Trailer Premiere Exclusive: World Premiere of Honduran Documentary WHERE THE SUN IS BORN at IDFA

Where the Sun Is Born / Allá donde nace el sol, an evocative creative documentary co-directed by Honduran filmmaker Laura Bermúdez and Garifuna artist, dancer, and musician Jorge García, will celebrare its World Premiere in the Luminous section at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) this November. Grounded in four years of collaborative research across Afro-Indigenous communities, the film arrives in Amsterdam following major industry accolades at Ventana Sur Docs, where it was awarded both the Cannes Docs and DocsBarcelona Awards.

The film follows co-director Jorge García, a dancer living far from his coastal birthplace in Honduras's capital city. Haunted by nostalgia, personal grief, and a growing detachment from his roots, Jorge embarks on a spiritual journey back to the coastal Garifuna villages where ancestral traditions endure. Retracing the rivers and trails of his childhood, he immerses himself in daily life—canoeing through mangroves, singing with matriarchs, and participating in rituals that bridge the living and spirit worlds.

Moving fluidly between personal memory and collective identity, the documentary culminates in the Yurumein—a sacred Garifuna ceremony commemorating their 1797 exile from Saint Vincent. Guided by spiritual elders and the memory of his late mother, Jorge channels grief, movement, and resistance through dance, discovering that his personal healing is inextricably linked to the survival of his people's heritage.

Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Garifuna emerged from the union of shipwrecked Africans and Indigenous Carib and Arawak communities. Having never been enslaved, they stand as a historic symbol of cultural autonomy in Central America, even as they face ongoing displacement and cultural erosion. Co-directed through an ethical, decolonial collaboration, Where the Sun Is Born stands as a vital Central American and Caribbean testament to resilience, honoring sacred music, drumming, and dance as living archives of freedom.

Watch the trailer:

EL PICAFLOR PINTA CANCIONES PERFUMADAS tendrá su estreno en EE.UU como película inaugural de DOC NYC 2026

Tras su aclamado estreno mundial en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Toronto (TIFF), El picaflor pinta canciones perfumadas (The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs), la nueva película de Èlia Gasull Balada (editora, Son of Monarchs, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks) y Matteo Norzi (Icaros: A Vision), tendrá su estreno en Estados Unidos como película inaugural de la edición 2026 de DOC NYC, el festival de documentales más grande del país, que se celebrará del 11 al 26 de noviembre.

La película retrata a Sara Flores (Soi Biri en idioma shipibo), maestra de 75 años del kené —el complejo lenguaje visual del pueblo shipibo de la Amazonía peruana, nacido de la noción del kéenti (amar o cuidar). Tras décadas de trabajo en la intimidad de su comunidad, Flores irrumpió a sus setenta años en el circuito del arte contemporáneo global: colaboró con la galería White Cube y la casa Dior, y se convirtió en la primera artista indígena en representar a Perú en la 61.ª Bienal de Venecia.

Sin embargo, este reconocimiento tardío en su vida encierra una paradoja contundente: su consagración internacional coincide con un momento crítico para su territorio, cercado por la destrucción ambiental, el despojo ilegal de tierras y la negligencia estatal.

Lejos del formato documental tradicional, Gasull Balada y Norzi proponen una experiencia inmersiva que se inspira en el propio proceso creativo de Flores. Así como el kené traduce geometrías espirituales en visiones complejas, la película captura los ritmos, las texturas y el pulso espiritual de la Amazonía. Las imágenes contraponen con fuerza los paisajes orgánicos de la selva con la arquitectura fría de los museos occidentales, exponiendo las tensiones entre las formas de vida indígenas y las instituciones del Norte Global.

El universo sonoro es tan central como la imagen. Los diseñadores de sonido María Alejandra Rojas y Arturo Salazar entrelazan los ruidos de la selva y el entorno natural con ícaros —cantos rituales que reemplazan la música incidental convencional— interpretados en una noche de ceremonia por Elisa Vargas Fernández (Tár) y su hijo Fredi Luis Sánchez Vargas. El resultado es un paisaje auditivo envolvente que le da cuerpo a la cosmología shipiba.

