Soldier's Woman
In an exclusive interview for Latino Life, Clorrie Yeomans talks to filmmaker Patricia Wiesse Risso about her new documentary 'Mujer de Soldado' (Soldier’s Woman) which serves to break the silence surrounding the human…
FRANCESCO (2020) Dir Evgeny Afineevsky
THE BRIDGE MAKER- Pope Francis has broken from some traditions, opening his arms and his heart to all sectors of afflicted humanity in the world. Evgerny Afineesky’s moving documentary reveals the huge scope of Pope Francis’…
Pool Boy (2021) Directed by Luke Willis
American/Salvadorian actor, model, and intersex rights activist River Gallo stars in the short film ‘Pool Boy’ 2021, written and directed by Luke Willis that is featured in the 2021 BFI Flare London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival.
Brazilian Filmmakers Karine Teles and Gustavo Pizzi
In their film ‘Trilogy’, ‘Craft’ (Riscado) 2010, ‘Loveling’ (Benzinho) 2015, and now ‘The Last Days of Gilda’ (Os Últimos Dias de Gilda (TV mini-series), Brazilian film makers Gustavo Pizzi and Karine Teles have created three…
Pioneering Black Latina Artists
Recently we published a list of Black Heroines of Latin American History, Afro-Latinas who put their lives at risk, and in some cases gave their lives, in order to shape our history. This week we bring you the brave women who…
'The Last Days of Gilda' Dir. Gustavo Pizzi
A Mini-series in 4 episodes, this is a lively and entertaining tale about the freedom-loving Gilda, who survives on a diet of love and more love, above all.
Queer Films from Spain and Latin America
Celebrating LGBTQ+ History month, here are some films from Latin American and Spanish directors celebrating queerness that we love and we thought you would too.
Latino Short films at BFI FUTURE FILM FESTIVAL
This festival, despite being relatively modest, is sponsored by Netflix and has attracted 45 short films submitted to screen online on BFI Player (UK only). The Festival is highlighting an interesting selection of budding…
'THE TRAITOR' Dir. Marco Bellocchio
An Italian/Brazilian/French co-production, 'The Traitor', a BAFTA contender this year, is a true crime drama based on the story of how Tommaso Buscetta, a prominent member of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, decided to become…
Paula Hernández: Argentina's New New Wave of Film-making
Paula Hernandez is an Argentine writer and director whose recent film THE SLEEPWALKERS (2019) has been selected to represent Argentina at the 93rd Academy Awards. Being a talented filmmaker, with an eye for creating unforgettable…
'The Sleepwalkers' by Paula Hernández
The latest film by Argentine director Paula Hernández who continues her successful run of intimate dramas with ‘The Sleepwalkers’ (Los Sonٞámbulos-2019). Selected to represent Argentina at the 93rd Academy Awards, it tells the…
Caetano Veloso – 54 days during the dictatorship
Narciso em Ferias (Narcissus Off-duty) is Caetano Veloso’s personal testimony of his arrest and imprisonment in 1968 during the dictatorship in Brazil. Premiering at the Venice Biennale and shown at DocLisboa, the film follows…
Fish Finding Water: The Story of Pescadito Films
Children’s films do not always get the headlines they deserve despite being vital to the film industry these days. With Disney recently finding a lucrative business in Latino related animations such as the hugely successful Coco…
'3 Feet' Dir. Giselle Geney
This charming children’s short film '3 Feet' by Colombian director Giselle Geney is an unaffected and delightful tale of the challenges and dilemmas facing children when faced with the conflict between their dreams and…
‘I'm No Longer Here' Dir Fernando Frías de la Parra
Selected to represent Mexico at the 93rd Academy Awards this debut from Fernando Frías de la Parra is profoundly accomplished, bringing a new and highly original voice to Mexican cinema. Garlanded at multiple festivals, the film…
Great Latin American films from 2021
2021 was a difficult year for film, especially cinema releases. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 Academy Awards event took place in April 2021, at the usual event venue, the spectacular Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los…
Top 10 Music Docs on Netflix
At LatinoLife we love our music and there are some great documentaries we've discovered on Netflix that we want to share...from a panoramic view into the electrifying world of Latin Rock to the fascinating lives of music…
Nheengatu – Conquest and Resistance in the Amazon
Travelling by boat along the deep Amazon forest, Portuguese Film director José Barahona searches for a language that was all but obliterated when his ancestors imposed their own language upon the native population in Brazil.…
THE MOLE AGENT (2020) Dir. Maite Alberdi
“I love the fact that everything I would like to invent already exists; the challenge is to find it!” With this attitude, Chilean director Maite Alberdi brings her highly original eye to her documentaries, not least THE MOLE…
Pino Solanas - Film Director, Activist (1936-2020)
Fernando Ezequiel 'Pino' Solanas, charismatic and legendary filmmaker, politician, activist and father to filmmaker Juan Solanas (‘Nordeste’- 2005, ‘Que sea Ley -2019’) has died aged 84, on November 6th 2020, of Covid-…
Seré Millones Dir. Omar Neri, Fernando Krichmar & Mónica Simoncini
They robbed the bank then and now they will rob it again for a movie about the heist! Nicknamed ‘The Blowtorch Heroes’ by their political party, Oscar ‘El Gordo’ Serrano and Ángel ‘El Turco’ Abus (with his wife Laura ‘Beba’ Zona…
‘Ropes’ (Cuerdas) Dir. José Luis Montecinos
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. With multiple awards for his six short films behind him, writer/ director José Luis Montecinos has finally plunged into his first feature with a dark thriller laced with horror at every turn.
