“Reel” Latin America(n)

Chinas follows Lucía, Xiang, and Claudia—three girls of Chinese origin living in Madrid with different realities. Lucía, the 9-year-old daughter of Chinese immigrants, dreams of a birthday at Burger King, while her parents work long hours in a bazaar. Claudia, her teenage sister, confronts cultural differences and racism at school. Xiang, a 9-year-old adoptee, begins to question her biological family.

Their stories intertwine in a nuanced exploration of identity. Nominated for four Goya® Awards, the film challenges European paternalism and the racism faced by Chinese communities across countries.

Teeming with irrepressible energy, La Suprema takes us back to 2001 in a tiny, remote Caribbean village in Colombia.

Laureana, a strong-willed teenager, discovers her estranged uncle will soon fight for a boxing world championship in Venezuela. She rallies the entire village to watch the match live on national television—despite having no electricity or TV. With the reluctant help of Efraín, the local trainer who discovered her uncle, she sets out on an improbable quest to make it happen.

Felipe Holguín Caro’s moving film captures the vibrancy of the town’s inner life and the enduring power of collective effort, joy, and pain.

Mexican filmmaker Ángeles Cruz returns to her Indigenous community of Villa Guadalupe for her second feature, a tenderly poignant tale of loss inspired by her own childhood.

Valentina’s life is shattered when her beloved father drowns in a nearby river. Refusing to accept the body as his, Valentina becomes convinced he’s still alive and will return home.

Her conviction deepens when she falls into the same river and hears his voice speaking in Mixtec, a language she has never learned. Valentina’s belief affects her grieving family and begins to impact her schoolwork as she waits by the river for another message, enlisting her friend Pedro to teach her Mixtec.

An exploration of love and mortality from a child’s perspective, Valentina or the Serenity ultimately offers an uplifting ode to life.

A mature lawyer lives with an obsession to identify the soldiers who killed her brother in 1968 during the Tlatelolco massacre. After decades of waiting, she receives the missing clue to find the culprit, leading her to conjure an absurd revenge plan that puts her assets, family, and even her own life at risk.

This Mexican debut film by director Pierre Saint Martin is shot with hypnotic black-and-white cinematography. While it may sound like a thriller, We Shall Not Be Moved is a fable offering a unique take on historical trauma and personal healing. Mexican actress Luisa Huertas, in one of the best roles of her career, adds humanity and sensitivity to her character, paying homage to all families trapped in mourning for the death of a relative during armed conflict.

Olivia prepares for her family’s Christmas Eve party when the obsessive-compulsive voice in her head suddenly returns, prompting a desperate search for the medication that once helped.

Without health insurance, she turns to her friend Jessica, who introduces her to David, the pharmacist’s son. Trapped by a rainstorm inside David’s apartment, the two strangers begin to uncover truths about each other and start a healing process that doesn’t necessarily involve pills.