De Chica en Chica

At this time of year, it’s not uncommon to find yourself at home with time on your hands. If you’re craving some Latinx LGBTQ-friendly films, here are a few suggestions of films to rent or go out and see.

Pelo Malo (Bad Hair) directed by Mariana Rondón, is a highly-acclaimed Venezuelan film that tells the story of a young man dealing with hair issues and familial rejection.

Azul y no tan rosa (My Straight Son) also from Venezuela, won the coveted Goya award, and follows a fashion photographer who has to care for his partner’s son.

From Argentina: Papu Curotto’s Esteros, tells the story of two men, reunited as adults, who spent many childhood summer together in Esteros, a wetlands region of Argentina.

Fina Torres’ Liz in September (Liz en Septiembre) tells the story of a group of lesbians vacationing together. It stars Patricia Velásquez and was based on the popular play Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.

The film Contracorriente (Undertow), by writer/director Javier Fuentes-Leon, tells the story of two men who fall in love in a remote fishing village in Perú.

The Maid is an older film (2009) by out filmmaker Sebastián Silva, but is still beloved. Silva also helmed the more recent Nasty Baby with Kristen Wiig.

Out director Pedro Almodóvar’s new film Julieta bowed on Christmas. The story is not LGBT-focused, based on short stories by Alice Munro, but Almodóvar brings his unique queer sensibility to every project.

Also from Spain, Sonia Sebastián’s De Chica en Chica (Girl Gets Girl), an irreverent story about a lesbian player who returns to Spain and to a group of old friends.

Luna en Brasil by Bruno Barreto, is about the relationship between poet Elizabeth Bishop and architect Lota Macedo Soares.

If you’d like to find more films, check out cinegayonline.org which has curated a large collection including lesbian shorts, many from Latin America or Spain, that you can watch on the site.