based, like Cesar Chavez, Miguel Piñero, Rev. Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, and the Industrial Little League of Monterrey, (Nuevo León) Mexico. Most of these titles were lazily thrown together. Because this is the year 2024, I think we need to do better. Let’s address the brownface, brown voice, stereotypes, and whitewashing that we’ve had to endure for too long.
Hispanic Stories?
Let’s begin with Nacho Libre. It features the comedic characterization (Jack Black doing brown voice, really?) of a very real-life Mexican priest. People love it! However, it is not a good representation of Hispanic stories. Another movie off the list is co-written by the legendary comedy duo Cheech & Chong and directed by Tommy Chong, who is not Hispanic but is in fact Asian. There is nothing wrong with a comedy about smoking weed. However, where is the Hispanic story here?
In Como agua para chocolate, Alfonso Araua chose an Italian man to portray the Mexican man, Pedro, whose voice is dubbed because he doesn’t speak Spanish. Make this make sense, people! When questioned about this decision, he is quoted saying, “Because I didn’t find an actor in Mexico who was so beautiful.” There are too many brown people asked to portray other brown people with no regard to ethnicity.
I could stop there, but I’d rather talk about Babel, which is on this list, for the sole reason that it features a Mexican nanny. On IMDb the summary refers to her as “their illegal alien Mexican housekeeper” while the plot synopsis refers to another character as “deaf and dumb”. Let’s just pause there so you can lift your jaw off the floor. Yeah…you ready? Her story (one of four interlocking stories) is about her attempts to arrive home for her son’s wedding. She works for a European-American couple who cannot get home to relieve her of her duty, forcing her to continue working. This highlights the American dependence and exploitation of undocumented immigrants for cheap labor. Thanks for the Latino representation, I guess.
What can I do about this?
First and foremost, I am not remaining silent on this subject. There is a whole world of Hispanic and Latino cinema outside of these few examples. And there are so many films to celebrate, highlighting our peoples’ customs, traditions, religions, languages, holidays, and families. I understand what they were trying to do, but this was sloppy work at best.
For accurate representation and better examples of our heritage, you can look behind the cameras as well as the front. Stories told by Hispanic storytellers and filmmakers and portrayed by Hispanics. Film is a world of imagination. There are so many stories told on film. We are very real people with real hardships, heartache, love, compassion, creativity, and imaginations that know no bounds.
I personally choose genre films because of their fantastical ability to convey a host of topics and issues that matter. I want to highlight a handful of films created by Hispanics behind the camera and characters portrayed by Hispanics. We love horror! Moreover, these open up discourse about a host of topics and subject matter that too many people avoid.
Vuelven/ Tigers are Not Afraid (2017)
Where You Can Watch: Shudder, amc+, hoopla
Vuelven was written and directed by Mexican filmmaker Issa López (also responsible for the best season of True Detective). Described as a dark fairy tale, it follows a group of five children living on the streets due to the devastation caused by the Mexican drug war. Life is a daily struggle for food and shelter while trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels. Meanwhile, their newest member, Estrella is haunted by the ghosts created every day by the drug war, including her own mother.
La llorona (2019)
Where You Can Watch: Shudder, The Criterion Channel, hoopla, amc+
Guatemalan director and screenwriter, Jayro Bustamente masterfully weaves the story of an aging dictator responsible for orchestrating the Guatemalan/ Maya genocide with the folklore of la llorona. Monteverde faces trial for war crimes and released due to a lack of evidence. After he arrives home, his family must care for him while round-the-clock protests keep them from leaving. La llorona brings to light the painful history and atrocities committed against the people of Guatemala while forcing the indignant war criminal to face the devastating reality of his actions.
Somos lo que hay/ We Are What We Are (2010)
Where You Can Watch: amc+
Somos lo que hay is the story of a mother and her teenage children, left to carry on their disturbing ritualistic practices after the family’s patriarch dies. Mexican director and screenwriter Jorge Michel Grau has creatively injected the dark and brutal reality of the plight of the impoverished, alienated, and unhoused population within a tale of a family of cannibals that also preys upon them. Yes, the family seeks their food amongst the most vulnerable people while also struggling to keep their heads above water. We see this social phenomenon all too often as marginalized communities pit themselves against other groups who also suffer similar hardships.
Cerdita/ Piggy (2022)
Where You Can Watch: hulu, amc+, hoopla
Cerdita is a Spanish thriller about a bullied teen whose life might be bettered when her brutal tormentors are abducted by a serial killer. Written and directed by Carlota Pereda, Cerdita shines a light on fatphobia, body shaming, and the harassment and bullying often ignored by society. Sara (Laura Galán) must not only deal with the bullies but also the insensitive and constant pressure from family that leave her feeling shameful and unwelcome. She is at her lowest when she stumbles on the scene of their kidnapping. Now she must choose between contacting the authorities or enjoying the freedom from the constant bullying. All the while, the serial killer becomes infatuated with her.
Huesera/ Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022)
Where You Can Watch: Shudder, amc+
Michelle Garza Cervera directed and co-wrote this Mexican-Peruvian psychological body horror. The married, independent furniture maker, Valeria, seeks supernatural help to become pregnant. After announcing that she is expecting, much to the delight of her husband and family, she must face the realities of motherhood. Her story highlights the pressures of familial obligation, society’s expectations of motherhood, homophobia, and the many fears of raising a child. Does she want this child or was she trying to please her husband and family?
Satanic Hispanics (2022)
Where You Can Watch: Shudder, amc+
This one is a bonus pick. Satanic Hispanics is the collaborative effort of directors Mike Mendez, Demián Rugna, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Edurado Sánchez, and Alejandro Brugués. Latinos behind the cameras and in front of them. This anthology is for every horror fan. You can read my full review here: Satanic Hispanics // Panic at the Satanic Disco.
And I highly encourage you to seek out more films created by Latinos for a better representation of Hispanic stories.