A través de esta búsqueda formal, la película acompaña a Flores en un camino íntimo, político y espiritual: desde una crisis de salud y una visión de ayahuasca que conecta su cuerpo con la herida de la selva, hasta su participación en la ONU junto a jóvenes defensores de la tierra, culminando en su gran exposición en el Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), donde presenta una nueva serie sobre la bandera de la Nación Shipiba. Más que un retrato, El picaflor pinta canciones perfumadas se convierte en una extensión de su arte, transformando el cine en una herramienta de resistencia decolonial, soberanía amazónica y futuridad indígena.

DOC NYC 2026: A Guide to Latin American and U.S. Latinx Documentaries

The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs by Èlia Gasull Balada, Matteo Norzi

The 17th annual edition of DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary film festival, will take place in New York City from November 11–19, 2026, with online screenings continuing through November 29. This year’s lineup features 26 films by Latin American and U.S. Latinx filmmakers—14 feature-length documentaries and 12 short films—spanning themes of political resistance, Indigenous identity, migration, family, memory, artistic expression, and social justice. In-person screenings will take place at IFC Center, Village East by Angelika, and SVA Theatre.

Opening the festival on November 11 is The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs, by Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi. The U.S. premiere is also part of DOC NYC’s International Competition.

Shipibo artist Sara Flores brings the ancestral knowledge of the Peruvian Amazon to museums and audiences around the world through intricate sacred geometries inspired by visions. As international recognition transforms her life, Flores navigates family, illness, spiritual healing, and the responsibility of using her voice to defend her people and their territory. An intimate portrait of an artist whose work brings together creativity, ecology, resistance, and ancestral wisdom.

Co-directed by Venezuelan-Canadian filmmaker Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman, Nuisance Bear explores the complex relationship between humans and polar bears in northern Canada. Through the perspective of Inuit elder Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons, the documentary reflects on the sacred bond between humans and bears, while examining how colonial attitudes and policies have disrupted Inuit beliefs, customs, and ways of life. The film is featured in DOC NYC’s Winner’s Circle.

Chilean filmmaker Carolina Astudillo Muñoz’s Not All the Girls / No todas las niñas revisits the childhood memories of women who grew up under Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. After years in Spain, Astudillo reunites with friends who, like her, experienced a childhood shaped by political violence, secrecy, and silence. Through fragmentary memories and personal recollections, the women reflect on how those early experiences shaped their identities and relationships. A poetic exploration of collective memory and the lasting reverberations of political violence across generations. The film is part of Resilience, a DOC NYC section highlighting films about strength in the face of trauma.

Colombian filmmaker Carolina González Valencia’s How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps / Cómo limpiar una casa en 10 pasos fáciles revisits her mother Beatriz's experience of providing for her children in Colombia by working as a house cleaner in the United States. Decades later, mother and daughter revisit their past, using elements of play to ease the pain that marks both their lives. Glittery, mischievous, and formally inventive, the documentary explores migration, family, labor, and the bonds that connect generations. Also featured in Resilience.

How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps by Carolina González Valencia

In #SOSCUBA, Cuban filmmaker Hugo Perez documents the struggle for artistic freedom in contemporary Cuba, where independent artists organizing outside state institutions face censorship, surveillance, and repression. Focusing on an independent biennial and the artists determined to make their work visible, the film reveals how creative expression has become inseparable from political resistance. Through historical context and personal testimony, Perez examines the extraordinary stakes of dissent in a country where artistic independence is perceived as a threat. The film is part of DOC NYC’s U.S. Competition.

Mexican filmmaker Trisha Ziff’s Frida: The Girl Just Doesn’t Go Away / La mirada de Frida examines the enduring cultural legacy of Frida Kahlo, decades after her death. Now a feminist icon, queer touchstone, political symbol, and ubiquitous commodity, Kahlo has become the subject of countless interpretations and appropriations. Through the perspectives of scholars, artists, artisans, collectors, and devoted fans, the documentary explores how her image has been claimed, reproduced, marketed, and reimagined, while her paintings continue to inspire. Looking beyond Fridamania, Ziff asks what happens when a radical artist becomes both a universal role model and a global brand. The film is part of the U.S. Competition.

