With the start of our Heritage Month, so begins film festival season. For genre and horror fans, Fantastic Fest is one of the major events, hosted every year at the Alamo Drafthouse’s flagship theater in Austin, Texas. The fest kicks off on September 17 this year, promising another heaping helping of horror and genre films, including new releases, shorts, and repertory rediscoveries.
Like last year, the majority of Spanish-language films are from Spain, which is frustrating to say the least. However, if you look beyond the overrepresentation of colonizer-made films, you’ll find Latine titles worth watching and talking about. From fairy-tale reimaginings to restorations, here are three Latine-helmed flicks you should check out during the festival.
Roy del Espacio (Roy From Space)
Roy del Espacio (or Roy From Space) is an animated Mexican film from 1983 with an interesting history. Initially released to mixed reviews, the film is made up of original animations, traced sequences from Flash Gordon, as well as a whole section taken from a Japanese sci-fi film. Although the film is a Mexican production, the sensibility here feels very akin to the Chicane art style, rasquachismo – taking elements and aesthetics from other films/places and making something new. Thanks to boutique distributor Deaf Crocodile, Roy del Espacio has been restored, with new animation and the blessing of the daughter of one of the film’s creators.
Princesa Burro (Donkey Princess)
In 1963, French director Jacques Demy released Peau d’Âne, an adaptation of a 1695 fairytale called Donkeyskin. This year, Chilean filmmakers Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña have created their own adaptation, telling the story of forbidden love between a princess and a huaso (Chilean cowboy) that spans different timelines, film genres, and themes. The directing duo has also brought their expertise as stop-motion animators to bring the magic of this story to life with practical effects. In a world full of automated imagery and artless movies, it’s refreshing to see something that feels handcrafted. Princesa Burro promises to be one of the most enchanting, spellbinding films at the fest.
La Muerte No Tiene Dueño (Death Has No Master)
When Caro (Asia Argento) travels back to her father’s abandoned plantation in Venezuela from Italy after his death, she doesn’t expect former worker Sonia (Dogreika Tovar) and her son to be staying there. Initially, she agrees to let them live in the home, but when she realizes they have been subletting other parts of the manor to locals, Caro’s sympathies disappear and her real, craven motivations take over. La Muerte No Tiene Dueño initially premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to positive reviews, and will be making its North American Premiere at the fest. The film promises to be an engaging, engrossing slow-burn thriller, worth seeking out.
While it may be another skimpy year for Latine representation at the Fantastic Fest, it’s still nice to see genre and horror-focused Latine films getting their flowers! So no matter what you’re seeking (including Latine perspectives), this year’s festival promises to be a weird and wonderful time at the movies.
