El Cine is working to boost Latino film culture in L.A.

In 2017, Gilbert Trejo and Mariana Da Silva were waiting in line at the Vista Theatre for a screening of the 1982 cult sci-fi film “Liquid Sky.”

They had seen each other before, but never met. Both avid moviegoers across the Los Angeles area, it wasn’t uncommon for either of them to wait in line for a 35mm screening of an old film, a newly restored print of a cult favorite or a Q&A with a filmmaker.

That night, they finally got to talking about their recently watched films, about their respective work in the film industry and about a shared complaint: Los Angeles boasts a population that’s nearly 50% Latino and Hispanic residents, but there was a severe lack of films from Latin America and films made by Latinos available to watch in the city.

“I go on Revival Hub [a website to find specialty film screenings], and it’s like, I can go see a Wong Kar-wai movie today. I could go see a Jean-Luc Godard movie yesterday. I can go see an Ingmar Bergman movie in two days. But there’s just nothing in Spanish,” said Trejo.

When the two friends thought of the stereotypical Los Angeles cinephile — think a MUBI tote-carrying, Letterboxd-using member of American Cinematheque or Vidiots — they often found that these people could name directors and films from all over the world, but stumbled when it came to Latin America. At best, they may cite director Pedro Almodóvar, whose films are in Spanish — but Spanish from Spain, not Latin America.

Trejo, a Mexican American director born and raised in Los Angeles, and Da Silva, a Mexican Brazilian actor and filmmaker who immigrated to the States from Brazil, wanted to change that.

Soon, the two got to work on a nonprofit organization dedicated to screening films in Spanish and/or made by Latinos. They opted to call it “El Cine,” which translates simply to “the movies.”

In January 2018, they hosted their first event at the Vista Theatre: a screening of the 1994 film “Mi Vida Loca,” which was shot in Echo Park. They also hosted a handprint ceremony — à la Hollywood Walk of Fame — for Trejo’s father, the iconic actor Danny Trejo, who grew up in Echo Park and appeared in the original film. This was a meaningful honor for his family.

“I watched the industry try to close ranks and not allow my dad to be a part of it. He just kept showing up. He did not stop. He became undeniable at a certain point,” said Trejo.

The event sold out, said Da Silva. “It was mind blowing because we were just like, ‘Let’s throw our money here and see what happens.’ Then I remember Gilbert being like, ‘Hey, Shepard Fairey’s here.’ I was like, ‘What?’”

Now in its seventh year, El Cine has hosted dozens of screenings and community events — including partnerships with the Los Angeles Public Library and the UCLA archives, a series on Roberto Gavaldón with the Academy Museum and a collaboration with Mexican archivists like Permanencia Voluntaria to bring little-known films to L.A.-based audiences.

Many of El Cine’s events take place at Heavy Manners Library, an arts space in Echo Park, and the Philosophical Research Society, a multicultural arts nonprofit in Los Feliz. El Cine hosts a monthly short film screening called “$horty,” which showcases work by Black and brown filmmakers in Los Angeles. The organization is also prepping for its annual Halloween programming, perhaps El Cine’s most busy time of the year. (“Our community loves genre and camp,” said Da Silva.)

It’s important to Trejo and Da Silva to diversify El Cine’s offerings, appealing to casual moviegoers as well as niche film lovers like themselves. Their programming highlights little-known international films, past and present blockbusters and films made by the local L.A. community. El Cine screenings show English subtitles on Spanish-language films, as well as the inverse. This is to accommodate the multigenerational audience that flocks to its events, where parents and grandparents may not speak English, or first-generation children may not speak Spanish.

“My dad had Spanish beaten out of him in school and he carried that shame well into his adulthood. He was in his 40s when I was born and he was still so terrified that I would be treated the way that he was when he was a kid that he made a point of not teaching me Spanish,” said Trejo, who learned Spanish later in life.

“Everything I do is bilingual. I think bilinguality is a language that we speak here,” said Da Silva. “I also think it’s something that was shamed for so long, but it was shamed because of its power. By being international, multilingual and multicultural, we have so much power.”

Accessibility is at the core of El Cine’s programming. When introducing movies at a screening, Da Silva focuses on making sure she doesn’t isolate an audience by using “inside baseball” film school or industry language. She believes the reason that Spanish-language and Latin films are not as prevalent in industry conversations is deeply rooted in a lack of Latin history education — even in a place as diverse Los Angeles — leading all the way up to film school. Even if Latin filmmakers receive more shine in their college curriculum, those can be inaccessible to lower-income families and first-generation college students, who make up some of El Cine’s audience.

Da Silva feels especially close to this cause. As a once undocumented immigrant, she was not able to go to film school due to her immigration status. For years in her early 20s, instead of film school, Da Silva laid low in Atlanta, watching as many movies as possible to educate herself.

Outside of film screenings, El Cine hosts educational events geared at the next generation of Latin filmmakers. Think DIY film school. “There’s this view that we’re the hands, not the minds, of the film industry,” said Trejo.

Set at accessible pricing (typically around $20), El Cine’s events have focused on topics like how to safely document an arrest and how to make a horror short. There are also workshops for directing music videos and body movement classes for performers. “I hope that every time you leave an [El Cine] event, not only do you feel like you can make a movie, but you also feel like you learned something about yourself,” said Da Silva.

Da Silva is now working on El Cine full-time, with hopes to grow the brand and host more events, secure large partnerships and raise money through private donors and grants to power it all. The organization has a well-rounded slate of programming this fall, as well as a new podcast, which you can follow on Instagram.

Attend an upcoming El Cine event

Sept. 7: “Music Video Workshop” at Heavy Manners, led by Gilbert Trejo. Admission is $12.
Oct. 10: “Genre Community Night” at Heavy Manners, featuring short films by local filmmakers. Submissions open Sept. 15.
Oct. 18: “How to Write a Horror Short Film” with Latinxexorcist at the L.A. Public Library (Malabar Branch) from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Admission is free.