The documentary tradition is an art form that has never been as essential as it is today, particularly when it comes to defining Latino identity. As people in power and the mainstream media continue to misconstrue and misunderstand what it means to be Latino, it falls on artists, in this case filmmakers, to capture and then disseminate the non-fiction experiences of Latinos. In doing so, the definition of what it means to be Latino becomes broader but at the same time, more accurate, leaving less room for false conjectures about what it means to be Latino.

 

Arreo

Dir. Tato Moreno
(Argentina, 93 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/18 / 4:20 / S2
3/21 / 4:00 / DGC

Arreo follows a family of passionate Argentine gauchos on an arduous goat herding journey through the High Andes, capturing both their reflections on the threat “progress” poses to their livelihood, and the essence and beauty of upland rural life. ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

El charro de Toluquilla

Dir. José Villalobos
(Mexico, 90 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/19 / 8:00 / S3
3/21 / 4:15 / S10

A spirited, HIV positive mariachi singer seeks fame and recognition while dealing with the responsibilities that come with fatherhood. ¡Documania! Showcase.  

 

Death By A Thousand Cuts

Dirs. Jake Kheel, Juan Mejia Botero
(Dominican Republic /Haiti /USA, 73 min., 2016,  Spanish, Creole w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/23 / 4:30 / S9
3/25 / 11:30AM / S9

On the Haitian-Dominican border, the brutal murder of a park ranger sparks a journey into the illegal charcoal trade, mass deforestation, and violent conflict. ¡Documania! Showcase

 

Día de visita

Dir. Nicole Opper
(Mexico / USA, 75 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/21 / 6:15 / S10
3/24 / 4:00 / DGC

Sixteen year old Juan Carlos ran away from an abusive home and lived on the streets of Mexico City for years before finding his way to IPODERAC, a unique group home and social enterprise located in Puebla. The documentary follows Juan Carlos through the most transformative year of his life as he finds the strength to return to Mexico City to overcome his sense of abandonment and forgive his father for the past. ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

Es hora de enamorarse, una historia entre bambalinas

Dir. Guido Bilbao
(Panama, 70 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/19 / 4:00 / S3
3/24 / 4:45 / S3
3/26 / 3:05 / DGC

A group of young actors with Down syndrome begin rehearsal for one of Panama’s most popular plays, “La Cucarachita Mandinga.” Despite the difficulty, the actors rise to the challenge and work diligently, memorizing their lines and learning their choreography. In the process of preparing for the play, they embark on the greatest adventures of their lives, proving to themselves and their community they can achieve anything they set their minds to. ¡Documania! Showcase.  

 

Hija de la laguna

Dir. Ernesto Cabellos Damián
(Peru, 87 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/16 / 4:30 / S9
3/19 / 12:00 / S2
3/26 / 4:45 / DGC

At the height of the Peruvian gold rush, an Andean woman, able to communicate with water spirits, uses her powers to prevent a mining corporation from destroying the lake she considers to be her mother. ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

El hombre que vio demasiado

Dir. Trisha Ziff
(Mexico, 88 min., 2015, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/18 / 11:00AM / DGC
3/19 / 5:50 / S3
3/25 / 4:00 / S9

Enrique Metinides is a photographer whose images have captured the aftermath of some of Mexico’s most devastating accidents. Through Metinides’s candid photos and the work of the contemporary tabloid photographers, Mexico City becomes a narrative of crime scenes and accidents while confronting us with our own fascination with death, morbidity, and rubbernecking. ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

J! Beyond Flamenco

Dir. Carlos Saura
(Spain, 90 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Dance Documentary)

3/18 / 11:45AM / S3
3/25 / 8:15 / S10

Carlos Saura allows us to experience the joy and strength of the dance and music of “la Jota.” Like “Flamenco,” “Tango,” or “Fados, ”“Jota” has evolved from a millennium-old traditional music and dance to new artistic dimensions. With his own personal style, Saura continues to distill the magic and explore the boundaries of art in its purest state. ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

Los Jinetes del Tiempo

Dir. José Ramón Pedroza
(Mexico, 100 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/18 / 6:30 / S10
3/19 / 2:15 / S1
3/26 / 11:15AM / S10

On December 6th, 1914, revolutionaries Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa took control of Mexico City. Over a century later, a group of rural actors, reliving that glory, make their way through Mexican towns to the capital city. Along the way, members of the troupe find themselves confronting the past—as well as the present- laying out parallels that force us to wonder just what has changed in a hundred years’ time. ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

Mi Sangre Enarbolada

Dir. Luis Palomino Benítez
(Mexico, 61 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/19 / 3:50 / S2
3/21 / 10:00 / S2

There are some promises that are impossible to keep. Director Luis Palomino Benítez’s uncle, José, made such a promise as a child in 1963 to his young sister Ana Luisa, to whom he swore a special kind of devotion, declaring,  “The day that you die, I’m going to die with you.” There are always bonds like this between siblings, born of a mysterious connection that require investigation.  ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

Rodar contra todo

Dir. Marianela Vega
(Peru, 74 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/18 / 3:35 / DGC
3/23 / 7:45 / S2
3/24 / 4:30 / S9

Rodar contra todo tells the story of the first wheelchair rugby team in Peru, a group of men and women from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds who came together in December 2012 to play a sport that was new and unfamiliar to them. The film follows them for two years, showing their work as a team, the excitement of their first international tournaments, and their goals, dreams and motivations that guide their daily struggle both on the court and in their personal lives. ¡Documania! Showcase.  

 

Swim Team

Dir. Lara Stolman
(USA, 101 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/19 / 11:00AM / DGC
3/22 / 4:45 / S2

What would you do if your community gave up on your child? In New Jersey, the parents of one autistic boy take matters into their own hands, forming a competitive swim team by recruiting multiethnic autistic teens and training them with high expectations and zero pity. As the boys vie for state and national championships, what happens alters the course of their lives. ¡Documania! Showcase.  

 

Tayos

Dir. Miguel Garzon
(Ecuador, 87 min., 2016, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Documentary)

3/19 / 11:30AM / S9
3/21 / 9:00 / S1
3/24 / 5:00 / S2

The story of how Tayos Cave in the Amazon rainforest gained worldwide renown and why, decades later, it continues to inspire passion, conflict, and interest. A group of geologists and others penetrate Tayos’ massive underworld to shed light on the cave’s legends, including the alleged existence of the remains of an extinguished civilization. ¡Documania! Showcase.

 

Passes now available on line. Purchase today!

 

For screening links and interview inquiries, contact for the Media Arts Center San Diego:
Laura Castañeda / Press Pass International /  PresspassLC@gmail.com /  619-855-4140