LALIFF Best Films

LALIFF 2021 Review – 2021 Los Angeles International Film Festival

Angeleno’s are spoiled for film festivals. That’s despite the discontinuation of the LA Film Festival in 2018. Instead of being dominated by one single film festival like TIFF, Berlinale, or the London Film Festival, Los Angeles has a diverse range of brilliant film festivals that each cover different perspectives. PAFF is your go to for Pan African film, Outfest celebrates LGBTQ+ films, Shorts Fest covers many of the latest shorts, whilst AFI Docs screens the best recent documentaries. Similarly, LALIFF, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival showcases the global Latino experience on film. In a city dominated by Latinos, LALIFF is the premiere Latino film festival in the city, and likely the country. With plenty of premieres, round table discussions, and workshops, make sure you add it to your film calendar for next year. Read on for our full LALIFF 2021 review.

The Experience

With COVID-19 cases declining in California and Los Angeles, LALIFF 2021 was one of the first film festivals since the start of the pandemic that hosted in-person events in Los Angeles. All of the films had screening times at Hollywood cinemas for anyone to attend. However, as the festival coincided with the birth of my first baby, I was only able to make the most of the virtual portion of the festival, so our LALIFF 2021 review misses the in person events. Luckily for me, almost all of the films still had virtual screenings (other than the big premieres like In The Heights), so I was able to catch a lot of the festival, especially the international films that usually find it harder to fill theaters than the domestic premieres.

For this 20th edition of the festival, all of the round table discussions and industry workshops were hosted virtually, allowing anyone without time to attend or COVID-19 concerns to access some brilliant industry insider knowledge on offer. LALIFF 2021 is the first film festival that we’ve seen in Los Angeles that hosts industry events. It was also the first we’ve seen that screened films from local student filmmakers, which were boosted from placements ahead of some of the most anticipated international movies on the schedule, such as Executive Order. The combination of industry talks and student film screenings demonstrates LALIFF is committed to boosting the Latino film community by sharing knowledge from role models within the industry and giving screen space to help young filmmakers get seen. It was great to see the community connection – something that all film festivals should aspire to create.

A next step could be hosting some of the festival’s events within the Los Angeles’ Latino community as well as Hollywood. Whilst Hollywood might give the festival more visibility in the industry, screenings in community centers might boost the visibility of the festival amongst Latinos as well as the Latino community to the film industry. PAFF is one great example of this, moving from it’s humble start at the former Laemmle Sunset 5 in West Hollywood to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in the center of Los Angeles’ African American community. The move has allowed the festival to expand into a multi-dimensional event with films at the theater and arts and crafts in the mall to celebrate Pan African culture and the African American community. Another example is the younger Central American International Film Festival held in the Plaza de la Raza cultural center, showcasing Latino films in one of the artistic hearts of Los Angeles’ Latino community. Showcasing some of it’s star films in the Latino community in Los Angeles could boost the community’s visibility to the film industry.

Wherever in Los Angeles LALIFF 2022 takes place, make sure you make the effort to attend.

The Films

As expected, there was a good representation of Latin American films screening at LALIFF 2021. Whilst the selection wasn’t as large as other film festivals, it’s 18 feature films represented a decent selection of countries with 9 countries represented at this year’s edition. LALIFF 2021 also did an OK job of representing directors from different background. 10 of the 18 feature films were directed by women which was great to see, and the festival also screened 2 films by Afro-Latin directors and 1 by an indigenous woman which was better than nothing. Other films also touched on the Afro-Latin and Indigenous experience, however it would be awesome to see further visibility for Afro-Latin and Indigenous directors and producers in future.

LALIFF 2021 also had a nice mix of genres to watch. There were the classic artistic festival films such as Nudo Mixteco and La Botera, protest films such as Landfall, dreamy coming of age journeys such as Papi, and pop films such as comedy satire The Best Families, and rom-com Something Blue. It even covered the big premiere of one of the year’s most hyped films in musical, In the Heights. There was something for every type of film fan.

The quality of the films was good too. All of the 9 feature films I saw are worth your time with no duds in the mix. Here’s how they stacked up.

Landfall
Executive Order
Fruits of Labor
The Best Families
Papi
Nudo Mixteco
Something Blue
La Botera
Between Fire and Water

LALIFF 2021’s Best: 1

Landfall is one of the best critiques of disaster capitalism and imperialism there is. It’s perfectly ordered observational scenes from around the island craft a country at crisis point. It’s an urgent warning to the precarious situation on the island following the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

The Runner Up: 2

A lightly comedic dystopian film, Executive Order fits perfectly within the highly divided Brazilian society. It’s great to see a movie in which reparations is the main focus and, like Bacurau, brings humor to a fiery contemporary context.

Two Personal Documentaries: 3 & 9

Fruits of Labor and Between Fire and Water are two brilliantly intimate documentaries which follow two teenagers trying to find their own identity. Fruits of Labor follows a student trying to support her family whilst studying for graduation in Central California, whilst Between Fire and Water follows a Black adoptee of an indigenous community trying to connect with his biological roots.

