Film: Latin America

Regions: Latin America (general), Caribbean, Central America, South America, Hispanics in the U.S., Iberia

Special Topics: Authors & Artists, Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Music & Dance, Political Leaders, Women

Download a PDF of the complete bibliography

 

American adventure, no.1: consequences of contact. VHS, 30 min. B-ALF CC3708

Tours present-day Mexico and New Mexico to explain the impact of encounters and colonization by Portugal and Spain.

 

Americas. 10 VHS, 60 min/each. F1408 .A565 1993 no. 1-10

[1] The garden of forking paths: dilemmas – [2] Capital sins: authoritarianism and democratization – [3] Continent on the move: migration and urbanization – [4] Mirrors of the heart: race and identity – [5] In women's hands: the changing roles of women – [6] Miracles are not enough: continuity and change in religion – [7] Builders of images: Latin American cultural identity – [8] Get up, stand up: problems of sovereignty – [9] Fire in the mind: revolutions and revolutionaries – [10] The Latin American and Caribbean presence in the U.S.

 

Americas in transition. VHS, 29 min. B-ALF CC3122

Provides an introduction to U.S. relations with Latin America and the underlying causes of unrest.

 

Ancient Inca Indians of South America. VHS, 7 min. B-ALF GC1472

Surveys, with illustrations, the empire of the Incas with reference to their cities, road systems, religion, farming, and art.

 

Ancient Maya Indians of South America. VHS, 9 min. B-ALF CC2592

Examines, with illustrations and narration, the attributes of the Mayan civilization at its height.

 

Bravo, bread, and circuses. VHS, 60 min. B-ALF CC3581

Profiles three famous South American entertainers –a bullfighter, a boxer, and a soap opera start—and looks at the fans they inspire.

 

Brick-makers. VHS, 42 min. B-ALF CB3840

Explores how landless peasants in Latin America have been forced to leave the countryside and migrate to the cities in search of employment.

 

Builders of images: Latin American cultural identity. VHS, 60 min. B-ALF CC4587

Explores the role of the artist in societies throughout the Americas through the eyes of four diverse and influential artists.

 

The buried mirror: reflections on Spain and the New World. 5 VHS + guides, 60 min/each. DP96 .B875 1991

Explores the diverse cultures and people of Spanish-speaking countries. [1] The virgin and the bull – [2] Conflict of the gods – [3] The age of gold – [4] The Price of freedom – [5] Unfinished business.

 

Central America: the burden of time. VHS, 60 min. B-ALF CC5018

Isolated from the rest of the world, the Mayans and Aztecs created sophisticated civilizations that in many ways paralleled ancient Mediterranean empires.

 

Child survival: the silent emergency. VHS, 1986. B-ALF EC2289

Follows efforts in Haiti, Bangladesh, and El Salvador to implement four basic steps in the strategy to reduce infant mortality.

 

Columbus and the age of discovery. VHS, E111 .C658 1991 pt.1-7

Explores the life of Columbus, the world in which he lived, the intermingling of two cultures, and recreates his voyages. [1] Columbus' world – [2] An idea takes shape – [3] The crossing – [4] Worlds found and lost – [5] The sword and the cross – [6] The Columbian exchange – [7] In search of Columbus.

 

Columbus didn’t discover us. VHS, 24 min. E58 .C64 1992 | B-ALF CC4543

Highlights from the First Continental Conference of Indigenous Peoples, a gathering of peoples native to the Americas.

 

Crisis in Central America, No.1: the Yankee years. VHS, 60 min. B-ALF CC3315

Examines the historical role that the United States has played in Central America.

 

De viaje con el Che Guevara. DVD Region 2, 120 min. F2849.22.G85 D34 2005

Follows Che Guevara's surviving friend Alberto Granado as he retraces the route around Latin America they'd took as youths in 1952.

 

Deadly mistakes? a democracy dialogue. 2 DVD, 404 min. E&41 .D433 2005

A series of short films looking at events and related U.S. policy mistakes from the past and the 21st century. Disc 2 contains six extended interviews.

 

Destinos: an introduction to Spanish [series]. 30 min/episode. PC4128 .D477 1992

A “planned immersion” course in Spanish language and culture, using a dramatic telenovela storyline.

 

Discovering the music of Latin America. VHS, 20 min. B-MUSIC 3518063 | B-ALF RC0971

Illustrates the many traditions from which Latin Americans have built their music through song, dance, and by the playing of classical and folk instruments.

 

Dreamtales. VHS, 32 min. F2319.2.Y4 1993

Two original animated films about Native American myths and beliefs.

 

Early American civilizations. VHS, 22 min. B0ALF CC3648

History and daily life of the people who shaped the great ancient civilizations in Central and South America- the Olmecs, Mayas, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas.

 

Environment under fire: ecology and politics in Central America. VHS, 27 min. HC141.Z9 E5 1988 | B-ALF CC4007

Explores the issues behind the environmental crisis in Central America, a situation leading to increased poverty and hunger among its populace, along with potential solutions.