Zenón and the Rebel Boats / Zenón y la flotilla rebelde, by Puerto Rican filmmaker Juan C. Dávila Santiago, revisits the remarkable story of Carlos “Taso” Zenón, a fisherman and freedom fighter who organized resistance against the U.S. military occupation of his hometown of Vieques. From their small fishing boats, Zenón and his community mounted a determined campaign against the American military presence, fighting for the freedom and autonomy of Puerto Ricans. Bringing together previously unseen archival footage, the film recovers a little-known chapter of resistance against American imperialism. The film is featured in DOC NYC’s Archival Storytelling Competition.

French filmmaker Nolwenn Hervé’s The Cord / Le Cordon follows Carolina, a Venezuelan activist who helps pregnant women navigate a failing healthcare system. Through Carolina’s courage, complex past, and deep compassion for the women she supports, the documentary places her extraordinary work within a broader socioeconomic and political context. An intimate portrait of resilience and solidarity, the film captures the humanity of a woman committed to helping others in the face of systemic adversity. The film is part of the International Competition.

Los Lobos: Native Sons, directed by Doug Blush and Piero F. Giunti, tells the story of the genre-bending Chicano band Los Lobos, which broke into the mainstream while building a remarkable 50-year musical legacy. Responsible for timeless hits such as “Will the Wolf Survive?”, the East Los Angeles group blended rock, R&B, and blues to create its distinctive sound. Featuring interviews with Peter Frampton, Linda Ronstadt, George Lopez, and many others, the documentary offers a comprehensive portrait of Mexican American music royalty. The film is featured in Sonic Cinema, DOC NYC’s section dedicated to music documentaries.

Winner of the NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, William D. Caballero’s TheyDream is a deeply personal documentary examining the transformative nature of grief within a close-knit Puerto Rican family. Interweaving animation with live-action footage, Caballero creates an intimate confession about the courage required to transform pain into art and preserve the memory of loved ones. A love letter to his family and to the act of artistic creation, the film explores memory, loss, and the possibilities of intergenerational healing. The film is featured in Selects Encore, a section showcasing highlights from DOC NYC Selects, the festival’s year-round screening series, including films that remain part of the awards conversation.

TheyDream by William D. Caballero

German filmmaker Jens Schanze’s Materia Prima examines the new gold rush surrounding Bolivia’s vast lithium reserves, a resource essential to the global energy transition. Over six years, Schanze observes the complex dynamics of extraction, exploring the competing interests of European industries seeking raw materials and Bolivian communities fighting for autonomy and justice. Through multiple perspectives, the documentary questions the colonial patterns underlying the pursuit of a supposedly sustainable future. The film is part of the International Competition.

In American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez, director David Alvarado explores the life and legacy of the pioneering Chicano playwright and filmmaker whose work helped bring Mexican American experiences to the forefront of American culture. Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Valdez pushed Chicano storytelling from the fields to the film screen, creating iconic works such as Zoot Suit and La Bamba that challenge, celebrate, and expand America's story. The film won the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary and the Festival Favorite Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and is featured in DOC NYC’s Winner’s Circle.

In Dual Citizen, Haitian-American filmmaker Rachelle Salnave persuades her fiercely America-loving, Haitian-born father, Edouard, to restore his Haitian nationality so she can pursue dual citizenship. Together, they navigate bureaucracy, rediscover family ties, and reconnect with the country he left behind. Set against the beauty and complexity of Haiti, this warm and spirited documentary explores diaspora, belonging, and the enduring bonds between generations. The film is featured in “Come As You Are”, a section that highlights films about people striving to find their place in the world.

In Rapinoe, Afro-Latina filmmaker Rebeca Huntt, the daughter of a Dominican father and a Venezuelan mother, profiles soccer star Megan Rapinoe, tracing nearly two decades of her career and her impact both on and off the field. Alongside her athletic achievements, the documentary explores Rapinoe’s role in the fight to end pay inequality in U.S. Soccer. The film is featured in DOC NYC’s Game Face Cinema program.

