2016
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title
Despite All Adversities examines a representative selection of notable queer films by Spanish America's most important directors since the 1950s. Each chapter focuses on a single film and offers rich and thoughtful new interpretations by a prominent scholar. The book explores films from across the region, including Tomás Gutiérrez Alea's and Juan Carlos Tabío's
Fresa y chocolate (
Strawberry and Chocolate, 1993), Marcelo Piñeyro's
Plata quemada (
Burnt Money, 2000), Barbet Schroeder's
La Virgen de los Sicarios (
Our Lady of the Assassins, 2000), Lucía Puenzo's
XXY (
XXY, 2007), Francisco J. Lombardi's
No se lo digas a nadie (
Don't Tell Anyone, 1998), Arturo Ripstein's
El lugar sin límites (
Hell Without Limits, 1978), among others. A survey of recent lesbian-themed Mexican films is also included.