4 Best Kids' Movies Teaching Latino Culture Other Than 'Coco'
The Pixar animated movie "Coco" is not the only animated film that focus mainly on Latino characters and culture.
"Coco" followed the story of Latino boy Miguel and his adventures to pursue his dreams with music despite a family ban.
It focused on events that happen around Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday, which begins on November 1st at midnight and runs through November 2nd.
While this movie bagged two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Remember Me"), there are more movies for kids that not only reflect Latino American lifestyle, but also educate over 59 million Latino viewers in the United States about Latino culture.
Here are four movies for kids that are perfect for Latino children right now:
The Book of Life
Starring Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana and Kate del Castillo, this 3D computer-animated musical fantasy film from 2014 follows the journey of Manolo, a young boy town between family and love. Before choosing the path to follow, he embarks in a journey to face his greatest fears in a span of three fantastic worlds.
Director Jorge Gutierrez and producer Guillermo del Toro gave the animated comedy a unique visual style, while reflecting Latino culture. 'The Book of Life' won a Golden Globe for Best Best Animated Feature Film in 2014.
Ferdinand
Blue Sky's "Ferdinand" is based on the book "The Story of Ferdinand" by Munro Leaf. It tells the story of a gentle bull mistaken to be a dangerous beast, captured and torn from his home.
Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha told Holywood Reporter that he found inspiration for its production style and title character when he found himself "recoiling at the sight of a bullfight."
It brought an authentic bullring into the movie screens while also taking in the sights and sounds of Spain. "I wanted to capture the colors and essence ... the olive trees, the mountains, the browns and the blue sky," he told the Hollywood reporter.
"Ferdinand" earned Blue Sky its first Academy Award nomination since "Ice Age." It also marks the second Oscar nomination for Saldanha.
Anina
'Anina' is a 2013 fully Spanish language movie that puts a 10-year-old girl at its center.
Anina Yatay Salas does not like her name. She is constantly teased because of her name, especially by her arch-enemy Yisel. After being skirmish at the playground, Anina's teacher gives her a black envelope she's not allowed to open for a week as a form of discipline.
The curiosity brought by the envelope's contents makes Anina unknowingly understand her place in the world in this coming of age tale. "Anina" is based on the children's book of the same name.
Underdogs
This Argentine film focuses on the widely popular game of foosball. Shy but talented foosball player faces trouble when the world's best soccer player returns with plans to destroy his town and turn it into a stage stadium.
Figures of his favorite team players magically spring to life to save his beloved and the town. This movie set a box office record in Argentina because of the positive reviews from families, who lifely enjoyed the messages of teamwork and leadership.
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