 

Father Roy: inside the school of assassins. VHS, 55 min. U428.A75 F37 1997

Describes the protests of Father Roy to the military assistance and training that the United States provides to Latin American countries at the U.S. Army School of the Americas.

 

The feast. VHS, 29 min. B-ALF CC2359

Documents how an alliance is formed between hostile Yanomamo Indian villages through feasting, trading, dancing, and chanting.

 

Fire in the mind: revolutions and revolutionaries. VHS, 60 min. B-ALF CC4589

Revolutionary movements in the Americas, with emphasis on guerillas in El Salvador and the current movement in Peru. Examines three revolutions of this century--in Mexico, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

 

The first Americans, part 2. VHS, 32 min. B-ALF CC2169

Follows the Bering Land Bridge Theory migration from Alaska to eastern Washington; then south to Arizona; from there to Venezuela; and ending finally at Tierra Del Fuego, the tip of South America.

 

The forces of freedom. VHS, 57 min. B-ALF CC3910

Examines the effect of U.S. foreign policy on the governments and economies of several Central American nations through interviews with U.S. citizens living in those nations.

 

Get up, stand up: problems of sovereignty. VHS, 60 min. B-ALF CC4588

Addresses internal and external challenges to national sovereignty in Colombia, Jamaica and Panama.

 

The guanaco of Patagonia: a study of behavior and ecology. VHS, 28 min. B-ALF NC2006

Studies the wild guanaco of South America, a descendant of ancient camels and ancestor of today's domesticated llamas and alpacas that live in one of the world's most awesome environments.

 

Hungry for profit. VHS, 85 min. ISS CC3841

Investigates the connection between world hunger and agribusiness in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Senegal, Kenya, and the Philippines.

 

In the land of the llamas. VHS, 58 min. B-ALF GC1640

Examines the past, present, and future of the llama, chronicling its value to the South American people as a rich source of meat and wool.

 

Introducing Latin America Part One: The Land. VHS, 28 min. ISS GC1775

Introductory overview of the geographical features of Latin America; covers the mountains, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, valleys, deserts and plains of the various regions.

 

Introducing Latin America Part Two: The People. VHS, 28 min. ISS GC1776

Overview of the people of Latin America, highlighting the various ancestries of the current populations.

 

Jungle pharmacy. VHS, 53 min. QK99.A1 J864 1989

Shows ethnobotanists at work with native shamans to collect their knowledge of medicinal plants, as well as to encourage programs where Indian villagers cultivate medicinal plants as a cash crop.

 

The JVC/Smithsonian Folkways video anthology of music and dance of the Americas, vol.4: The Caribbean; vols. 5-6: Central and South America. VHS + guides, approx. 60 min/each. M1627 .J832 1995

Looks at many of the folk music traditions in Central and South America, and the Caribbean Islands.

 

Latin America: challenges in the 21st century. DVD, 23 min. F1408.9 .L385 2004

European colonizers created a society that was characterized by extreme differences between rich and poor -- a legacy that continues to plague Latin America today.

 

Latin America: land and resources. DVD, 24min + guide. B-GEOMAP F1410 .L388 2003

Traverses the length and breadth of Middle America and South America, exploring the countries' varied landforms, waterways, and widely differing climates.

 

Latin American women artists: 1915-1995. DVD-R, 26 min. N6502.5 .L425 2005

Features the work of important artists of the recent past, like Brazil's Tarsila do Amaral and Mexico's María Izquierdo and Frida Kahlo.

 

Latin American overview. VHS, 25 min. B-ALF CC3250

Traces the economic and cultural history of Latin America, emphasizing the interest and involvement of the United States and the problems faced by present Latin governments.

 

Legacy of the Incas. VHS, 42 min. B-ALF CC4499

Explores the history, culture, political struggles, religious beliefs, engineering feats, and customs of the Incan empire.

 

Literatura exilio y democracia en América Latina: jornadas Latinoamericanas, Palma de Mallorca del 27 de febrero al 10 de marzo 1984. 4 VHS, 385 min. PQ7081.A1 L525 1984

[1] Homenaje a Julio Cortázar – [2] Producción cultural en América Latina: Cuba y Nicaragua – [3] Producción cultural en América Latina: el exilio – [4] Entrevistas y recital de canciones y poemas de America Latina.

 

Lost world of the Maya. 36 min. VHS: B-ALF CC3908 | DVD: F1435 .L5867 1974

Follows Dr. Eric Thompson, an authority on Mayan civilization, as he embarks on a pilgrimage through Central America.

 

Man on the Rim: the peopling of the Pacific, no. 9: Roads without wheels. VHS, 60 min. B-ALF CC4327

Isolated from the rest of the world, the South American Indians invented the wheel but used it only on toys, never for transport.

 

Mysteries of the hidden reef. VHS, 22 min. B-ALF NC1616

Day and night exploration of the animal and plant life which dwell within, on, and around the coral reefs in the Caribbean.

