Beyond Del Toro, Cuarón, And Iñárritu: Here Are The Best Latin American Filmmakers

The Big Three have undeniably conquered Hollywood in the past few years, but there are other talented directors you should also watch. Here are 8 of the best Latin American filmmakers out there.

The Big Three of Latin America’s current directors hardly need any introduction. Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, and Alejandro González Iñárritu have made their heritage proud, conquering the world of international filmmaking with unprecedented force. But we shouldn’t let their (deserved) success make us turn our eyes away from other extraordinarily talented Latinx directors, both past and contemporary, whose work you must watch if you haven’t already. Just to give you a small sample, here are 8 of the best Latin American filmmakers of all time.

Luis Buñuel (Mexico)

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning one of the best and most successful directors in the history of Mexican cinema. He has often been called the father of cinematic Surrealism, and for good reason. He was good friends with Salvador Dalí and Federico García Lorca, and the three influenced each other to a great degree.

Valeria Sarmiento (Chile)

Though not as well-known as the other directors on this list, Sarmiento has a truly admirable career that deserves as much praise as that of her colleagues. She has directed over 20 feature films, documentaries, and television series, including Lines of Wellington (2012) and Notre Mariage (1984), for which she won the Grand Prix Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Tomás Gutiérrez Alea (Cuba)

Deeply involved and sharply critical of the social conditions of his country, Gutiérrez Alea is Cuba’s best known director, and arguably its greatest. He wrote and directed 25 documentaries, feature and short films that intelligently touched on the difficult topics of his time. He was part of the Latin American film movement known as Third Cinema, which overall dealt with the problems of colonialism and cultural identity. Strawberry and Chocolate (1994), an insightful commentary on social oppression, is a must-see if you feel like delving into his filmography.

Natalia Almada (Mexico)

Almada has a knack for storytelling and a keen eye for addressing social issues throughout her career, making her the the first Latina filmmaker to win the MacArthur Genius Grant in 2012. Before using her grant money to finance her first film, Everything Else, Almada had mostly delved into documentaries, with critically acclaimed works such as El Velador and El General, for which she won the 2009 Sundance Directing Award Documentary. She’s truly an extraordinary filmmaker to keep track of in the coming years.

Celina Murga (Argentina)

This talented Argentinian filmmaker rose to fame with her film, Ana and the Others (2003). After being taken aback by Murga’s A Week Alone (2007), Martin Scorsese chose her as a protege and decided to executive produce The Third Side of the River (2014), which own her a nomination at the Berlin International Film Festival, and won the Havana Film Festival for Best Screenplay for this movie.

Miguel Arteta (Puerto Rico)

While Arteta is probably most famous for The Good Girl (2002), starring Jennifer Aniston, Youth in Revolt (2009), with Michael Cera, and Cedar Rapids, his legacy will arguably be focused on his independent films like Chuck & Buck (2000). His 2017 comedy-drama Beatriz at Dinner, starring Salma Hayek and John Lithgow, was declared to be one of the first great films of the Trump era when it premiered at Sundance.

Juan José Campanella (Argentina)

Campanella has long been lauded as a magnificent director in Latin America, but it wasn’t until The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) that he received worldwide acclaim. The Secret went on to win numerous awards, including the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and was listed on the BBC’s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century in 2016. You simply can’t miss it!

Alfonso Arau (Mexico)

Sure, Arau is, by any standard, an accomplished actor, but his most remarkable achievements have definitely taken place behind the camera. He successfully directed the supposedly "unfilmable" Like Water for Chocolate (1992), as well as A Walk in the Clouds (1995), starring Keanu Reeves, and John Grisham’s A Painted House (2003).

There are many, many others extraordinary Latinxs directors out there. But this is a good place to start. So, what are you waiting for? Grab that popcorn, sit back, and enjoy some of the finest cinematic art to come out of Latin America by watching these films by talented filmmakers alongside the work of The Big Three.

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