Twitter:@danieluh
With Gael Garcia Bernal’s No making waves at all major international film festivals last year, people have been hopeful about the resurgence of Latin American cinema’s mainstream popularity. As we reported last year, Hispanics in the U.S. have the highest share in film audiences for thriller/horror and romantic comedies and it seems like there are no signs of that stopping. Over Labor Day weekend, Mexican film Instructions Not Included became the biggest Spanish language opening ever, ranking fifth in the box office (while contending with summer blockbusters opening at 10 times more theaters!). This news has taken Hollywood by surprise, and it’s about time! Now, the latest news on Instructions via Indiewire is that it’s officially the highest grossing indie film of 2013 so far, beating Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, Fruitvale Station and many more heavyweights. This is especially impressive considering that the film is in Spanish and it features a lead actor who is unfamiliar to most Anglo movie-watchers.
The heart-warming film follows Valentin (played by Eugenio Derbez) as he deals with bringing up a daughter who was dropped at his doorstep by her mother. The film portrays themes that many Latin audiences in the U.S. can relate to, like as living in a new culture, learning a new language and the importance of family.
The massive surprise success of Instructions Not Included is indicative of many things, the most important of which is that Latin film audiences are growing every day and they want to be represented! Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.
[insert-video youtube=-rlFr2lu0IY]