COVID STORIES: Fabian, a London Survivor
Fabian Cataño is a London surviver. In 2005 Fabian was badly injured in the 7/7 bombings, but came back from 2 years of rehabilitation to build his cafe in Seven Sisters indoor market. In March 2020 Fabian spent 30 days in ICU…
Mexico's New Movie Magician: Fernanda Valadez
In the world of booming Mexican cinema, it's hard not to notice that most of the big names are male: Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñarritú. Nor for much longer if Fernanda Valadez is anything to go…
‘ASFIXIA’ Dir. Kenya Márquez
Mexican writer/director Kenya Márquez excels with her second feature ‘Asfixia’ (Suffocation 2018), to be screened (free) online at the Raindance Film Festival 2020, in the Female Gaze strand. It is a tale of redemption and love,…
Nuevo Orden (2020) Dir. Michel Franco
In ‘New Order’ (2020) the third feature written and directed by Mexican Michel Franco, no one is innocent. There is no ‘get out of jail free card’ here! Michel Franco’s powerful film, screened at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival…
ELLA ES CRISTINA Dir. Gonzalo Maza
Life is in colour but sometimes we need to see it in black and white. In ‘Ella es Cristina’ (This is Cristina, 2020), award-winning Chilean writer/ director Gonzalo Maza explores the power of female friendship set against the…
'Sin Señas Particulares' Dir. Fernanda Valadez
The Devil is Alive and well on the Mexican Border in ‘Sin Señas Particulares’ (Identifying Features - 2020), one of the Latino highlights at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival - a moving, multi-award-winning Opera Prima from…
75 Days (2020) Dir. Marc Romero
Screened at the 2020 London Spanish Film Festival, in his film ‘75 Days’ (2020) Writer/director Marc Romero re-visits a horrifying real-life event that remains a brutal and dark mystery. In 1992, in an area known as Alcàsser,…
'Memory House' Dir João Paulo Miranda María
Set in modern-day Brazil, with a fantastical narrative using hallucinations and dreams, in his film Memory House 2020, João Paulo Miranda María explores the lonely and tortured life of Cristovam as he suffers the harsh clash of…
'Window to the Sea' Directed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez
“Those that take risks get the life they want”, not as easy as it sounds, but pretty close to the decisions made by María (Emma Suárez) in this very moving film about love and loss, when María discovers she only has a few months…
‘Los Conductos’ (2020) Directed by Camilo Restrepo
Colombian experimental filmmaker, writer and director Camilo Restrepo, known for 5 award-winning short films, including ‘La Bouche 2015’, has won the Berlinale’s GWFF Best First Feature Award with his ópera prima ‘Los Conductos…
BELFONSO - A Story of Love and Betrayal
Belfonso is a powerful tableau-video tale of love, jealousy, rage and betrayal played out between three dwarf characters. It is the result of an artistic collaboration between Argentine painter Ricardo Cinalli and the Argentine…
Things You Should Know About...Brazilian Cinema
It is fascinating that although all the Latin American countries discovered the magic of moving pictures at around the same time, thanks to the pioneering work of the Lumière Brothers in 1895- 1896, the trajectory of their…
Things You Should Know About...Chilean Cinema
Chilean cinema is on a high at the moment with directors such as Pablo Larrain and Sebatian Lelio creating some of the most original and critically acclaimed works of the day, but it has had a tumultuous past. Although Chilean…