Encanto was released in November of 2021. Since then, it has gained a lot of popularity. One of the scores from the movie, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” beat Frozen’s “Let It Go” in the Billboard, and is now Disney’s most successful song. A film about family and the pressures everyone feels, Encanto serves as more than a heartfelt film. Having grossed in its prolonged Thanksgiving weekend of over $43.3 million US dollars, this movie brings a lot of important subjects regarding diversity to mind.
As a Brazilian, I fear how other countries view Latin America. There are stereotypes in films, music, and media about Latin Americans and their countries. There is no doubt that there are a lot of different problems in these countries. However, there has been a shift in the recent past: it has become profitable to talk about Latin America.
Is Encanto The First Latin American Story By Pixar?
Encanto is the second Disney and Pixar movie about a story that is set in Latin America. The first one was Coco which happens on one of the most celebrated nights in Mexico: Dia de Los Muertos. Just like Encanto, Coco talks a lot about the beautifully colorful culture of these places while also making a heartfelt statement about family.
I believe that the representation the movie brings is genuine. Interracial couples, such as Pepa and Felix, are great examples. In Latin America, interracial couples are not something new. Recently, there has been a shift in North American production where you can find more interracial couples.
Another element in diversity we need to look at is how diverse is the crew that made the movie. Most of the cast has Latino heritage or was born in a Latin American country. That is incredibly refreshing to see however that does not extend to the whole crew. The movie was co-directed by three people: one has Cuban-American heritage even though he was born in the US. She is the only one that has relations to the most important element of the movie.
Lin-Manuel Miranda And Latino Representation
Lin-Manuel Miranda has become a name that brings people to watch and hear whatever production his name is on. In the promotion of the movie, there was an exploration of his name attached to the film, something that also happened with Moana, but in the new Disney princess’ press, it was clear that he was only involved in the score of the movie. His participation in the songwriting and score is undeniable: the fast rhythms and multiple characters singing at the same time could have been a part of Hamilton’s score. In Encanto, it was a bit difficult to understand what his participation was; a lot of people said they thought he wrote or directed the movie due to the importance it gained in the marketing of the film as if naming a Puerto Rican as a part of the project brought more legitimacy to the project.
However, this also can have positive outcomes. Maybe using Miranda’s name will attract people that wouldn’t normally watch a movie about Latin American people, but will now because they recognize his name.
So, even though the movie portrayed Colombia’s beautiful dynamics – and Latin American as a whole – with the bright colors, large families, and rhythmic songs, it needs to be thought about how that was marketed. Culture should not be something you can profit from. I believe the movie does not use stereotypes – even breaking a few ones with muscular Luisa – but it is something that we need to be aware of due to its success because it might happen in the future. And also start to claim that storytellers there are related to the subject (especially culturally speaking) are hired to tell these stories as truthfully as possible.