The Pop Hits: 4, 5, & 7

The Best Families, Papi, and Something Blue were three great movies to watch for the casual film viewer looking for some light entertainment. The Best Families features two dysfunctional families that lose it as a long held secret comes to light. Papi is a beautifully dreamy coming of age movie shot from the perspective of a kid missing her drug-dealing dad. Something Blue is the perfect film to watch if you’re looking for a cheesy romcom.

The Art House Festival Films: 6 & 8

Nudo Mixteco and La Botera are two art-house films which depict humble lives away from the bustle of the city. Nudo Mixteco features three storylines with indigenous women that piece together Amores Perros’ style in a remote Mexican town. La Botera follows a teenager growing up in a tough Buenos Aires neighborhood dreaming of being a boatwoman.

The Shorts

There was also a great selection of shorts which screened both in front of the biggest features of the festival as well as on their own in shorts only screenings. These included shorts from local student filmmakers as mentioned above, as well as shorts from up-and-coming filmmakers trying to break into the industry. Of the small selection we saw for our LALIFF 2021 review, we strongly recommend looking out for the following:

Nuevo Rico: a purple and pink neon infused animation that reminded me of the Akira look but with the bikes and sci-fi swapped out for reggaeton and the music industry.
The Libertarian: there should be more slave rebellion stories on film. The Libertarian uses a simple black and white animation to convey the terror of the slave ships and the bravery and power of the rebellion, connecting them to the African diaspora in the Americas.
Roach: if you ever wondered what Kafka’s Metamorphosis converted to animation might look like, check out Roach.

Overall LALIFF 2021 Review

Los Angeles has a lot of great film festivals and LALIFF is one of them. LALIFF 2021 was the most rounded film festival I’ve experienced in Los Angeles, featuring a diverse selection of international and domestic films from within the Latin American universe, as well as Q&A’s, round table discussions, and industry workshops that are usually only confined to the biggest international film festivals. It even has a nice portion of community outreach, screening a few shorts made by students at local school districts. Just as the Pan African Film Festival, hosted in Crenshaw, is the go to for Pan African film in Los Angeles, LALIFF is the go to festival for Latino film in the city. It’s celebration of Latin film should be a can’t miss event for any local film fan.

Head to our LALIFF 2021 Hub for individual reviews from the 20th edition of LALIFF, giving more detail than the LALIFF 2021 review summaries.

Landfall – Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival 2021

Landfall is a political film imbued with anger at the current state of Puerto Rico. It captures life in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, choosing to depict the current post-Hurricane tragedies instead of the actual Hurricane, and setting them within the history of U.S. imperialism. In doing so, Landfall presents a critique of disaster capitalism (see Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine) and the U.S. stranglehold on Puerto Rico and it’s ineffectual politicians.

That being said, the actual footage isn’t inherently political. Each scene from each part of the island is shot observationally without any directorial input or opinion. For example, the profile on the wealthy real estate family by itself doesn’t include any tough questions for the family or a political lens. However, by moving between these profiles of wealthy families and crypto-billionaires and profiles of rural farmers struggling to make a living and activists protesting the governor, the film becomes political. It juxtaposes the increasingly wealthy with the increasingly poor to highlight the growing inequality on the island. And by jumping around the country to visit a range of communities, Aldarondo shows that this inequality is endemic to all parts of the country.

One of the most memorable snapshots captures the arrival of U.S. crypto billionaires. They’ve arrived on the island cloaked in good intentions with promises for employment and wealth via the blockchain. However, when confronted by locals on their similarities with the white American imperialists that preceded them their benevolent facade crumbles. One represents the danger of a white savior – talking down on the locals as if he’s the only one that can solve their issues – whilst another represents the cultural eradication of cultural appropriation in her dreaded hair. Cut with scenes documenting the history of U.S. imperialism and speakers pressing Puerto Rico to privatize the country to encourage foreign investment and the warning signs are clear. Puerto Rico is on the brink of being re-colonized by wealthy Americans looking for a clean tax-haven for their millions. Their arrival is a threat to indigenous Puerto Rican life.

Landfall is made as an urgent warning to the precarious situation on the island. Just like Zuckerberg’s land grabs in Hawaii, and the privatization of post-Katrina New Orleans, post-Maria Puerto Rico is arriving at its own tipping point. Fortunately there is some hope that indigenous way of life prevails, represented in the people protesting the Governor, the community schools, and the family standing up to real estate in Vieques. The fight for Puerto Rico isn’t quite over.

Head to our LALIFF 2021 Hub for more reviews from the 20th edition of LALIFF.

La Botera – Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival 2021

Set within a neglected Buenos Aires neighborhood, La Botera follows Tati, a girl living alone with her father whilst navigating the challenges of adolescence.

