DOC NYC 2020
November 11 - 29

Latin American Films Presented by Cinema Tropical

Now in its 11th year, the United States’ largest documentary film festival will continue to bring great documentaries to audiences by moving to an online format for 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The films will be available to stream to national audiences between November 11 - 19.

Special Discount Tickets
Get $3 off each ticket using special discount code DOCNYC20-TROPICAL.

For more information and tickets visit: www.docnyc.net

A LA CALLE
(Nelson G. Navarrete and Maxx Caicedo, USA, 2020, 110 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles)
World Premiere 
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Venezuela’s recent political upheavals are made vivid in A La Calle—meaning “to the street.” Covering multiple perspectives in the tradition of epic documentaries such as The Square or Winter on Fire, the film captures history unfolding over several years. Filmmakers Maxx Caicedo and Nelson G. Navarrete—Venezuelan himself—gain close access to Leopoldo López, whose arrest and imprisonment inspires a national movement against the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro. This vital chronicle not only helps us understand Venezuela, it also exemplifies a spirit of resistance against corruption that is universally inspiring.

EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF / EL FATHER COMO SÍ MISMO
(Mo Scarpelli, Venezuela/UK/Italy/USA/Canada, 2020, 105 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
U.S. Premiere
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A fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary showcasing the production of a narrative film set in the Amazonian forest of Venezuela. With acute lensing and formidable direction, filmmaker Mo Scarpelli returns to DOC NYC with a layered and complex portrait of her life partner Jorge Thielen Armand as he directs a film about the unconventional life of his father, Jorge Roque Thielen. Starring Roque as himself, this film is a wild ride across the chasm between past and present, father and son.

FIVE YEARS NORTH
(Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple, USA, 2020, 88 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles)
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After making the dangerous journey from his native Guatemala to New York City, 15-year-old Luis struggles to balance attending school and finding work to support his family back home. Meanwhile, Judy, a Cuban-American ICE agent, faces her own internal conflict with the shifting enforcement priorities of her longtime career, from targeting criminals to nonviolent undocumented individuals. As these two worlds near a collision, their parallel tales present a complex and nuanced take on both immigration and civic duty.  

LA MADRINA: THE [SAVAGE] LIFE OF LORINE PADILLA
(Raquel Cepeda, USA, 2020, 81 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles)
World Premiere 
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Lorine Padilla rose to prominence as the “first lady” of the Savage Skulls gang in 1970s New York City. As the wife of one of its founders, Padilla’s position as surrogate mother led her to push her penchant for organizing into a life of community activism. After settling into her elder years, a tragic incident in the Bronx forces Padilla back into action to take on a new cause.

LANDFALL
(Cecilia Aldarondo, USA, 2020, 93 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles) 
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An intimate and lyrical portrait of trauma, resilience, and resistance in Puerto Rico at a time when economic, political, and ecological forces post-Hurricane María have created a breeding ground for new predatory colonial practices. Told through the experiences of a close-knit community of hopeful and politicized people and through the encounters with cryptocurrency traders, luxury real estate developers, and newcomers flooding the island, Cecilia Aldarondo’s film raises vital questions about identity, survival, and recolonization.

LOS HERMANOS / THE BROTHERS
(Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider, USA, 2020, 83 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles)
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Brothers and gifted musicians, pianist Aldo and violinist Ilmar were separated during childhood after Ilmar left their native Cuba to study abroad, beginning a lifetime of being physically apart, yet alway connected by music. Brief windows of open US/Cuban relations allow the brothers’ joyous reunions where they revel in each others’ company and create beautiful classical, jazz, and Latin music together. Filmmakers Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel take the viewer on a delightful musical tour through Cuba and the US, with appearances from acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell.

MIRACLE FISHING
(Miles Hargrove, USA, 2020, 107 min. In English, Spanish and German with English subtitles)
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On September 23, 1994, a group of Colombian separatist guerillas went “miracle fishing,” abducting American journalist Tom Hargrove to hold for ransom. Finding no support from either the US government or the local corrupt authorities, Hargrove’s family were forced to negotiate directly for his release, working with a tight circle of friends—with Hargrove’s 20-year-old son Miles filming everything on Video8. Returning to this footage 25 years later, he constructs a riveting, immersive chronicle of this ordinary family’s extraordinary experience.

MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTRY
(Lisa Molomot and Jeff Bemiss, USA, 2020, 80 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles)
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Just 70 miles north of the Mexican-US border is a land haunted by ghosts. Brooks County, Texas is a barren landscape designed as a deterrent to illegal crossings, but people continue to attempt to cross, and many die trying. The municipality lacks the resources to properly deal with this sad reality, and the numbers keep rising. Multiple locals proffer contrasting opinions as two families search for their loved ones, and the toll of an unsustainable immigration policy is laid bare.

THE MOLE AGENT / EL AGENTE TOPO
(Maite Alberdi, Chile, 2020, 89 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
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In Chile, private investigator Romulo is hired to investigate the possible mistreatment of a resident in a retirement home. His secret weapon: Sergio, an 83-year-old who infiltrates the home as a new resident and undercover spy. As Sergio tries to learn the tricks of the espionage trade to fulfill his mission, he becomes increasingly involved in the lives of the female residents—humorous and bittersweet interactions captured by filmmaker Maite Alberdi’s unobtrusive camera. The result is “the most heartwarming spy movie ever made” (Indiewire).

OFF THE ROAD
(José Permar, USA, 2020, 78 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
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Each year, the slow-paced lifestyle on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is given a turbo boost by the Baja 1000, the largest off-road motorsport race in the world. In this modern-day western—complete with a commissioned soundtrack of epic corridos performed by a trio of colorful musicians—local drivers and a young journalist spend the year preparing for the Baja 1000 and the invigorating change of pace the massive race gives to their desert community.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENEZUELA / ÉRASE UNA VEZ EN VENEZUELA
(Anabel Rodríguez Ríos, Venezuela, 2020, 99 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
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At the edge of Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo is the small floating village of Congo Mirador. Now sinking into sediment, this once-prosperous fishing community is unraveling after years of criminal pollution and government neglect. Focusing on two fierce, independent women who epitomize opposing sides of this vulnerable community, Anabel Rodríguez Ríos’s film is a stunning microcosm of a global battle to safeguard cultural heritage and retain political relevancy.

SONGS OF REPRESSION
(Estephan Wagner and Marianne Hougen-Moraga, Denmark/The Netherlands, 2020, 88 min. In German and Spanish with English subtitles)  
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Executive produced by Joshua Oppenheimer, this poignant portrait reveals the dark truth behind Chile’s seemingly idyllic, tourist-friendly German colony, Colonia Dignidad. Led by a cruel cult leader for more than 40 years, it remains the home of several generations of perpetrators and victims, inexplicably coexisting without reckoning with decades of abuse. Filmmakers Marianne Hougen-Moraga and Estephan Wagner offer a gentle exploration of the community through the experiences of its surviving members.

STATELESS
(Michèle Stephenson, USA / Canada, 2020, 95 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
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The stunning island of Hispaniola is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, countries with a complicated history and tense relations. In 2013, the DR’s Supreme Court retroactively stripped the citizenship of residents of Haitian descent, leaving more than 200,000 people stateless, subject to immediate deportation, and devastating loss. In the midst of staggering intolerance, attorney Rosa Iris fights to protect the rights of these disenfranchised people while leading a grassroots campaign for a better future.

THE LAST OUT
(Sami Khan and Michael Gassert, USA, 2020, 84 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles)
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Three talented Cuban athletes leave their families and homes behind as they set off in pursuit of the ultimate dream: a contract with Major League Baseball. They travel to Costa Rica and train under a seedy sports agent who dangles promises while exploiting their talents. As they navigate immigration and the ulterior motives of handlers, each man finds an unexpected path forward to a better life.

THINGS WE DARE NOT DO / COSAS QUE NO HACEMOS
(Bruno Santamaría, Mexico, 2020, 71 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
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Filmmaker Bruno Santamaría crafts an exquisite, ephemeral profile of a Mexican teenager on the cusp of adulthood. In the humble coastal village of El Roblito, Ñoño’s family and community live a seemingly idyllic existence. Ñoño spends time staging dance productions with local kids, but, when able to find time alone, travels to a secret place to dress as a woman. When violence disrupts El Roblito, Ñoño must decide if he will follow his dreams or remain with his conservative, loving family. This achingly beautiful film showcases the quiet and powerful acts of bravery in everyday life.

THROUGH THE NIGHT
(Loira Limbal, USA, 2020, 72 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
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Night-shift workers and single moms in New Rochelle, NY have angels in their midst: Nunu and husband Patrick run a 24-hour childcare center for parents with no other options. The home-based center provides children with food, fun, and lots of love, but at what cost to the providers? Director Loira Limbal takes us inside Dee’s Tots Daycare for an intimate and compelling look at two unsung heroes in selfless service to their community.