Experiencing Interruptions?

Acts of Resistance: Heavy Metal Music in Latin America

Metal music in Latin America is simply unique. It has tackled head-on the ongoing aftermath of coloniality (poverty, dictatorships, neoliberalism) like very few other musical genres. Few people have documented it as consistently as Dr. Nelson Varas-Díaz, a Professor at Florida International University’s Department of Global and Socio-cultural Studies. This documentary film follows him as he continues his trek through Latin America, documenting the varied manifestations of metal music in the region. In this, his fourth film on the subject, he documents how metal fans and musicians use the power of music to change their societies. Whether inspiring support for rural schools in Guatemala, engagement in environmental activism in Ecuador, or work for memory and peace in Colombia, metal music has become a form of decolonial activism in Latin America. This is what happens when the music’s extreme sounds and lyrics are combined with local concerns with un buen vivir (a life well-lived). Metal has taken to the streets, and is a force to be reckoned with beyond the stage.

  • Nelson Varas-Díaz
    Director
  • Sheilla Rodríguez Madera
    Producer
  • Eric Morales
    Associate Producers
  • Rafael Bracero
    Associate Producers
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Nelson Varas-Díaz

Dr. Nelson Varas-Díaz is a Professor of social-community psychology at Florida International University’s Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies. He produced the award winning documentaries “The Distorted Island: Heavy Metal and Community in Puerto Rico” and “The Metal Islands: Culture, History and Politics in Caribbean Metal Music”. He also directed the film "Songs of Injustice: Heavy Metal Music in Latin America." Together, his films have garnered 86 sets of laurels in international film festivals. He currently directs the “Heavy Metal Studies – Latin America” group which researches metal in Central and South America. His work related to metal music addresses issues of community formation, linkages between culture and music, and metal music as a decolonial strategy in Latin America. His work has been published in multiple journals, including Metal Music Studies, International Journal of Community Music, and the Journal of Community Psychology, among others. He coedited the books “Heavy Metal Music and the Communal Experience,” "Heavy Metal Music in Argentina: In Black We Are Seen," and "Heavy Metal Music in Latin America: Perspectives from the Distorted South." He also authored the book "Decolonial Metal Music in Latin America."

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