Sundance 2022 was another one for the books for Team FilmChisme. We enjoyed over twenty feature films and loads of short films. We wanted to highlight some of the amazing films directed, written, or starring Latinx folks down below!
La Guerra Civil (dir. Eva Longoria Baston)
Centers around the legendary 1996 match between boxers Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya. We get into the personal histories of the boxers, while giving the audience the greater social context. Ultimately, this is a story of what it means to be ‘Mexican enough’. With artful editing of archival footage and modern day interviews, La Guerra Civil was a fast-paced and entertaining ride that deserved more attention than it got.
– Jules Posada
The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future (dir. Francisca Alegria)
The film was based off of a short that won Sundance’s short film jury award in international fiction in 2017. It is both subtle and profound, exploring themes of environmentalism and familial relationships while giving hope that things will get better. The camera work is fantastic, and the cinematography really lends itself to the magical realism embedded in the story. Truly, this is a story that is all about showing and not telling.
– Jules Posada
Utama (dir. Alejandro Loayza Grisi)
The cinematography from Bárbara Alvarez is truly a triumph of this project. It brings so much depth to the story, emphasizing the struggles of Virginio and Sisa both as they work to survive. Without spoiling the plot, the ending evokes a sense of anxiety about the uncertain future ahead. We are forced to confront the idea of mortality and the loss of agency in the face of the inevitable.
-Jules Posada
Dos Estaciones (dir. Juan Pablo González)
Picturesque and intimate, Dos Estaciones is a hushed, slow gliding portrait about a woman and a town on the brink of transformation. Directed by Juan Pablo González, the film is based on his own life growing up in Atoetonilco el Alto. While this story may be fiction, the struggle that is depicted in the film is very real. It is a reminder that in a world of celebrity branded mezcal and tequila, there is always a community that is being affected by its takeover.
-Andrea Gomez
Mija (dir. Isabel Castro)
A personal portrait into the meaning of the “American Dream” and the complicated emotions that come with belonging to the diaspora. Dives into the reality of what it’s like to belong to a mixed immigration status family and how the border does more than divide just families. While the film felt like it stopped a little too soon and some of the plot lines introduced were left hanging, it created a great job at immersing the viewer into its world.
-Andrea Gomez
EMERGENCY (dir. Carey Williams)
A tense, anxiety inducing humor tinged ride into a situation that feels can change for the worse at any second. The film follows a group of Black and Latinx college students whose attempt at being good Samaritans takes a turn. The cast of Emergency makes this movie soar — the bonds between the characters have a lovely chemistry with one another. The ending of this film is sure to stick with the viewer long after the credits roll.
-Andrea Gomez