Films and Docs That Illuminate Latin America’s Turbulent Political History (and America’s Influence)
As America’s current takeover of Venezuela dominates headlines, it’s worth taking a look back at the US’s history of involvement in Latin American politics and regime change. From Augusto Pinochet’s bloody coup in Chile to the Cuban Revolution that ousted authoritarian president Fulgencio Batista, the countries of Latin America have endured decades of political upheaval, and the US has often been a key player. To better understand the underpinnings of what’s going on today in Venezuela, stream these films that examine the intricate politics of Latin America, including one of this week’s new releases, Machuca.
Machuca (2005)
Set in Chile, 1973, Andrés Wood’s award-winning Machuca follows Gonzalo and Pedro, two boys from opposite sides of Santiago society who form an unlikely friendship as their country descends into political turmoil. Against the backdrop of Allende’s final days and Pinochet’s rise, their bond becomes a moving portrait of innocence tested by history.
I am Cuba (1964)
Director Mikhail Kalatozov’s delirious masterpiece unfolds in four stunning vignettes that paint a portrait of pre-revolutionary Cuba—its culture and the people who call the island home. Shot soon after the Cuban Missile Crisis, this wildly offbeat celebration of Communist iconography mixes Slavic solemnity with Latin sensuality. Newly restored, I Am Cuba has never looked or sounded better.
Las Sandinistas! (2018)
Las Sandinistas! tells the untold stories of Nicaraguan women warriors and social revolutionaries who shattered barriers to lead combat and social reform during Nicaragua's 1979 Sandinista Revolution, the ensuing US-backed Contra War, and documents their leadership in the continuing struggle for justice today.
Chile ‘76 (2022)
Set during the early days of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, Chile ‘76 builds from quiet character study to gripping suspense thriller as it explores one woman’s precarious flirtation with political engagement. When the family priest asks her to take care of an injured young man he has been sheltering in secret, Carmen is inadvertently drawn into the world of the Chilean political opposition.
Epicentro (2020)
Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Epicentro is an immersive and metaphorical portrait of post-colonial, "utopian" Cuba by Academy Award nominee Hubert Sauper (Darwin's Nightmare).