Twelve short films by Latin American and U.S. Latinx filmmakers will also screen across various DOC NYC programs. These include Vanishing Time by Zoe Valery, an examination of immigration, displacement, and the vulnerability of immigrant communities in San Francisco, featured in Shorts: Hidden Histories; And I Saw Your Name on the Dust of the Houses / …Y vi tu nombre en el polvo de las casas by Mexican filmmaker Isay Peña, a contemplative exploration of memory and loss, and Jason by Colombian-American filmmaker Gabriella Canal, about a young boy in Miami whose mother has been deported. Both are featured in Shorts: Heartbeats; Anatomy of a Portrait / Anatomía de un retrato by Colombian filmmaker Juan Felipe León, which meditates on the human body and mortality, and Animas, by Fernando Rocha and Eduardo Rodriguez, celebrating the Día de los Muertos tradition in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Both are featured in Shorts: Body & Soul.

The program also features Replikka, by Brazilian filmmakers Piratá Waurá and Heloisa Passos, a journey through Indigenous knowledge, memory, and resilience; Project Utopia, by Frederick Bernas and Nico Muñoz, following an inventor developing technology to harvest water from the air in communities affected by lithium mining in Argentina, featured in Shorts: Shifting; Q-Pop by Adri Murguia, about a young Peruvian musician bringing Quechua culture to new audiences through an unexpected fusion with K-pop, featured in Shorts: Sing It Proud; La Tierra del Valor (The Home of the Brave), by Latina filmmaker Cristina Costantini, following singer NEZZA’s performance of the U.S. national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium and the debate it sparks about immigration and national identity, featured in Shorts: Deny, Deflect, Dismiss; Manufacturing Resilience by Rodrigo Guevara, following an Indigenous Mexican woman who becomes a workers' rights activist, featured in Shorts: Get Up, Stand Up; Pelo Lindo, by Guatemalan filmmaker Josué García Prado, reflecting on the disappearance of a family member during Guatemala’s armed conflict, featured in Shorts: Gathered Echoes; and Update by Colombian filmmaker Vicente González Monroy, a meditative visual exploration of loss and grief through images of a city and its inhabitants, featured in Shorts: We Belong Together.

The 2026 edition of DOC NYC will take place at IFC Center, Village East by Angelika, and SVA Theatre from November 11–19, with online screenings continuing through Sunday, November 29.

For the complete program of Latin American and U.S. Latinx films, visit Cinema Tropical’s Letterboxd list, where viewers can mark the films they have already seen and add upcoming screenings to their watchlists.

True/False and SFFILM Award Winner HOW TO CLEAN A HOUSE IN 10 EASY STEPS to Have NYC Premiere at DOC NYC

Following an acclaimed run on the international festival circuit, How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps, (Cómo limpiar una casa en 10 pasos fáciles), the award-winning debut feature by Colombian filmmaker Carolina González Valencia, will have its long-awaited New York City Premiere at the 17th DOC NYC festival, running November 11-29, 2026.

Executive produced by Ai-jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, alongside Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, Ryan Gall, Juan Mejía Botero, and Amanda Branson Gill, the film arrives in New York following an acclaimed run on the international festival circuit. film arrives in New York after a successful festival journey that began with its world premiere earlier this year at the True/False Film Fest, where it received the 2026 True Life Award, followed by its West Coast premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM), where it won the Kirby Walker Documentary Award.

The film follows Beatriz Valencia, a Colombian-born domestic worker in the United States, and her daughter Carolina—the filmmaker herself—as they collaborate to create the fictional character of a writer. Moving fluidly between reality and fantasy, the hybrid documentary draws on their lived experiences and shared imagination to explore immigration, labor, displacement, and the liberating possibilities of storytelling.

In 1998, Beatriz made the painful decision to migrate from Colombia to the United States to provide for her family, leaving her two children behind. Decades later, mother and daughter face the possibility of another separation, as Beatriz prepares to return to Colombia while Carolina considers her own future in this country. Together, they turn to fiction to reimagine their lives and reclaim control over their own narratives, transforming storytelling into an act of healing, agency, and reconciliation.

Structured in ten chapters, How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps weaves together fantastical scenarios, docu-fiction, and everyday routines, as Beatriz confronts aging, economic precarity, and the lack of protections afforded to domestic workers.

With humor, tenderness, and formal inventiveness, González Valencia crafts an intimate mother-daughter portrait that challenges conventional representations of immigrant labor and explores the possibilities of artistic creation as a form of resistance. At a particularly fraught moment for immigrant communities in the United States, the film offers a timely and deeply personal reflection on belonging, self-determination, and the transformative power of imagination.