Films from Hulu and Netflix are available to individual subscribers.
Access to films from Films on Demand, Filmakers Library Online, and Kanopy are provided by the Iowa State University Library. You'll need to login with your ISU Net-ID and password to view these films.
Hulu has created a hub for Latinx films and series that lists films and videos starring Latinx individuals and featuring Latinx stories. You need to have a Hulu subscription to view the page and to watch videos. Trailers for a few of these films are highlighted below; films / series include closed captions.
The latest installment of Blumhouse’s Into The Dark horror anthology on Hulu. This film tells a harrowing border-crossing story about a pregnant woman named Marisol, who’s determined to cross into the U.S. from Mexico despite an earlier failed attempt. After she’s captured by an unknown collective, Marisol ends up in the idyllic American town of Cape Joy. But this victory garden come to life is just a facade for a sinister behind-the-scenes operation and instead of living the American Dream, she finds herself in an American Nightmare. Duration: 91 mins
East Los High is a breakthrough Hulu Original that follows a group of Latino teens navigating the trials and tribulations of life in East Los Angeles. Characters are faced with real-life issues, including peer pressure, life as a single parent, violence, dark secrets, and decisions involving sex, pregnancy, and substance abuse. The series is Hulu's first series with an all Latinx cast and crew and is predominantly filmed in East Los Angeles. Four seasons available.
Duration: 20 min episodes.
With the help of their high school's newest teacher, four Latinx students form a robotics club. Although they have no experience, the youths set their sights on a national robotics contest where they will compete against reigning champion MIT. Along the way, the students learn not only how to build a robot but something far more important: how to forge bonds that will last a lifetime. Based on a true story. Duration: 115 mins
Kate Sullivan is a widowed single mother of three daughters who works two jobs while studying to be a nurse. She is assigned to clean carpets on a yacht owned by spoiled, arrogant playboy Leonardo 'Leo' Montenegro. One night, Leo slips off the yacht and falls into the ocean unnoticed, waking up with amnesia and no recollection of his identity. Kate and her friend Theresa see a news report on Leo's situation and to compensate Kate for Leo's earlier misdeeds, they scheme to take advantage of his amnesia by tricking him into believing he's married to Kate. Duration: 112 mins.
Other Hulu videos featuring Latinx creators, actors, and stories include:
Netflix offers many movies and shows with Latinx creators, actors, topics, and themes. You need to have a Netflix subscription to watch videos. Trailers for a few of these titles are highlighted below; films / series include closed captions.
With unprecedented access to ICE operations, as well as moving perspectives from Latinx immigrants, this docuseries takes a deep look inside the world of U.S. immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Duration: 60 min episodes.
In the mountains of Monterrey, Mexico, a small street group named "Los Terkos" spend their days listening to slowed down cumbia music and attending dance parties. These different bands of disaffected youth refer to themselves as Kolombianos, combining the Cholo culture with Colombian music. Seventeen year old Ulises Samperio, the leader of Los Terkos, tries to protect his friends from the nefarious elements of a quickly evolving drug/political war, but after a misunderstanding with a local cartel, he is forced to leave for Jackson Heights, Queens, a diverse immigrant community in New York City. Ulises tries to assimilate, but when he learns that his gang and the whole Kolombia culture is under threat, he questions his place in America and longs to return home. Duration: 112 min.
In this vibrant docuseries, Latin American chefs tell their stories and bring a taste of tradition and innovation to their delicious offerings. Viewers will travel to six countries in Latin America and explore the vibrant street food culture of Oaxaca, Mexico; Salvador, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Peru; Bogotá, Colombia; and La Paz, Bolivia. Duration: 30 min episodes.
Today's California prison population is made up mostly of Black and Latinx men and women. Los Tigres del Norte at Folsom Prison, a documentary that chronicles a concert performance at Folsom Prison, features inmates talking about the band's influence on their lives before and after being incarcerated. One of the most popular bands on either side of the border, this concert-documentary show the power of music to heal, as well as the power of regret and redemption. Duration: 64 min.
A coming-of-age story about four bright, street-savvy friends named Monse, Ruby, Jamal, and Cesar. The teens navigate their way through high school in the gritty inner city of South Central Los Angeles. Danger is constant when dealing with school, family, friendships turning into romance, and the influence of street gangs. Three seasons currently available. Duration: 30 min episodes.
ISU Library subscribes to Films on Demand, a streaming video collection of hundreds of educational documentaries, television news programs, and more from the well-known Films for the Humanities & Sciences distribution group. Here are a few of their Latinx documentaries; films include closed captions.
