YANGA
2025 · 9m · Mexico
Directed by Amaury Barrera, Audrey Del Piccolo
Genres: historical, musical, surrealism
Tones: contemplative, provocative, whimsical
On the Oaxacan coast, a young woman reincarnates the spirit of Yanga — Gaspar Yanga, the 17th-century African leader who led a slave rebellion and founded the first free town in the Americas — crossing the boundaries between dreams and reality to the vibrant rhythm of cumbia, celebrating Afro-Mexican heritage and the legacy of resistance.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Cumbia-scored short about Gaspar Yanga's spirit reincarnated on the Oaxacan coast — under 300 views and the YouTube credits look thin, which makes me suspect it's more music-video-with-ambition than fully realized film. The history deserves attention; I'm not sure this is the vehicle.
Reincarnating Gaspar Yanga's spirit through a silent female protagonist on the Oaxacan coast, set to cumbia, has the right ambition — but with 297 views on a generic YouTube upload and no comparisons in the metadata, I worry about polish versus concept. Worth a viewing to confirm.
Cumbia-scored music video hybrid honoring Gaspar Yanga's 17th-century rebellion, filmed on the Oaxacan coast with a silent female protagonist embodying his spirit — the subject matter alone is rare in cinema. Only 297 views on the available upload and a thin page summary make it hard to evaluate the actual filmmaking.
Reviews
A silent and powerful observer, walking along beaches and mangroves, symbolizing the continuity of ancestral legacy and freedom across generations — a tribute to Afro-Mexican communities.
A bridge between history and the present, a visual manifesto that allows us to feel the resistance and strength of a culture that has never stopped fighting for its space and its identity.
A celebration of heritage and an homage to those who fought for justice, to the afromexican communities around the country.
Festivals
- Slamdance Film Festival 2025
- Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2024
- Athens International Film + Video Festival 2025