Exploring the Border: Filmmakers Share Powerful Narratives at San Diego Latino Film Festival

The annual San Diego Latino Film Festival will showcase over 100 short and feature films beginning Wednesday, marking 32 years of storytelling and uplifting Latinx voices through cinema.

The AMC theater in Mission Valley and Digital Gym Cinema in the East Village will host the five-day film festival, which runs through Sunday. Viewers can watch a variety of different genres from different creators, each offering a unique perspective on identity, family, history and the evolving Latinx experience. 

Along with celebrating filmmakers, the Media Arts Center San Diego also will integrate cultural events that will take San Diego audiences beyond the theater. 

From an exciting lineup of Latin music artists for “Sonido Latino” to curated art exhibitions in the Arte Latino Gallery, attendees can experience a blend of art and music. On closing night, the festival will end with a concert featuring a 14-member, all-women salsa band, along with “A Taste of Sabor” that will spotlight Latino chefs and bold cuisines from across the globe.

SDLFF’s Artistic Director María Paula Lorgia has been the lead curator for the lineup for two years, playing a key role in reviewing more than 500 submissions. 

Lorgia says this year has a special focus on frontera films that explore the complexities of the border region. Given the political climate surrounding immigration and the border, she says the festival is an opportunity to spark conversations about these issues, to share worries about what’s happening in the United States and to come together as a community. 

*** “We think that it’s really important to amplify Latin American voices and show that we are very diverse, that there’s not only one representation of being Latin American or Latin American in the U.S.,” Lorgia said. “Latin America is, in a way, composed of different countries and, in this sense, we also have different voices.”

“Usually the best representations that we see on mainstream media are not accurate or close to reality. I think it’s also important that the local audience can see diverse representations of the border, a narrative of the border that is not linked to only violence or drug trafficking. The festival has a responsibility to amplify the views about the region.”

Among the border films featured in the Frontera Filmmakers Showcase is “Soy lo que nunca fui” aka Broken Borders, directed by Rodrigo Alvarez Flores. 

In the feature film, he illustrates differing perspectives of a family divided by emotional borders and how that separation causes them to struggle. On screen, Flores shows a side of immigration that exposes the heartbreak of families being on different sides of the border. 

The topic may seem more relevant due to the current state of the country, but Flores says those feelings have always been there. He believes “Broken Borders” gives audiences a chance to peer into the “window” of someone else’s life in order to understand a journey other than their own. 

“I don’t want people to think the same way I do or agree with any message that I have. What I want is for us to start a conversation, express ourselves and exchange words. I think that’s what enriches us and makes us better people,” Flores said.

“It allows people to feel a lot more empathy, because when you see another person’s perspective you’re able to understand. Maybe someone looking at any immigrant can recognize that there are different types of immigrants, with different stories of what they’re going through. I feel like that’s a really important message, especially here in San Diego when we’re so close to the border. We don’t really get to see that full picture.”

As a filmmaker, Flores found most of his inspiration from his childhood growing up on the San Diego-Tijuana border. His short films leading up to “Broken Borders” not only captured the phenomenon of two cultures clashing, but also his own path of self-discovery through the eyes of his characters. 

Ultimately, Flores hopes audiences will take the time to reflect on the emotional impact of immigration and develop empathy for the families impacted by the issue.

***** “The movie is about perspective. It switches between three different characters, three different situations. For me, at least, what I wanted to do is try to have the audience understand what each character was going through, and how as a family, they are so uncommunicative, even if they’re living under the same roof, and maybe question, how do we communicate with the people that are around us,” Flores said.

“For me, a movie is successful from the moment the audience walks away from the theater. When the movie ends, they drive home, they get to their bed at night, and if they are still thinking about the characters and the story, that for me is when we made a hit because it expands the life expectancy of the movie.”

Guests can purchase festival passes online, starting at $120, or a five-ticket pass with access to five regular or matinee screenings for $50.

Industry and student pass prices will vary. For more information on the screening schedule or for a complete guide to the films screening in San Diego theaters, visit the official Latino Film Festival website here.