Told through a series of flashbacks and flashforwards, La Nación Clandestina tells the story of an Aymara man, Sebastian, who returns to his village in order to perform his final death dance, and his tumultuous life is revealed as he journeys home. This is one of the most unique films because it does not only focus on indigenous people and issues but it does so through an indigenous structure. The film is based on the native Andean idea of “naupaj mapuni” which translates to “looking into the past and the future at one and the same time”. The film is therefore a nonlinear telling of the history of this man’s life, both his failures and his triumphs. Not only that, but it is also a story of Bolivia in the 20th century.

This movie is the definition of a slow burn. There isn’t a lot of action, plot, or dialogue but the characters haunt you. Nowhere can you see such an apt portrayal of a decaying bourgeoisie in a country on the brink of economic collapse. The film starts with Mecha, a bourgeois Argentine woman, who, while sunbathing with her friends at her home in Salta, drunkenly falls and cuts her chest. Mecha becomes bedridden after the incident and from then on there are no major events. Lucrecia Martel, one of the most celebrated Argentine directors, finds power in silences and shows us just how close to animals we can become if we’re not careful.

Of all the films on the list, I have to say this one is by far the most exciting movie on here. It has classic action thriller elements with more personal and realistic, albeit drastic, stakes. 7 Boxes tells the story of Victor, a young man who works at the Mercado 4 in Asuncion and has dreams of being on the big screen. When he is given the job of transporting 7 boxes for $100 (USD) he takes it, but things prove to be much more complicated and Victor becomes enveloped in a criminal web of lies. It’s pure popcorn entertainment with uniquely Paraguayan aspects to the story. It celebrates the diversity of a very bilingual Asuncion.

Another of Latin America’s most celebrated women directors, Claudia Llosa shocked and inspired the world when she made this intimate, surreal portrait of a young indigenous woman. The Milk of Sorrow tells the story of Fausta who is afflicted by an illness passed through the breastmilk of women who have been raped during pregnancy. Because of this, Fausta lives in a constant state of fear but when her mother dies she has to face these challenges in order to break the cycle. The film gets at the root of what it is like to experience generational trauma and the privilege that comes with individual memory over collective memory.

Of all the movies I watched, this one has to be the most fun and easily accessible one. Juan of the Dead starts when zombies take over Havana. The government claims that they are US dissidents, but Juan and his friends don’t buy it. Juan decides to capitalize on the moment and create a company that kills the loved ones of Havana residents. If you love zombie movies, then this one has to be a must-see because it makes the genre extremely political but still manages to retain the fun nature of the genre. Its criticisms of the Cuban state as well as the foreign tourists who populate Havana are biting and witty. More importantly for me, it gets at the root of what a lot of Cubans today feel.