Want to catch Gael braving the elements in Jonás Cuarón‘s border thriller Desierto? How about Gael chasing after a famed Chilean poet in a meta-narrative in Pablo Larraín‘s Neruda? Or maybe Gael tracking the corpse of an Argentinean icon in Eva No Duerme? No, the CineLatino program from the Denver Film Society isn’t exactly a Gael García Bernal Film Festival, but it might as well be this year. (We’re not complaining.)
In addition to this impressive triple feature from the multi-hyphenate Mexican actor, the program features the steamy Brazilian flick Neon Bull which features perhaps one of the year’s sexiest scenes; Ixcanul, Guatemala’s gorgeous submission for the Academy Award that focuses on a young indigenous woman’s budding sexuality; and even Colombia’s award-winning Cannes favorite Land and Shade which sets a near-silent family drama against the strikes that threaten to cripple the country’s sugar industry.
More importantly, perhaps, are CineLatino’s many free screenings which include the anticipated documentary Willie Velazquez: Your Vote is Your Voice and Jack Black’s luchador comedy Nacho Libre. The former in particular is a timely story as it tracks the man who led the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project and launched 1,000 voter registration drives in 200 cities, paving the way for Latinos to have a voice in government and underscoring the growing power of the Latino vote. In this heated election season, it might be worth remembering how far U.S. Latinos have come, considering they’re primed to tip the election.
CineLatino runs Sept 22-25, 2016.