Dreams of Chonta
(Dreams of Chonta)
Monica Cohen | Documentary, Musical
2020 | 88 minutes | Colombia, United States
Diego, an Afro-Colombian musician, leaves his family behind on the Pacific Coast of Colombia, and endures a solitary life as an undocumented immigrant and a minimum wage job at a cemetery all to become an ambassador of his music and culture in NY.
Synopsis
Dreams of Chonta will not only inform students about Afro-descendent music, culture, and immigrants in the US, but it will also encourage conversations on where we need to stand in this battle for immigration rights and what immigrants represent in society. This easy-to-watch documentary would be an excellent choice for Hispanic Heritage Month programming and film collections focusing on Latin America, Afro-Latin, Music, and Migration studies.
* Spanish language audio description is available via the ALL4ACCESS App and/or .wav file when purchasing a DSL license.
Accessibility for these films was created by DICAPTA and funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education- Office of Special Education-OSEP, project “Enhanced Access to Video for Students with Sensory Disabilities through Emerging Technology,” TV Access H327C210001.
Reviews
"Dreams of Chonta would be invaluable for anyone studying the music and culture of South America's Pacific coast. Musicologists, ethnographers, and those studying human rights and immigration would find much value in Diego Obregon's story." — J. Zimmerman, Video Librarian
"People have never been this close to the life of an undocumented immigrant whose struggles go beyond himself and his family to create a bridge between two worlds." — The Boston Latino International Film Festival
"Obregon's journey reflects both the challenges immigrants face in the United States and how vital they are to it. The film perfectly aligns with Avilés' goal of taking viewers beyond the headlines and the stereotypes into the dynamic and diverse experiences of Latinx people." — Celina Colby, The Bay State Banner
"To capture the essence of a man's adversities is not easy on camera, but director Monica Cohen adeptly balances the documentary momentum and the musical touches that bring this story to life." — Anna Hoang, Boston Hassle
Citation
Main credits
Cohen, Monica (film director)
Cohen, Monica (film producer)
Obregon, Diego (on-screen participant)
Prestamo, Cecilia (screenwriter)
Other credits
Cinematography, Monica Cohen; music, Diego Obregon.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Afro-Latin Studies
Biography
Criminal Justice
Culture + Identity
Exile
Family
Latin American Studies
Latinx
Migration Studies
Music
North America
Sociology
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Oklahoma Cine Latino Film Festival - Best Sound; Music
Bare Bones Music & Documentary Festival - Best Music Doc; Best Feature, Foreign Origins
Seattle Latino Film Festival
San Diego Latino Film Festival
Boston International Latino Film Festival
San Francisco Latino Film Festival
DIRECTOR: Monica Cohen
NATIONALITY: Colombia, United States
YEAR: 2020
GENRE: Documentary, Musical
LANGUAGE: English; Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: AVAILABLE
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