Carnaval Brasileiro Austin landed on Feb. 4 this year. Upon entering the glass doors of the Palmer Event Center, the night suddenly encompassed constant motion, constant dancing—the never-ending rhythms of samba, batucada/bateria (percussion), march, frevo and trio electrico. Bodies swayed as sounds moved like fluid through the indoor stadium. Carnaval Austin has been labeled the [...]
Among old houses with faded walls and law firms in tiny houses, there lies paradise. On 7th street within Austin’s east side, the restaurant Takoba beckons customers with a large, bright sign featuring a turquoise Aztec bird in flight. Established in June 2010, amidst the three-year-long 7th street reconstruction, the restaurant was destined for a [...]
Bilingual electronic-pop band, She’s A Tease, has been turning heads in the Mexican alternative rock scene for years now. Establishing recognition in 2004 with their first EP, Long Time Rolled, She’s A Tease has since then been touring Mexico and taking part in the International Music Fest MXBeat– a festival which has also showcased artists [...]
Pachanga Fest is a portrait of the Latino Community in Texas. Musicians spanning from their mid-teens, to some that have been around for a while– women, men, a dancing chicken man with biceps, rock-stars, sweet-southern-country voices, cumbia, cumbia, cumbia– the atmosphere flooded with sonority that exuded a richness and value that can only be found [...]
Retratos en un mar de mentiras (Portrait in a sea of lies) is an alluring and well-written narrative and reflection of the modern day Colombian society. As many people displaced by the Colombian Civil War, which began in 1964, Marina’s childhood trauma is attributed to the losses she experienced because of the political conflict. As [...]
No Meio do Rio Entre as Árvores (Within the River Among the Trees) creatively document the values and way of life of these communities in a world where everything is quickly modernizing, and a land that has been exploited for economic exploration. Jorge Bodanzky, director of hundreds of documentaries and other films such as Iracema, [...]
Exuding in uniqueness, and fueling an unsatisfiable curiosity, Pueblos Hermanos (Brother Towns), produced by Charles D. Thompson Jr. and filmed by Michael Davey, demonstrates a fresh perspective of immigration in the United States. Documenting the relationship between two towns linked by immigration, the audience witnesses the connections and struggle of immigrants from the perspective of [...]
Habla Texas, directed by Alberto Ferreras, is a warm path to the hearts of Southern Latinos. The documentary, filmed beneath bright, beaming lights, and a paper-white background showcases a vibrant and captivating cast who tell their story “cocktail party” style. The presentation of each individual is genuine and personal, definitely giving the viewing a Latino [...]
Nostalgia de la luz– the entirety of the documentary is simply captured in the title itself. It is an in-depth glance at a past through the study of archaeology, astronomy, and the Chilean’s recent political past, documented by Patricio Guzmán. Such vast concepts, it seems– so detached from each other, yet, the film is connects [...]
Despite the still and saddening plot, and the steady and wise eyes of Don Alfonso, a poor delivery man in Guatemala, Marimbas del Infierno, written and directed by Julio Hernandez Cordon, will inevitably make you laugh with it’s subtle humor. Threatened by a dangerous gang in Guatemala, Don Alfonso had to hide his family, and [...]
