AfroLatinos: an Untaught History (documentary)

Another of the films that really stood out for me in this year's Pan African Film Festival was the hour-long AfroLatinos: an Untaught History (director:  Renzo Davia).  It's actually the summation of an entire series the Davia is creating - along with producer and co-writer Alicia Anabel Santos - about Afro-Latinos.

And in case you thought Dr. Louis Gates, Jr., was the one who "discovered" the topic of Afro-Latinos (or black Latinos) for North Americans, Davia started work on his film (as I did mine about Afro-Peruvians)  well before Gates' series came out.  That said, Gates series is not only excellent, but has also brought a huge audience to something that was, up until his first release, a small, niche audience of people interested in what seemed at the time an arcane topic.

I've had trouble finding the perfect trailer for AfroLatinos but in this one, the creators give an introduction to the project.  However, they are also asking for funding.



On the other hand, there is a good, 30-minute summation of the series on Vimeo.  However, I'm not allowed to imbed it;  but if you want to watch it on Vimeo, here's the link:

https://vimeo.com/151897541

It starts with the provocative question:  "How does history get erased?" and answers by saying that when you fail to tell people who they are and where they come from, you remove their identity and they disappear from history.

That was an important part of my thesis in my earlier documentary, A Zest for Life:  Afro-Peruvian Rhythms - that when talking about Latin jazz, if we don't acknowledge the contributions that Afro-Peruvians have made to it, even while using percussion instruments and rhythms that they created, we essentially negate their existence.

Not surprisingly, in view of my own interests, I found AfroLatinos to be a documentary on a timely topic.  It was also well and thoughtfully made, obviously representing a great deal of research and time spent filming some great interviews, great dances and music, great cultural celebrations.  If you have the opportunity, I do recommend that you go to see it, whether on television (which I think is the ultimate goal) or in a movie theater or on-line.
________________

Next up:  Yamanjá:  Wisdom from the African Heart of Brazil (dir. Donna Roberts).