AFN aims to include animated movies from around the globe, that appeal to different viewers and cultures. There are a lot of movies that reference Latin America but how many are you familiar with that are from native spanish speakers? Explore the vibrant culture of Latin America, brush up on your Spanish skills, or simply enjoy some cool movies that you may not have discovered otherwise.
We’ve put together a list of animated films in Spanish that have left a lasting impression on animation lovers all over Latin America and beyond. These movies are the perfect way to get your Spanish groove on. These movies provide a good look at the nuances in culture through unforgettable characters, brought to you from creative talent. Let’s take a look.
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles
Plot: Paris, 1930. Luis Buñuel is penniless after the scandal surrounding the release of his last movie. Sculptor Ramón Acín, a good friend, buys a lottery ticket and promises Buñuel that he will pay for his next movie if he wins the prize.
The Wolf House
Plot: María, a girl from Colonia Dignidad, in Chile —a kind of sectarian community, tyrannically mastered by the ruthless Paul Schäfer, a German madman, religious fanatic and child predator, who would end up turning the place into a torture center at the service of the military dictatorship ruled by Augusto Pinochet—, is punished for having lost three pigs, so she decides to run away and take refuge in an abandoned house hidden in the forest.
Boogie
Plot: Hoping to make some money, Boogie, a violent and ruthless assassin, kidnaps a witness a mafia boss wants dead.
Eagle and Jaguar, The Legendary Warriors
Plot: In a post-apocalyptic future in which water has almost disappeared, two young survivors travel back in time to find the mythical power of the prehispanic God of water, and so be able to create the vital resource. However, when they arrive at the present they discover that the power is in the hands of an unscrupulous businessman who had always wanted to monopolize water and who knows everything about prehispanic myths. The Aztaya brotherhood, a group of heroes, successors from the legendary Aztec and Mayan warriors, will begin the adventure to prevent the villain's plan and help the travelers to change their sad future, teaming up to fight the powerful enemy and his dark allies. To win, the heroes will have to awake the greatest warriors of Aztec and Mayan mythology: The Eagle and the Jaguar.
Coco
Plot: Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
Wrinkles
Plot: At an elder-care facility, a geriatric con artist tries to prevent his new friend with early Alzheimer's symptoms from being transferred to the 'lost causes' floor.
Birdboy: The Forgotten Children
Plot: Teenagers Birdboy and Dinki have decided to escape from an island devastated by ecological catastrophe: Birdboy by shutting himself off from the world, Dinki by setting out on a dangerous voyage in the hope that Birdboy will accompany her.
Virus Tropical
Plot: Paola is born in a traditional Colombian family, or at least that is what they try to be. Her father is a priest, her mother is a "psychic" and her sisters are not what their parents expected. She is a young Latin American woman struggling for her independence in a hard context full of stereotypes and appearances not being able to fit in any mold. With a unique feminine vision of the world this girl learns to live while she lives as she witnesses a series of small crises that shape her personality.
Anina
Plot: Anina Yatay Salas is a ten-year-old whose name spells trouble: those three palindromes in a row are an ongoing source of teasing at school. When a playground fight results in mysterious punishment, Anina will learn to put her problems in perspective and empathize with others in this sweet little daydream of a tale.
Chico & Rita
Plot: Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey - in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero - brings heartache and torment.