 

Of lives uprooted. VHS, 10 min. B-ALF CC4131

Victims of military persecution, children from El Salvador and Nicaragua create a portrait of their world through their artwork and narrative comments.

 

Onward Christian soldiers. VHS, 52 min. BV3777.L3 O59 1989 | B-ALF CC4171

Examines the spread of American fundamentalist evangelism in Latin America.

 

Origins: a history of North America, no. 2: Lost civilization. VHS, 29 min. B-ALF CC4235

Discusses how the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas were brilliant in art, architecture, and agriculture.

 

Origins: a history of North America, no. 4: Treasure hunt. VHS, 29 min. B-ALF CC4237

Tells about Columbus returning to Spain from the Caribbean bearing gold and kidnapped natives, generating more exploration.

 

People and their culture. VHS, 21 min. B-ALF CC4256

Discusses the mixture of races, customs, traditions, and religions in South America.

 

People of a Caribbean island. VHS, 18 min. B-ALF GC1659

Presents an overview of the peoples and cultures of the Caribbean island chain.

 

Pueblos indígenas de América Latina: retos para el nuevo milenio. DVD-R, 1 hr 2min. E65 .P94 2002

Explores the territory, economy and commerce, politics and organization, and identity and culture of Mesamérica, Centroamérica, Los Andes, Amazonía Andina and Amazonía Brasileña.

 

Rice and peas. VHS, 12 min. B-ALF RC1396

Witnesses the making of rice and peas, a staple Caribbean food, while listening to the cook relive experiences in Trinidad, her birthplace.

 

Roots of rhythm. DVD, 150 min. B-MUSIC Reserve 5883264

[1] Traces the origins of Latin music from Spain and Africa to the New World -- [2] Focuses on pop music developed in Cuba – [3] Shows how Spanish-African music has become the basic part of popular musical culture of the U.S.

 

Sacred games. VHS, 59 min. B-ALF CC4005

Documents the complex, week-long activities of the Carnival, the most spectacular, popular, and costly festival of the Mayan ritual calendar.

 

Sentinels of silence. VHS, 18 min. F1219 .S46 1990 | B-ALF GC1458

Uses aerial photography to bring to life many Pre-Columbian ruins including Uxmal, Teotehuacan, and Chichen Itza.

 

The shaman’s apprentice. VHS, 54 min. F2230.1.B7 S53 2001 | B-ALF CC6012

Shows how an American ethnobotanist looks for medicinal plants in the Amazon.

 

Sixteenth century perceptions of Latin America: civil or savage? VHS, 27 min. B-ALF CC4008

Witnesses the "encounter" between European civilizations and those of Latin America, revealing the attitudes that were created.

 

South America: continent of diversity. VHS, 30 min. B-ALF CC5859

Compares population, land, and economies of Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, French Guiana, and Guyana.

 

South America – a new look. VHS, 24 min. B-ALF GC1571

Surveys contemporary problems resulting from geographic, economic, and social differences in South America.

 

South and Central America. VHS, 38 min. B-ALF GC1787

Introduction to basic geographic landforms and climate zones of South and Central America. Populations, history, and cultures of regions are introduced.

 

The time of the angels. VHS, 11 min. B-ALF KC0748

Interprets three Latin American poems through colorful animation and music.

 

A tropical rainforest. VHS, 26 min. B-ALF NC2335

Defines ecosystem and related terms and describes the contemporary Amazonian rainforest ecosystem.

 

Vidas paralelas: mujeres migrantes negociando la aldea global = Parallel lives : migrant women negotiating the global village. DVD-R, 52 min. HQ1514 .V533 2008

Issues concerning migrant women in a global society, and how women negotiate their circumstances in the United States, Puerto Rico, Spain, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

 

War of the gods. VHS, 52 min. B-ALF CC4342

Focuses on the Maku and Barasana Indians, who have lived in the deep forests of northwest Amazonia for thousands of years.

 

West of the Andes. VHS, 26 min. B-ALF CC4260

Explores the region west of the Andes Mountains by focusing on the resources, agriculture, industry, and people of the nations located there.

 

Why war? VHS, 26 min. B-ALF CC3270

Examines conflicts in Cuba, Vietnam, and South America.

 

Women of Latin America. 13 DVD-R (60min/each). HQ1460.5 .W648 2004 v.1

[1] Bolivia: coca, food for the poor -- [2] Brazil: priests, samba dancers and mulattos -- [3] Chile: the drama of hope -- [4] Cuba: the children of Fidel -- [5] Dominicans -- [6] Guatemala silenced -- [7] Mexico: rebellion of the Llorona -- [8] Ecuador: the Indian women -- [9] Nicaragua: red to violet -- [10] Peru: rage of hunger -- [11] Puerto Rico: paradise invaded -- [12] To be a mother in Latin America -- [13] Venezuela: the 21st century to prehistory.

 

The world: a television history, no. 16: Americas before the Europeans (300-1500). VHS, 26 min. B-ALF CC4056

Presents the achievements of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations that existed in Central and South America, and questions why none survived the Spanish Conquistadors.