The heartbreaking result of the US elections has left heavy feelings in many of us.
In times like these, it’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, let us not be discouraged. In dire times, it’s best to take a step back, regroup, and revisit some of the great moments of progressive resistance and liberation in our country. And what better way of doing that than watching historical documents that speak to the power of our storytelling, our history and identity?
Here are a few key U.S. documentaries that celebrate democratic values and the empowerment of diverse communities, films that will light the fire under you!
Dolores (2017)
“Rebel. Activist. Feminist. Mother.” That’s what the documentary’s poster says about Dolores Huerta, the Chicana labor union leader and co-founder of the United Farmworkers Association (UFW) which later became the United Farm Workers. The creator of the most well-known saying in the Latino community, ‘Si Se Puede’, this documentary is powerful testament of one woman’s cause and mission.
This PBS production covers Dolores Huerta’s prior life and the path that led her to organize California farmworkers alongside César Chávez—“an American hero,” as his documentary calls him.
The UFW) was in alliance with other social causes such as the Chicano Movement, the civil rights movement, gay liberation and US-based LGBTQ social movements, and the women’s rights movement of the late 20th century.
Queering the Script (2019)
This Canadian documentary film is all about LGBTQIA+ representation in television and how much the audience holds the power to shape how their lives are portrayed on the small screen. Between fandom and social activism, the queer community leaves its mark on TV scripts, putting forward claims of visibility and inclusiveness.
Paris is Burning (1990)
If you are a part of the drag scene or are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, you most definitely have watched this documentary, or perhaps the TV show Pose, which is closely related to it.
Directed by Jenni Livingston and filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s, it follows NYC ball culture and the diverse divas that actively took part in it. It’s filled with interviews with queer royalty (like Pepper LaBeija and Angie Xtravaganza) and exclusive footage that explores class, race, gender, and sexuality.
This film was so historically significant that it was even included in the Criterion Collection and is preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Chavela (2017)
This Mexican-Spanish production is a film portrait of singer and actress Chavela Vargas. Originally born in Costa Rica, she won Mexico’s hearts with her Ranchera music and the way she conveyed emotion through song. However, her way of life raised controversy, as she liked to dress in men’s clothes, drink a lot of alcohol, and even carry pistols.
Chavela became an icon for the Latinx and LGBTQIA+ community when she came out as lesbian at 81 years old, and she shared a strong romance with painter Frida Kahlo.
Latino: The Changing Face of America (2016)
Los Angeles-born Filmmaker and UCSB Alumna Roxanne Frias ventures into the future of the US and the booming Latinx community that will be living in the land of the free. This will be a force of change in the years to come, but the direction the country will take because of this is yet something to be discovered. According to this documentary, young Latinxs will be able to fulfill their dreams when they become the nation’s opinion-makers and political leaders.
Visions of Us (2021)
This successful four-part Netflix series follows trans-Dominican-American director Kase Peña, who explores LGBTQIA+ and Latinx representation on TV and film. The documentary features talented figures such as Stephanie Beatriz, Steven Canals, Aurora Guerrero, and Wilson Cruz as they share the challenges of existing as a queer and/or Latinx person inside the movie and TV industry and celebrate their common cultural heritage on camera.
Harvest Of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America (2013)
This feature-length documentary delves into the immigration debate that’s tearing our nation in two and how the US long intervention in Latin America is one of the direct causes of the migrant landscape that characterizes our country.
Based on the ground-breaking book by award-winning journalist Juan González, the film explores the systematic intervention of the US government in countries like the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and others to impose oppressive military regimes, an act of imperialism that has shaped our nation and its inhabitants to this day.
These seven documentaries offer perspective, hope, and a reminder of the diverse voices that shape the U.S. American experience. Add them to your watchlist for a boost of inspiration and a renewed sense of purpose and get back to the fight for our rights in today’s political climate.