Note that films from Films on Demand do not embed well within LibGuides. Embedded films below are trailers from YouTube; to view the actual film in Films on Demand, please use the direct link provided for each film, under the film description.
Photo credit: Vejigante Mask and Costume from Loíza, Puerto Rico on exhibit in the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. CCBY SA by Tony "The Marine" Santiago.
ISU Library subscribes to Filmakers Library Online, a streaming video collection that provides more than 1000 award-winning documentaries in the social sciences, humanities, & sciences. Here are a few of their Latinx documentaries; films include closed captions and searchable transcripts.
Note that films from Filmakers do not always embed well within LibGuides. If you have difficulty playing the film via the embedded films below, please use the direct link provided for each film, under the film description.
This documentary tells the story of the three Mirabal sisters, known as "The Butterflies," who strove to overthrow the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Their story is also the subject of Dominican American author Julia Alvarez's lightly fictionalized novel In the Time of the Butterflies. The dictatorship of Trujillo and the instability and turmoil created after his assassination prompted the 1st wave of Dominican emigration to the United States. Dominicans today comprise the 4th largest group of Latinx in the US. Duration: 61 minutes
"Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Chavez, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century - and she continues the fight to this day, at 87. With intimate and unprecedented access to this intensely private mother to eleven, the film reveals the raw, personal stakes involved in committing one's life to social change." (Summary from Filmakers) Duration: 97 minutes
This documentary tells the story of Ybor City, "...founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez-Ybor and other cigar manufacturers and populated by thousands of immigrants, mainly from Cuba, Spain, and Italy. For the next 50 years, workers in Ybor City's cigar factories rolled hundreds of millions of cigars annually." (Description from Wikipedia) Duration: 53 minutes
"In the midst of the African American civil rights struggle, protests to end the Vietnam War and the women's movement for equality, Puerto Rican and Latino communities fought for economic and social justice. From Chicago streets to the barrios of New York City and other urban centers, the Young Lords emerged to demand decent living conditions and raised a militant voice for the empowerment of the Puerto Rican people in the United States. Palante, Siempre Palante documents the history with on-camera interviews, archival footage, photographs and music. The documentary surveys Puerto Rican history, the Young Lords' activities and philosophy, the torturous end of the organization and its inspiring legacy." (Summary from Filmakers) Duration: 49 minutes
This documentary details the successful struggle of Puerto Ricans to reclaim the Puerto Rican island of Vieques that "... was expropriated by the U.S.Navy in the 1940's. Many of its pristine beaches became launching sites to test explosive weaponry. Inhabitants were moved, their homes razed, to make room for the naval base. In true colonial manner, the US ignored the complaints of the residents who were being poisoned by fall-out and deafened by explosions. In this film, the islanders recount the grim story of the "occupation," their suffering from high cancer rates due to the fall -out of heavy metal particles, and the poisoning of the fish. This is a David and Goliath-like story of a community reclaiming its land against enormous odds." (Summary from Filmakers) Duration: 65 minutes
ISU Library subscribes to Kanopy, a vast and eclectic collection of documentaries and feature films. Strong focus on educational resources, social, political, and cultural issues, and numerous international film classics. Here are a number of Kanopy's Latinx titles; the next tab also includes Latinx LGBTQ+ films from Kanopy. Films include closed captions.
