Black History Month: Afro-Latino Films to Watch
Posted by NALIP on February 24, 2023
NALIP knows the importance of representation and the importance of having BIPOC filmmakers tell their stories. Thus, we want to uplift and highlight Black/African-American voices that show the diversity of the African diaspora.
Here are films about Afro-Latino stories.
What is Afro-Latino?
Afro-Latinos are people of Latin America or of Latin American descent who are also of African ancestry; a Black person of Latin American origins and African ancestry.
1. They Are We (2013)
Courtesy of IMDb
They are We tells the story of how a family separated by the transatlantic slave trade for 170 years sing and dance its way back together.
Where to Watch: Rent/Buy on Amazon Video and Vimeo on Demand
2. Tango Negro: The African Roots of Tango (2013)
Courtesy of IMDb
Tango Negro, The African Roots of Tango by Angolan filmmaker Dom Pedro explores the expression of Tango's Africanness and the contribution of African cultures in the creation of the tango. Tango was a reflection of the social life of the slaves that were taken to South America - including Argentina and Uruguay - mostly from central Africa, particularly from the former Kongo Kingdom. Director Dom Pedro reveals the depth of the footprints of the African music on the tango, through this rich movie combining musical performances and interviews from many tango fans and historians in Latin America and Europe, including the renowned Argentinean pianist Juan Carlos Caceres.
Where to Watch: Rent/Buy on Amazon Video
3. La Negrada/Black Mexicans (2018)
Courtesy of IMDb
"La Negrada" is the first mexican feature film about the Afro-mexican community, filmed entirely with people from different towns around the Costa Chica in Oaxaca.
Where to Watch: Rent/Buy on Amazon Video
4. Black in Latin America (2011)
Courtesy of PBS
Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores how Africa and Europe came together to create the rich culture of Latin America and the Caribbean. The six nations featured in this four-part series are Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and Peru. During his journey through the area, Gates discovers vivid stories and people marked by African roots.
Where to Watch: Buy/Rent on Amazon Video