5 LATIN FILMS to think about gender, sexuality and social standards
Despite not being a big industry compared to the US, Latin cinema produces a large number of films from the most diverse of genres. These movies, previously only shown in their countries (not even being shown in their neighbouring countries), decade after decade, they are slowly gaining more relevance in the international market.
This difficulty to communicate with the big industry is not related to the quality of the movies, in fact, the biggest barrier is the language. This is not a problem unique to Latin movies but to all non-English-speaking movies. Foreign language films often cause an estrangement in audiences accustomed to English-language films.
This list is about Latin movies, but not only that; these films provide a very interesting discourse on social issues that are increasingly being discussed. They deal incredibly well with subjects considered taboo to society.
TATTOO
Hilton Lacerda (2013), Brazil
The film takes place in 1978 in Recife (northeast of the country), near the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship. The film portrays a theatre company that owns a theatre (which is also a cabaret). The focus of the film is the relationship between the head of the company and a young soldier who finds within that space a place of freedom about who he really is. Despite being set in the 70s, the film is extremely current about gender discussions and especially sexuality and acceptance.
XXY
Lucía Puenzo (2007), Argentina
The story of the movie is simple, a family living in a small town welcomes a friendly family into their home. However, the film's protagonist, Alex, is a teenage girl who is called special by her parents. Alex is a girl who was born with both female and male reproductive organs and is going through the stage of deciding whether or not to remove her male organs. The film portrays the subject with great responsibility, questioning whether this surgery is in fact a necessity and how a love story can exist even if it's not a conventional story.
NEON BULL
Gabriel Mascaro (2015), Brazil
Iremar, the protagonist, works taking care of bulls in a rodeo (an exhibition or contest in which cowboys show their skill). He is a strong man and has a simple life. However, Iremar has a dream to be a Fashion Designer. After his hard work, Iremar designs and sews exotic outfits for women. This film discusses gender roles and how society judges each person solely by their profession.
DANCE OF THE 41
David Pablos (2020), Mexico
The film portrays a true story that took place in late 19th century Mexico. The “dance of the 41” was a society scandal, about a big gay ball with the richest men of traditional Mexican families, including 13 men dressed in “women clothes”. The film's protagonist, Ignacio de la Torre, is a political man who marriesthe president's daughter to win the elections. However, Ignacio is a gay man with another love story.
LEO’S ROOM
Enrique Buchichio (2009), Uruguay
Leo is a young man who is going through a decisive phase of his youth. The correct word is not discovering yourself but accepting, as Leo is in the process of understanding when he became interested in men. In addition, we have Caro, a friend of Leo's, who is depressed, and we also follow the process of depression for someone else. The director has few works, with Leo's Room being his first film.
