Theydream by William D. Caballero
17th DOC NYC
November 11—19, 2026
The 17th edition of DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary film festival, returns to New York City from November 11–19, with an online program continuing through November 29. This year’s lineup features a compelling selection of documentaries from Latin America and the Latinx diaspora, co-presented by Cinema Tropical. Screenings take place at IFC Center, Village East by Angelika, and SVA Theatre.
Explore our Letterboxd list to keep track of the films, mark the ones you’ve already seen, and add the ones you’d like to watch to your watchlist.
THE HUMMINGBIRD PAINTS FRAGRANT SONGS
(Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi, Peru/U.S./Qatar, 2026, 90 min. In Spanish and Shipibo)
U.S. Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi and protagonist/artist Sara Flores.
Shipibo artist Sara Flores creates intricate sacred geometries inspired by visions, carrying Indigenous knowledge from the Peruvian Amazon into museums around the world. 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.
NUISANCE BEAR
(Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden, U.S./Canada/U.K., 2026, 88 min. In Inuktitut and English)
Set in Churchill, Manitoba, at the heart of North America's human-polar bear conflicts, Nuisance Bear explores the complex relationship between humans and polar bears through the perspective of Inuit elder Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons. Reflecting on the sacred bond of respect between humans and bears, Gibbons also speaks to the indignities imposed upon Inuit beliefs and customs by colonial outsiders. As these majestic animals become increasingly perceived as a nuisance by human communities, the film challenges conventional ideas about coexistence, territory, and the natural world.
NOT ALL THE GIRLS / NO TODAS LAS NIÑAS
(Carolina Astudillo Muñoz, Spain/Chile, 2026, 84 min. In Spanish and English)
World Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Carolina Astudillo.
How does one remember a dictatorship experienced as a child? After years in Spain, filmmaker Carolina Astudillo reunites with friends who, like her, grew up under Augusto Pinochet's violent regime, when families learned that survival could depend on secrecy and silence. Revisiting fragmentary memories, 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.
#SOSCUBA
(Hugo Perez, Cuba, 2026, 94 min. In Spanish and English)
World Premiere
The first and second screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director Hugo Perez and protagonist/artist/activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara.
When Cuban artists organize an independent biennial outside state institutions, their creative ambitions collide with censorship, surveillance, and repression. Making and exhibiting art becomes inseparable from political resistance, revealing a form of organized dissent rarely seen in Cuba's recent history. Through historical context and personal testimony, Hugo Perez documents the extraordinary stakes of artistic freedom in a country where creative independence is perceived as a threat.
FRIDA: THE GIRL JUST DOESN’T GO AWAY / LA MIRADA DE FRIDA
(Trisha Ziff, Mexico, 2026, 85 min. In Spanish and English)
U.S. Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Trisha Ziff.
Decades after her death, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has become a feminist icon, queer touchstone, political symbol, and ubiquitous commodity. Through the perspectives of scholars, artists, artisans, collectors, and devoted fans, the film explores how Kahlo's image has been claimed, reproduced, marketed, and reimagined, while her paintings continue to inspire. Looking beyond Fridamania, the documentary asks what happens when a radical artist becomes both a universal role model and a global brand.
ZENÓN AND THE REBEL BOATS / ZENÓN Y LA FLOTILLA REBELDE
(Juan C. Dávila Santiago, Puerto Rico, 2026, 94 min. In Spanish and English)
NYC Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Juan C. Dávila; producer/editor Camila M. Rodríguez Estrada; archival producer Bian Elkhatib; production assistant/granddaughter of Carlos Zenón, Mía I. Zenón; and son of Carlos Zenón, Yabureibo Zenón.
The second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Juan C. Dávila Santiago and producer/editor Camila M. Rodríguez Estrada.
Carlos “Taso” Zenón was a Puerto Rican fisherman and freedom fighter who organized against the U.S. military's occupation of his hometown of Vieques. From their small fishing boats, Zenón and his community mounted a determined resistance against the American military presence, fighting for the freedom and autonomy of Puerto Ricans. Bringing together previously unseen archival footage, the film tells the story of a little-known struggle against American imperialism.
THE CORD / LE CORDON
(Nolwenn Hervé, Venezuela/France, 2026, 99 min. In Spanish)
North American Premiere
The first and second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Nolwenn Hervé and producer Estelle Robin You.
The Cord centers on Carolina, a Venezuelan activist who helps pregnant women navigate a failing healthcare system. Highlighting Carolina's courage, complex past, and deep compassion as she supports her community, filmmaker Nolwenn Hervé places her extraordinary work within its 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.
