Majority of the biggest events in the world have been postponed or totally canceled by the pandemic. The Tribeca film festival was forged 15 years ago by Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro after 9/11 in order to attract business back into downtown Manhattan. The film festival aims to bring people together but at a time when people are not allowed to gather, how do you keep the spirit alive?

The 19th Tribeca Film Festival was originally scheduled on April 15-26 but due to the rapidly changing entertainment landscape, the festival has previously announced plans to offer some of its programming picks online. There is still hope that the festival will push through in the fall but the scope would be much smaller and might take place over just a few days.

Here are a few Latino movies that we have been following which are worth getting excited about.

Landfall

Landfall is produced by Ines Hoffman and Cecilia Aldarondo who is also the film's director. It paints a portrait of Puerto Rico after it was hit by a category four hurricane on September 2017. Although Hurricane Maria has caused trauma to Puerto Ricans, Landfall welcomes a different image. With superb shots from cinematographer Pablo Alvarez-Mesa and perfect editing skills from Terra Jean Long we see Puerto Ricans filled with hope as they proudly and painstakingly try to rebuild their island. 

499

499 is a hybrid documentary directed by Rodrigo Reyes and written by himself and Lorena Padilla. The film observes the Hernan Cortez' legacy of colonial rule through the eyes a stranded conquistador who arrives on the shores of Mexico five centuries later. Cortez spearheaded the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought what is now considered as present-day Mexico to the King of Castile. The film showcases the relationship between the past and the present and proves that traumas of the past will always have a great impact with our present reality.

Through the Night

Through the Night is directed by Loira Limbal. This documentary follows the lives of married couple Delores "Nunu" and Patrick Hogan as they manage their 24-hour daycare center in New York. It shows the emotional weight and physical strain carried by parents in their pursuit of the American Dream as well as the plight of day care workers to ensure that children are taken cared of while their parents toil away at work. The documentary shows us that children are not that innocent when it comes to burdens of their parents. They are already fully aware of the reality that awaits them the moment that they grow up.

Pacified

Pacified is written and directed by Paxton Winters and follows the story of Tati, a shy and introverted 13 year old, drawn to her father of whom she never met before while she lives in her home in a Brazilian Favela. The title refers to the pacification operation which was executed during the 2016 Rio Olympics to eliminate violence in the favelas. This film bagged the top prize for Best film at the 2019 San Sebastian Film Festival.

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