"This short documentary explores the distinct, shared experience of 16 million people living in the U.S. today called Enyes (ñ)s. Enyes (ñ)s are first generation American-born Latinos with at least one parent from a Spanish-speaking country. A central theme of many Enyes’ experience growing up in the U.S. is not feeling fully connected with either the mainstream American culture or with the culture of their parent’s country of origin." (Description from Kanopy) Duration: 38 minutes
"In Blackout in Puerto Rico, FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the humanitarian and economic crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. The film examines how the federal response, Wall Street, and years of neglect have left the island struggling to survive." Duration: 54 minutes
"This 4-part landmark documentary series, now a classic for Mexican American history of the U.S., chronicles the struggle for equality and social justice of the Mexican American community in the United States from 1965 to 1975. It features the Chicano land struggle, Cesar Chavez and the UFW, the Los Angeles High School Walk-outs and the creation of the political party La Raza Unida." Episode 1, embedded here, examines the beginnings of the movement by profiling Reies Lopez Tijerina and the land grant movement in New Mexico in 1966 and 1967. All 4 episodes of Chicano! are available in Kanopy. Episode 1 Duration: 56 minutes
"CUBAMERICAN is the stirring story of how the Cuban Revolution shattered the Cuban family. Spanning the past 60 years of Cuban history, the film evokes this tragedy and its universal themes of loss, freedom, assimilation, struggle and triumph through the stories of Cuban exiles that have achieved acclaim in diverse fields in the U.S.A. and beyond, rendering a mosaic of a bittersweet exile experience." (Summary by Kanopy) Duration: 108 minutes
"This documentary tells the story of a group of Guatemalan immigrant women and children who broke the silence about the abuses committed against them at the Agriprocessors, Inc plant in Postville, Iowa. Thanks to the solidarity of the community that accompanied them and to the U Visa, they transformed their lives." Directed by Luis Argueta. Kanopy also has director Luis Argueta's other two films (AbUSed and Abrazos) that with The U-Turn form a trilogy focusing on Guatemalan, Central American, and Mexican immigrants to Iowa and the Midwest. Duration: 59 minutes
"This 6-part award-winning PBS documentary series is a journey through the music, words, dance, painting and performance of rich Latino cultures made more complex and fascinating by their history in the U.S. The series explores how contemporary Latino artists continue to build on rich traditions that reflect a unique multi-ethnic experience, taking established art forms and reinventing them, constantly challenging themselves and the communities which nurture them. From New York City's break-dancers to mural-painters in Los Angeles and Chicago to theater in Texas, the series offers a unique cross section of Latino artists working today.." Episode 1, embedded here, focuses on the Latino Mural Movement of the 1960's, Nuyorican spoken word, and editorial cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz. Created in New York, Nuyorican spoken word is a form of artistic expression that emerged from the tumultuous 1960s and continues to influence and inspire the American Puerto Rican community. The episode includes interviews with Nuyorican poets Pedro Pietri, Piri Thomas and Caridad (La Bruja)." All 6 episodes of Visiones are available in Kanopy. Episode 1 Duration: 28 minutes
ISU Library subscribes to Kanopy, a vast and eclectic collection of documentaries and feature films. Strong focus on educational resources, social, political, and cultural issues, and numerous international film classics. In celebration of Pridefest 2020, here are a number of Kanopy's Latinx LGBTQ+ titles; Films include closed captions.
"Much like the seldom-heard song of the hummingbird, the voices of Latino fathers are rarely heard in addressing LGBTQ issues. This film aims to amplify their voices. This documentary is a story of Latino fathers dealing with issues of immigration, faith, marriage equality, machismo, culture, and the process of their LGBTQ children coming out. This film will address political issues about LGBTQ families, social oppression, shared responsibility and acceptance of LGBTQ people as members of Latino families." (Description from Kanopy) Duration: 53 minutes
"This film is about an inspiring young man whose story is exceptional, although not unique. When Moises Serrano was just a baby, his parents risked everything to flee Mexico in search of the American dream. Forbidden to live and love as an undocumented gay man in the country he calls home, Serrano saw only one option: to fight for justice. Serrano is like the thousands of other young people growing up in the United States with steadfast dreams but all the cards stacked against them. The film chronicles Serrano's work as an activist traveling across his home state of North Carolina as a voice for his community, all while trying to forge a path for his own future." Duration: 83 minutes
"In Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, the Vida/Sida Cacica Pageant brings together members of the Puerto Rican community to celebrate its transgender participants. The documentary follows Bianca, Julissa and Jolizza as they prepare for the pageant under the guidance of Ginger Valdez, an experienced transgender from the neighborhood. These trans women share stories of their transition, their relatives' varying reactions, and how they find support from within the community. Family dynamics, cultural heritage, and personal identity all play a part in how the contestants face the daily struggle that comes from being true to themselves." (Description from Kanopy) Duration: 77 minutes
"Based on the classic lesbian play, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, this gorgeous drama stars Latina lesbian supermodel Patricia Velasquez as Liz, a hardcore party girl and womanizer. Liz (who is ill) and her friends are at a beach resort celebrating what they don't realize could be her last birthday. When an outsider joins the party, Liz's friends dare her to seduce the newcomer - and nothing turns out as expected."Directed by Fina Torres, in Spanish with English subtitles. (Description from Kanopy) Duration: 93 minutes
Watch the film in Kanopy here; trailer from YouTube is embedded below
"This award-winning documentary excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez, four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. Using the women's home video footage from 21 years ago combined with recent verite footage and interviews, the film explores their personal narratives and their search for exculpatory evidence.Together with attorneys, the film culminates with the women being released from prison to await their searing new exoneration hearings in San Antonio. As lesbian women of color, these women hold intersecting identities that make them the most vulnerable to incarceration. The film unravels the interplay of mythology, homophobia, and prosecutorial fervor that led to their indictment." (Description from Kanopy) Duration: 91 minutes