LOS LOBOS: NATIVE SONS
(Doug Blush and Piero F. Giunti, U.S., 2026, 93 min. In English)
NYC Premiere
The first and second screening will be followed by a Q&A with co-directors Doug Blush and Piero F. Giunti.
The definitive story of Los Lobos, the genre-bending Chicano band that broke into the mainstream and built a 50-year legacy of unforgettable music. 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 film offers a comprehensive portrait of Mexican American music royalty.
THEYDREAM
(William D. Caballero, U.S., 2026, 86 min. In English and Spanish)
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director William D. Caballero and producer Erin Ploss-Campoamor.
Winner of the NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, TheyDream is a deeply personal documentary examining the transformative nature of grief within a close-knit Puerto Rican family. Director William D. Caballero interweaves animation with live-action footage, creating an intimate confession about the courage required to transform pain into art and preserve the memory of loved ones.
MATERIA PRIMA
(Jens Schanze, Germany/Bolivia, 2026, 90 min. In Spanish, Quechua, and English)
North American Premiere
The first and second screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Jens Schanze.
A new gold rush is shifting Europe's attention toward Bolivia's vast lithium reserves, a resource essential to the global energy transition. Over six years, filmmaker Jens Schanze observes the complex dynamics of extraction, examining the competing interests of European industries seeking raw materials and Bolivian communities fighting for autonomy and justice. Through multiple perspectives, the film questions the colonial patterns underlying the pursuit of a supposedly sustainable future.
AMERICAN PACHUCO: THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ
(David Alvarado, U.S., 2026, 93 min. In English and Spanish)
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director/producer David Alvarado, producers Lauren DeFilippo and Everett Katigbak, and protagonists Luis Valdez and Lou Diamond Phillips.
Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez pushes 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 documentary explores the life and legacy of the pioneering playwright and filmmaker, whose work helped bring Mexican American experiences to the forefront of American culture.
Winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary and Festival Favorite Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
HOW TO CLEAN A HOUSE IN 10 EASY STEPS / CÓMO LIMPIAR UNA CASA EN 10 PASOS FÁCILES
(Carolina González Valencia, Colombia/U.S./Mexido, 2026, 80 min. In Spanish and English)
NYC Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Carolina Gonzalez Valencia, producer Brenda Avila-Hanna, executive producer/Domestic Workers Alliance president Ai-jen Poo, and protagonist Beatriz Valencia.
The second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Carolina González Valencia, producer Brenda Avila-Hanna, and protagonist Beatriz Valencia.
Beatriz, the mother of filmmaker Carolina González Valencia, provided 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 film explores migration, family, labor, and the bonds that connect generations.
DUAL CITIZEN
(Rachelle Salnave, Haiti/U.S., 2026, 78 min. In English, French, and Haitian Creole)
NYC Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Rachelle Salnave, cinematographer Marc Baptiste, and director of photography Estaïlove St-Val.
Rachelle 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 portrait explores diaspora, belonging, and the enduring bonds between generations.
RAPINOE
(Rebeca Huntt, U.S., 2026, 92 min. In English)
NYC Premiere
In Rapinoe, Afro-Latina filmmaker Rebeca Huntt turns her camera toward Megan Rapinoe, the internationally celebrated soccer player and outspoken activist. Following Rapinoe's extraordinary career in American women's soccer, the documentary revisits her athletic achievements and activism, including her leading role in the landmark campaign for equal pay in U.S. Soccer. Drawing on Huntt's candid approach to filmmaking, the film offers an intimate portrait of an athlete whose influence extends far beyond the soccer field.
VANISHING TIME
(Zoe Valery, U.S., 2026, 11 min. In Spanish and English)
U.S. Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Zoe Valery.
Shot entirely through reflections along San Francisco's Calle 24, Vanishing Time examines the fragile status of the city's sanctuary protections amid increased government scrutiny and mass deportations. Through an inventive visual approach, the short reflects on immigration, displacement, and the vulnerability of immigrant communities.
AND I SAW YOUR NAME ON THE DUST OF THE HOUSES / …Y VI TU NOMBRE EN EL POLVO DE LAS CASAS
(Isay Peña, Mexico, 2026, 19 min. In Spanish)
North American Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Isay Peña.
A woman moves through the ghosts of joy and loss that continue to haunt her, captured through vivid 16mm cinematography and an intimate, contemplative gaze. The film's textured images evoke the fragile persistence of memory as Rosalva Moreno Torres continues her search for herself.
