Dreams of Chonta

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New York is the promised land for musicians, welcoming outstanding and virtuoso performers from every corner of the world hoping to find success. Diego Obregón, an Afro-Colombian musician, leaves his family behind on the Pacific Coast of Colombia, with this in mind. In New York, Obregón endures a solitary life as an undocumented immigrant and a minimum-wage job at a cemetery all to become an ambassador of his music and culture. His journey reflects both the challenges immigrants face in the United States and how vital they are to it, taking viewers beyond the headlines and the stereotypes into the dynamic and diverse experiences of Latinx people.

With unprecedented access to New York’s underground Latinx music scene, Dreams of Chonta (2020) takes us to where the greatest musicians from around the world blend to create, perform, live, and breathe music. Through his legacy and impressive performances, Obregón honors the richness and waves of change that immigration produces.

Dreams of Chonta will not only inform students about Afro-descendent music, culture, and immigrants in the US, but it will also encourage conversations on where we need to stand in this battle for immigration rights and what immigrants represent in society. This easy-to-watch documentary would be an excellent choice for Hispanic Heritage Month programming and film collections focusing on Latin America, Afro-Latin, Music, and Migration studies.

* Spanish language audio description is available via the ALL4ACCESS App and/or .wav file when purchasing a DSL license.

Accessibility for these films was created by DICAPTA and funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education- Office of Special Education-OSEP, project “Enhanced Access to Video for Students with Sensory Disabilities through Emerging Technology,” TV Access H327C210001.

"Dreams of Chonta would be invaluable for anyone studying the music and culture of South America's Pacific coast. Musicologists, ethnographers, and those studying human rights and immigration would find much value in Diego Obregon's story." — J. Zimmerman, Video Librarian

"People have never been this close to the life of an undocumented immigrant whose struggles go beyond himself and his family to create a bridge between two worlds." — The Boston Latino International Film Festival

"Obregon's journey reflects both the challenges immigrants face in the United States and how vital they are to it. The film perfectly aligns with Avilés' goal of taking viewers beyond the headlines and the stereotypes into the dynamic and diverse experiences of Latinx people." — Celina Colby, The Bay State Banner

"To capture the essence of a man's adversities is not easy on camera, but director Monica Cohen adeptly balances the documentary momentum and the musical touches that bring this story to life." — Anna Hoang, Boston Hassle

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Main credits

Cohen, Monica (film director)
Cohen, Monica (film producer)
Obregon, Diego (on-screen participant)
Prestamo, Cecilia (screenwriter)

Other credits

Cinematography, Monica Cohen; music, Diego Obregon.

MARC Record See Worldcat record

Keywords

Colombia, marimba, traditions, New York, undocumented, immigration, Diego Obregon, underground, music, spanish, spanish language, latin america, latin american cinema, latin american film, ibero america, latin, latinx, latino, latina,,culture, identity, identity politics, culture wars, left wing, right wing, intersectionality, identity groups, civilization, literacy, humanism, cancel culture, online culture, cultural revolution, cultural diffusion, culture shock, popular culture, pop culture, material culture, cultural capital, cultural assimilation ,music, tune, melody, hymn, harmony, popular music, rock music, latin music, latinx music, latino music, spanish music, modern music, folk music, soul music, ibero-american music, latin american music, celtic music, flamenco, spanish classical music, classical spanish music, musicals, film musicals, movie musicals, musical films, spanish pop, latin pop, latin pop music, spanish pop music,latin american studies, caribbean american studies, island studies, latin american culture, latin american history, latin american politics, caribbean american culture, caribbean american history, caribbean american politics, latin american languages, latin american and caribbean studies, hispanic american studies, hispanic people, hispanic culture, hispanic politics,biography, autobiography, biopic, memoir, life history, bio, biographer, biographical, personal account, personal history, diary, personal narrative, sketch, profile, personal letters, letters, journal, personal record,migration studies, migrant studies, immigration studies, refugee studies, diaspora studies, resettlement studies, settlement studies, migration, migrant, immigration, refugee, diaspora, resettlement, settlement, refugees, international migration, continental migration, resettling, settlers, settler, migrant, migrant studies, first generation immigrant, first generation immigration, new americans, new spaniards,family, kin, fellowship, household, immediate family, extended family, multigenerational family, multigenerational household, kinfolk, family tree, genealogy, nuclear family, modern family, family tree,afro latin america, black latin america, afro latino, afro latinx, afro latina, black latino, black latinx, black latina, afro latin, afro-americanism, afro-brazilian, afro-cuban, afro-haitian, afro-colombian, afro-dominican, afro-mexican, afro-puertorican, afro-honduran, afro-bolivian, afro-argentinian, afro-chilean, afro-peruvian, afro-nicauraguan, afro-guatemalan,afro-caribbean, diaspora, slave trade,latinx, latin american, latino, latina, latin american people, hispanic, hispanic people, hispanic people, chicano, chicana, latine, latinx heritage, afro-latinx,sociology, anthropology, psychology, sociological, sociological perspectives, conflict theory, human conflicts, sociological thinking,conflict perspective, topics in sociology, sociology topics, sociology studies, social studies, people and cultures, human relations, human relationships, cultural studies, culture studies ; "Dreams of Chonta"; Pragda Films