Tati is already an independent woman. The opening scene shows her getting up, making breakfast, and getting ready for school on her own. We’d think she was living alone until the phone rings and Tati tries to wake up her previously unseen dad to answer it. She also sticks up for herself against the bullies at and outside of school in contrast to her childhood friend and confidently initiates conversation with people older than herself, such as a local boat rower she plays boyfriend and girlfriend with. However, she still retains the naivety of a young adult as shown in her awkwardly brash interactions with older kids and her friendship with another young neighborhood boy. The army games and relationship with the latter show she’s still connected to the young girl she’s slowly moving away from whilst the conversation with older kids represent the pull of her growing up.

Her coming of age feels a bit more hostile than others. It’s partly due to the bleak environment La Botera is set within – the constantly overcast skies and heavily clothed characters emphasize the cold unwelcoming environment. But the hostility is mostly due to the strained relationship she has with the dad she lives with alone. Unlike the gentler fathers in other father-daughter coming of age movies like Eighth Grade and Alba, Tati’s father offers little love and sympathy. He punishes and chastises her in almost every scene they share. Even when he has an opportunity to share a moment with her, such as when they’re watching football on TV, he gets annoyed as she apparently shouldn’t enjoy a ‘man’s game’. Maybe he’s been affected by the neighborhood they live in or his own experiences, or maybe his machismo just hides his fatherly insecurities. Either way, he contributes to the hostility of his daughter’s coming of age.

If you’re into coming of age stories set within a pretty bleak environment, La Botera is worth a watch. The close-up shots that follow Tati give it an edge that make it feel more real and personal than others.

Head to our LALIFF 2021 Hub for more reviews from the 20th edition of LALIFF.

Something Blue – Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival 2021

As the news channels in Panama look forward to a big celebrity wedding featuring popular TV star Lucia de la Fuente, Ana gets ready for her own wedding taking place in 8 days time. However, an unexpected chain of events sees her racing around Panama City trying to get married as soon as possible. Something Blue is a rare festival rom-com that anyone can enjoy if they know what they’re in for.

If you’re into Eugenio Derbez rom-coms (see Overboard) then Something Blue is a film to look out for. The tone of the film is very similar, with it’s well lit production, light music, and a healthy serving of slapstick and cringe humor to propel the narrative forward. Plus Ana carries the comedy well, being the slightly overwhelming ‘bimbo’ character to laugh at throughout the film. Because of the light-hearted tone of the film, Something Blue feels more like an addition to a streaming service than a film festival film. It’s not particularly artistic or unique, things you’d typically expect from a festival film, but it plays into the cheesy rom-com genre well. So if you’re aware that it’s a cheesy rom-com before you start watching, you’ll be in a good position to enjoy it.

It’s fun to run around the city, with lots of establishing shots of the Panama City skyline and the restored old town. No doubt, these shots will help boost tourism to the city if this film is widely seen. However, Something Blue, like the majority of Latino telenovelas has a pretty un undiverse cast. Whilst only a small proportion of Panamanians define themselves as white, almost the entire cast of Something Blue is white. It’s unfortunately not unexpected, as this is pretty typical of Latino popular films and novelas, but it would have been great to see more diversity considering this is not a big TV production.

So if you’re up for a rom-com refresher to your film festival schedule, Something Blue is worth a watch.

Head to our LALIFF 2021 Hub for more reviews from the 20th edition of LALIFF.

The Best Families – Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival 2021

“Why work if we can do it for you?” are the words at the bottom of a billboard with a white woman floating on a pool that starts The Best Families. The billboard hangs ironically above Luzmilla and Peta’s humble neighborhood in the suburbs. We see it as they start their long commute to work, switching their barren neighborhood for two aristocratic family houses in central Lima.

The two families they work for are stereotypically snobby. They look down on Spanish people that don’t measure up to their lineage and direct plenty of snide comments at each other to try and establish their superiority. Their snobbery is the target of this satire. Today, at their birthday get-together, an unexpected bombshell throws the event into chaos as a long held secret involving both households, crossing class and race, is finally revealed.

Whilst the chaos is unfolding inside their upper class bubble, there’s also chaos outside. The city is being taken over by a mass protest. However, despite the news attention, these two elite families are completely oblivious of the protests. Aerial shots of their living complex (two large houses surrounded by green gardens) marks their position of privilege. Their complex is the only greenery in the shot, and it’s surrounded by cramped urban development and the many people protesting. The shots highlight the stark division between the privileged rich and the rest of the country. It also shows the bubble they live in – they’re not aware of the people outside their property because they don’t have to interact with them. This means that they’re also a bit out of touch with society, making the satire all the more funny.

The unfolding secret creates drama that reminded me of the family chaos in Knives Out. Just like a whodunnit, we want to keep watching to find out how each family member will react. After all, who doesn’t like laughing at the snobby rich? It’s always comforting to know that they have just as much drama in their family as the exploitative reality talk shows focusing on the underprivileged – and us. However, it does end with a small gut punch. Despite the big reveals and controversy the film exposes amongst the aristocratic family, the film ultimately ends on a book-ended shot of the maids carrying out the same life they started with. No matter what comes to light, the wealthy will always hold their power.

Head to our LALIFF 2021 Hub for more reviews from the 20th edition of LALIFF.