Latinx directors to support


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Image of Hari Sama looking at the camera.
Hari Sama is a Mexican director who’s works uplift underrepresented groups in Mexico in order to promote change. He is one of the filmmakers at the forefront of new independent cinema in Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times)

As we approach the last half of Latinx Heritage Month, it is the perfect time to support the artwork of directors you may not have heard of before. Take some time in the following weeks to sit down and experience a perspective you may not be familiar with. Keep reading for a list of directors, and their movies, to watch and support this month. 

Lila Avilés

Lila Avilés is an emerging director already making waves. Her first film got her chosen as the Mexican submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Variety lists her as part of a “Mexican [revolution]” in the movie world.

Consider watching: “La Camarista” (2018)

The tale of a maid in a luxurious hotel in Mexico, “La Camarista” is a heartbreaking story about a service worker who is constantly disrespected and underpaid. Watch this film if you like slow-paced, character-based movies. 

 Patricia Cardoso

Patricia Cardoso, a Colombian director, focuses her work on disrupting Latinx stereotypes in Hollywood. The first Latina to win a Sundance Audience Award and be featured in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry for her film “Real Women Have Curves,” Cardoso has broken down many barriers for other Latina filmmakers. Despite her great success, Cardoso was shut out by Hollywood and unable to make a living as a director until just three years ago when Ava DuVernay hired her to direct an episode of “Queen Sugar.” So, this Latinx Heritage Month, take some time to support a woman who paved the way for others.

Consider watching: “Real Women Have Curves” (2002)

Did you love “Lady Bird”? Watch this coming-of-age movie about a young Latina struggling between following her dreams and meeting her mother’s expectations. 

Tatiana Huezo

Born in San Salvador, El Salvador and raised in Mexico, Tatiana Huezo is a documentary filmmaker who focuses her work on the lives of people  in Mexico and Central America. One of the leading female documentarians in Mexico, Huezo hopes to pave the way for more like her in the future. She is also the only Latina director to have her work included in the  “Un Certain Regard” section of the Cannes Film Festival. 

Consider watching: “Tempestad” (2016)

This documentary follows two women in Mexico: one wrongly accused of taking part in human trafficking and another looking for her missing daughter. 

Anna Muylaert

A highly awarded Brazilian screenwriter and director, Anna Muylaert revolves her filmography around Brazilian lives and struggles, while also falling into different genres and themes. As she continues to gain mainstream success, Muylaert uses her popularity to speak out against the sexism that she and other women face in the industry. 

Consider watching: “Que Horas Ela Volta?” (2015)

In the movie, a daughter returns to her mother after she was abandoned. The daughter discovers her mother is a nanny to a wealthy family, and their reconnection shakes up their preconceived understanding of class structures. 

Mariana Rondón 

Mariana Rondón is a Venezuelan film director who focuses her work on the lives of underrepresented people. Along with other Latinx film directors, she founded Sudaca Films, an arthouse film company focused on supporting the work of indie filmmakers around the world. She hopes to foster more inclusivity in both Venezuelan and worldwide films alike. 

Consider watching: “Pelo Malo” (2013)

Mainstream American media often ignores race and sexuality in Latin American and Latinx households. “Pelo Malo,” a coming-of-age story, deals with a young Afro Latino boy in a homophobic household as he dreams of becoming a pop star and struggles to discover his identity. 

Nelson Pereira dos Santos

Often referred to as “the father of Brazilian cinema” due to his involvement in the founding of Cinema Novo — a political film movement focused on social class and racial inequality in Brazil — Nelson Pereira dos Santos’s films were considered very politically radical for their time. After a right-wing regime took over Brazil, he was ordered to not discuss modern politics in his films anymore. However, he continued to make his movies political through symbolism. 

Consider watching: “Rio, 40 Graus” (1955)

“Rio, 40 Graus” ushered in the Cinema Novo movement. Its discussion of race and class in Brazil was so radical, Brazil’s Department of Public Safety banned it for four months. 

Hari Sama

While growing up in Mexico, Hari Sama felt repressed by Mexican society in the 80’s, even describing it as a “dictatorship.” Since then, Sama has used his films to shine a light on underrepresented groups in Mexico, such as the punk movement and the LGBTQ+ community.

Consider watching: “Esto no es Berlín” (2019)

Carlos, feeling as though he does not belong anywhere, discovers the underground punk scene in Mexico where he experiments with his sexuality and discovers the lives of people who also do not fit in with the current societal standards in Mexico. 

Gustavo Taretto

Gustavo Taretto, an Argentinian director, began his career as a photographer but turned to filmmaking. He takes inspiration from his hometown and home country and wants to share his love for them with the world.

Consider watching: “Medianeras” (2011)

“Medianeras” follows the love story of two people struggling with mental health conditions and growing loneliness in Buenos Aires, Argentina. If you are in the mood for a rom-com that still deals with real-world issues, then this is the movie for you.