As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to an end, I figured there would be no better time than the present to recommend some of my favorite Spanish-language films. Obviously, there are plenty of fantastic Spanish films out there I have yet to see, but each of these stands out to me among movies in multiple languages. Here are my top 5:
5. Voces inocentes/Innocent Voices
This film, which features a young boy in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War, was introduced to me in a Spanish class. It provides a unique perspective–a child’s perspective–on the realities of living under the constant threat of violence. It is also an eye-opening representation of several issues of the time, including gang violence, a militant government, and the role of the church and resistance groups.
4. Los Diarios de Motocicleta/The Motorcycle Diaries
This is another movie I watched for a Spanish class. It follows the young Che Guevara in his quest to bike across South America with his friend Alberto Granado. As Guevara, a medical student from Argentina, becomes exposed to poverty, disease, and the poor treatment of indigenous groups, he slowly becomes radicalized into the Guevara known for his involvement in Cuba’s Communist Revolution.
3. El laberinto del fauno/Pan’s labyrinth
Yet another movie I watched in Spanish class (this time in high school), this Guillermo del Toro film takes a more fantastical approach to a period of historical turmoil. A young girl, Ofelia, arrives with her pregnant mother at a military base in Francoist Spain where her stepfather is captain. One night, she is guided through a labyrinth by a fairy where she meets a faun who informs her that she is princess of the underworld and must complete three tasks to claim her throne. She embarks on her quest, but not without resistance from her repressive stepfather.
2. VerĂłnica
I actually watched this film for reasons completely unrelated to Spanish class (which is probably for the best). VerĂłnica is a 15-year-old girl who performs a sĂ©ance with some friends during a solar eclipse. Though their goal was to communicate with dead loved ones, it all goes wrong when VerĂłnica becomes violently possessed by a demon. I’ve seen a lot of mediocre horror movies, but this is not one of them. Did I mention it’s based on true events?
1. La Casa de Papel/Money Heist
Though it is not a movie, this show is easily one of my favorites of all time-I had to include it. A mysterious man known as El Profesor recruits a group of Spain’s most notorious criminals to carry out an elaborate scheme to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. Action-packed and full of twists and turns, this show captures the audience’s attention and raises questions about complex moral dilemmas.