JASON
(Gabriella Canal, U.S., 2026, 13 min. In Spanish and English)
NYC Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Gabriella Canal and protagonist Jason.
A young boy carries on with his days in Miami while the voice of his recently deported mother travels through the phone to reach him. Through this intimate portrait, Colombian-American filmmaker Gabriella Canal explores the absence left by deportation, the fragile connections that sustain families across borders, and the enduring power of a mother's love.
ANATOMY OF A PORTRAIT / ANATOMÍA DE UN RETRATO
(Juan Felipe León, Colombia, 2026, 23 min. In Spanish)
U.S. Premiere
A woman who wants to donate her body to science asks an artist to help imagine how she might be preserved after death. Moving between art and science, this beautifully shot and empathetic documentary offers a thoughtful meditation on the human body, mortality, and our relationship with the physical self.
ANIMAS
(Fernando Rocha and Eduardo Rodriguez, U.S., 2024, 5 min. In Spanish and English)
World Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Eduardo Rodriguez and director/producer Fernando Rocha.
Celebrating Día de los Muertos in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, this short documentary follows community members as they bring together culture, grief, and advocacy through the ancient tradition of honoring the dead. The film explores how collective remembrance can strengthen the bonds of the living.
REPLIKKA
(Piratá Waurá and Heloisa Passos, Brazil/U.S., 2025, 15 min.)
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Piratá Waurá and Heloisa Passos.
Technology and Indigenous wisdom come together in this spiritual and meditative journey through memory, identity, loss, and rebirth. Focusing on the Wauja people of the Xingu, the film explores the resilience of a community confronting the destruction of its history and demonstrates how ancestral knowledge can endure across generations.
PROJECT UTOPIA
(Frederick Bernas and Nico Muñoz, Argentina/U.S., 2026, 12 min. In Spanish)
World Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Frederick Bernas and Nico Muñoz, and producer Andrew Ford. The second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Frederick Bernas and producer Andrew Ford.
A visually striking portrait of inventor Joaquín Fargas as he develops a robotic caterpillar designed to harvest water from the air in communities affected by lithium mining in Argentina. Quirky and innovative, the film explores how technology might help address one of the world's most urgent challenges: access to water.
Q-POP
(Adri Murguia, U.S./Peru, 2026, 27 min. In Spanish, Quechua, English, and Korean)
NYC Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Adri Murguia, producer Jamie Rogers Caballero, and protagonist Lenin Tamayo.
Lenin, a young Peruvian musician, draws inspiration from K-pop to create music that celebrates his Indigenous identity and endangered ancestral language. With energy and enthusiasm, the film follows his efforts to bring Quechua culture to new audiences through an unexpected musical fusion.
LA TIERRA DEL VALOR (THE HOME OF THE BRAVE)
(Cristina Costantini, U.S., 2026, 23 min. In English and Spanish)
NYC Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Cristina Costantini, producer Alfie Koetter, and protagonist Vanessa Hernandez.
In the face of growing antipathy toward immigrants, Latina pop star NEZZA makes the bold choice to perform the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium in Spanish, sparking an outpouring of outrage, support, and discussion about freedom of speech and who decides what “American” means.
MANUFACTURING RESILIENCE
(Rodrigo Guevara, U.S., 2026, 23 min. In Spanish)
World Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Rodrigo Guevara, producer/editor Abraham Avila, and protagonist Margarita Avalos Salas.
Margarita “Mago” Ávalos, an Indigenous Mexican woman, never intended to become a workers’ rights activist; she simply wanted to earn a fair living wage. But after discovering widespread labor inequities, she finds herself compelled to fight for her rights and those of her colleagues. An uplifting oral history of a woman finding her voice and discovering her vocation as an activist.
PELO LINDO
(Josué García Prado, Guatemala, 2026, 24 min. In Spanish)
US Premiere
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Josue Garcia Prado and producer German Alvarez.
On her 90th birthday, Josefa Elizabeth Andrade reflects on the chapel she built in memory of her son, Joaquín Rodas Andrade, who was forcibly disappeared during Guatemala's armed conflict nearly four decades ago. Directed by her nephew, Guatemalan filmmaker Josué García Prado, the documentary offers an intimate portrait of memory, family, and the enduring pain of those still waiting for answers about their disappeared loved ones.
UPDATE
(Vicente González Monroy, Colombia, 2025, 17 min. In Spanish)
International Premiere
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Vicente González.
A meditative exploration of loss and grief, Update constructs an inventive visual narrative through disconnected still images of a city and its inhabitants. The short reveals the fragile emotions and memories embedded in everyday urban life.
