The Tribeca Film Festival 2023 is screening several Latin films that give unique perspectives on Latin culture and other international points of view, in Tribeca and around town; June 7-18, 2023.
Tribeca Film Festival 2023
Boca Chica
“Boca Chica,” by Gabriella Moses, is the story of twelve-year old Desi who sings in the local choir, but dreams of becoming a musician. Other Dominican girls have gone from church choirs to fame. Desi’s older brother struggles in New York with similar dreams. When a cousin returns to Boca Chica to marry his rich American girlfriend, things get messy, but Desi gets inspired. 🇩🇴
The Dominican Republic is a magical place if you have money, but it’s a hard place to rise. Most regular people just dream of getting out. [We are there right now.] Nowadays, everyone is in their phones. People dream of having the kind of life they see on social media. The journey from a dirt floor to Instagram is a strange one.
Boca Chica (Little mouth) is the nearest nice beach to the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo.
The world premiere film is in the International Narrative competition.
De La Calle
“De La Calle” (From the Street) is Nick Barili’s television docu-series about where urban music comes from. It does come from the street in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Having nothing makes you very creative. “De la calle” is a way of saying you are a street person, maybe homeless, maybe an orphan, maybe a little troubled. 🇩🇴 🇨🇴 🇵🇷
Music is core in the Latin world in ways that it isn’t in the European Diaspora. It is used to pass the time, for business advertising, and is part of gathering as a community. When the music starts in the barrio, people just show up, at any time of day or night. The streets can be empty, but fill up when you put on the music.
This is a Tribeca TV world premiere.
Richelieu
“Richelieu,” by Pier-Philippe Chevigny, tells the story of Ariane who moves home in French Canada after a breakup and gets a job as a French-to-Spanish interpreter for the migrant workers at a corn plant. She begins to see the humanity in the workers and how they are taken advantage of, but doing the right thing can cost you. 🇨🇦
The film’s namesake, Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), was a French priest and politician who was involved with politics in French Canada.
Perreo 101 Reggaeton Con La Gata: Cubatón
“Perreo 101 Reggaeton Con La Gata: Cubatón” is a live show taping.
Katelina “Gata” Eccleston is a historian journalist who studies the origins of reggaeton and how colonial thinking suppresses and distorts the social values of the musical movement. She’s Jamaican Panamanian which puts her right in reggaeton’s roots. 🇨🇺 🇵🇦 🇯🇲
Reggaeton is reggae brought by Jamaican workers to Panama while they finished building the Panama Canal. They were exploited, purposely brought from far away so they couldn’t escape the abuse. Barrio bus and taxi drivers used the riddims to advertise their services. Panamanian kids brought those to New York City. One noticed that fans got more excited when he rapped in Spanish, than in Jamaican patois. A Puerto Rican brought that from Brooklyn to San Juan where the music developed in mixtape culture. It then spread to Medellín, Colombia and around the world. Reggaeton, and its variants such as Latin trap, is now the sound of global youth.
Perreo is the booty shaking, booty rubbing reggaeton dance. It originates in traditional courtship dances in Mother Africa.
A Strange Path
“A Strange Path,” by Guto Parente, is a story about David, an experimental filmmaker who returns to Brazil for the premiere of his film at a local film festival. He hasn’t seen his father in a decade. When the Covid-19 pandemic shuts things down, he changes his ticket thinking the festival will continue soon, but soon finds himself broke at his father’s house. He tries to reconnect with the old man who is a bit resentful, and strange things start happening. 🇧🇷
Director Parente uses experimental footage to set the tones throughout the film. This is obviously a very personal story.
People migrate for many reasons, but mostly to improve their lives, and the lives of their children. Those who are left behind often don’t like it. Family is the strongest force in the Latin the world. Mystical things are pretty strong too.
This is a world premiere in the International Narrative competition.
There’s a lot going on at the Tribeca Film Festival. This year’s sections include films, tv, audio storytelling, talks, games, immersive, and music. And it’s not only in Tribeca anymore. It’s all over town.
For tickets and a full schedule, visit tribecafilm.com