The history of Latin American animation is the history of a fractured continent trying to figure itself out. Unlike the way animation developed in the US, which seemed to revolve around technological advancements, intellectual property, and patents, animation in Latin American countries was a tool to express the needs of oppressed artists who lived in ever-shifting political landscapes—a need that is reflected in the broken aesthetics, the empirical passion to learn, and the underlying violence that courses through many of these films. Come take a look at this survey and perhaps learn why animation could be the best tool for America at this moment in time.

— Simón Wilches-Castro

As part of his lecture, Wilches-Castro has selected clips from works by Latin American animators including Quirino Cristiani, João Stamato, Marcos Magalhães, Juan Padrón, Fernando Laverde, Carlos Santa, Vivianne Barry, Walter Tournier, and Tomas Wells.