HBO to Premiere New Documentary 'The Latin Explosion: A New Experience'
HBO is set to unveil its latest documentary, "The Latin Explosion: A New Experience," which aims to capture the history of prominent Latinos in U.S. history.
The new movie, directed by Matt O'Neill, showcases Latinos in music and the ways it has impacted American culture. Among the many singers it profiled include Cheech Marin, Rita Moreno, Jose Feliciano, Thalia and George Lopez.
Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Marc Anthony, Eva Longoria, Pitbull, Prince Royce and Sofia Vergara figure into the documentary as well.
For those who have never heard of these celebrities it will give insight into what these stars have done to overcome the much hated stereotypes created by the entertainment industry.
For example, it will guide audiences through the careers of musical pop stars Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Marc Anthony. It also will also showcase Eva Longoria's political efforts to have her voice heard in the media and in the industry and it will also shed light on Sofia Vergara, the highest paid TV star in the world.
Historical footage of Gloria Esteban and Emilio Esteban will also be displayed.
But it will also focus on some of the less known artists such as Rita Moreno, a Tony Award-winning artist and also Jose Feliciano who overcame his blindness and became one of the most beloved musicians in the world.
The documentary started in HBO Chief Richard Plepler's office last year when executive producer Tommy Mottola, Sony executive and husband of Thalia, pitched the project based on his book. It later went through many drafts and iterations and eventually it became a film about music and its cultural impact.
HBO has been very active in talking about diversity in communities along the years. They have profiled Latinos in the past in their documentary "The Latino List," which was a huge success. Other documentaries that they have made include "La Barda" and "Sins of My Father" about Pablo Escobar. The network has also gone on to profile other underrepresented minorities including the black community.
Latin American cinema is going through a bloom especially after the emergence of Pantelion, a joint venture with Lionsgate. They have strived to reach the Latin American audience with mixed results. Other companies that have also profiled Latinos and have attempted to break through include Latin Heat and the recent joint venture between Participant Media with Dynamo, Fabula and Canana. It will be interesting to see how this new documentary impacts the exposure of some of these well known celebrities.
"The Latin Explosion: A New America" airs on Monday Nov. 16 at 9 p.m. on HBO.
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