Must-Watch Short Films for Hispanic Heritage Month from Pop-Up Magazine
21 October, 2020Pop-Up Magazine celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month 2020 (September 15 – October 15) with a collection of short films showcasing Latinx voices: featuring journalists, filmmakers, writers, designers, musicians, and illustrators.
The full collection of films can be found here, and an accompanying discussion guide can be found here. See below for some of our favourites from the collection, featuring a vivid musical story about migration, a quirky tale about a book of public speaking tips from Peru, an insight into the life of a teenage volunteer paramedic in El Salvador, and some funny and heart-warming advice from ¡Hola Papi!’s advice column, tackling questions such as, “How do I become a more authentic Latino?”
A Serenade for the Undocumented
L.A.-based musician La Marisoul (La Santa Cecilia) tells the story of Los Jornaleros del Norte, a band made up of former and working day labourers in Los Angeles. By Josh Kun, with illustrations by Arianna Vairo. Vairo’s illustrations of a family looking up at at the window of an immigration detention centre in the second half of the video are striking and beautiful.
Peruvian Tips for Public Speaking
Writer Daniel Alarcón (of Radio Ambulante) stumbles upon a book of Peruvian tips on public speaking, which becomes a reference guide for the complex diversity of cultures in Latin America. Illustrations by Josh Cochran. Alarcón uses this collection of template speeches and toasts (“It’s not poetry exactly, but it’s not not-poetry, you know?”) to make an interesting comment on Peruvian language and society.
Meet Mimi, a Teen Paramedic in El Salvador
Colombian American filmmaker Juliana Schatz Preston shares the story of Mimi, a teenage volunteer paramedic who fearlessly navigates gang violence in El Salvador. Watching Mimi work alongside adult paramedic volunteers and hearing her comments on her volunteering, the gangs in her neighbourhood and the possibility of leaving El Salvador is eye-opening.
LGBTQ Advice from ¡Hola Papi!
Advice columnist JP Brammer (¡Hola Papi!) responds to three questions from readers and finds universal humour in our personal identity crises. Illustrations by Natalia Rojas Castro (Avianca). Brammer’s responses manage to be both reassuring and funny; this video made me smile.
Pop-Up Magazine is a live magazine, created for a stage, a screen, and a live audience.
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