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Latin America Cinema

By Alice's definition, Latin America includes all the films we have from Mexico and South America. Largely represented here are the films of Mexico and Brazil, but there are also treasures from Argentina, Cuba and Colombia. Many of these films are set against a political or religious backdrop, particularly those from South America. For example the searing social commentary of 'City of God' leaves the viewer not only with the memory of an electrifying and well-crafted film but an insight into the harsh realities of Brazilian street kids. Celebrated film maker Hector Babenco did the same with the brutal but incredible, Pixote (1981), then turned to political prisoners with the fantastic 'Kiss of the Spiderwoman' (1985). Mexican films defy categorisation and cover subjects from dog fights ('Amores Perros') to young love ('Y Tu Mama Tambien') to sci-fi ('Cronos). Robert Rodriguez began his career here with 'El Mariachi'. New talents emerging include Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Alex de la Iglesia, and Guillermo del Toro who like Rodriguez has already made the move to Hollywood. To find films from a specific country use the By Country link to the left.

Foreign Land (terra estrangeira) (1995)

4.9/10
Director: Walter Salles
Starring: Fernanda Torres, Tcheky Karyo

After the death of his mother, a young Brazilian decides to leave his country and travel to his mother's native land. In a foreign land, he finds love... Read more

Midaq Alley (1995)

7.5/10
Director: Jorge Fons
Starring: Salma Hayek, Maria Rojo, Ernesto Gomez Cruz

Aka 'Miracle Alley'. The winner of 45 International Film Awards, 'Midaq Alley' is set in the old downtown section of Mexico City and deals with all th... Read more

El Mariachi / Desperado (1993)

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Peter Marquardt, Antonio Banderas, Joaquim de A...

An explosive double feature dvd from director Robert Rodriguez. "El Mariachi" - All he wants is to be a mariachi, like his father, his grandfather and... Read more

Cronos (1993)

6.7/10
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook

Guillermo del Toro made an auspicious and audacious feature debut with 'Cronos', a highly unorthodox tale about the seductiveness of the idea of immor... Read more

Cabeza De Vaca (1993)

7/10
Director: Nicolas Echevarria
Starring: Juan Diego, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Roberto Sosa

A visually spellbinding biography of the Spanish explorer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, the sole survivor of a 16th century Spanish shipwreck off the co... Read more

Cronos (Blu-ray) (1993)

6.7/10
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook

Guillermo del Toro made an auspicious and audacious feature debut with 'Cronos', a highly unorthodox tale about the seductiveness of the idea of immor... Read more

Like Water for Chocolate (1992)

7.2/10
Director: Alfonso Arau
Starring: Lumi Cavazos, Marco Leonardi, Regina Torne

A delicious love story with exquisite comedy adapted from Laura Esquivel's best selling novel. Young Tita is forced to nurse her sick mother and, unti... Read more

Debajo Del Mundo ( Underground ) (1987)

8.1/10
Director: Beda Docampo Feijoo, Juan Bautista Stagnaro
Starring: Sergio Renan, Barbara Mugica, Victor Laplace

Aka 'Underground', 'Under the World'. The true story of a Polish Jewish family whose members had to literally bury themselves alive underground in ord... Read more

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

7.4/10
Director: Hector Babenco
Starring: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga

Two prisoners in a Latin American jail, one a Spartan revolutionary leader (Raul Julia), the other a movie-obsessed homosexual (Best Actor Academy Awa... Read more

The Official Story (1985)

7.8/10
Director: Luis Puenzo
Starring: Norma Aleandro, Hector Alterio, Analia Castro

1985's Academy Award winner is a politically explosive and emotionally draining drama set in the tumultuous period after the Falkland's debacle. Alean... Read more