Why This Story Hit Different
It was the fall of 2013, and I was an intern for the New York International Children’s Film Festival. The festival is somewhat of a child entity of GKids and often platformed international animated films that would later be distributed throughout the world.. While interning, I learned of the animated feature film Chico & Rita. One I’ve mentioned a few times over the years if you’ve been here for a while. If you’re new…
Chico & Rita is a 2009 2D animated feature film. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unite them, but their journey - in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero - brings heartache and torment. (IMDB)
Up until my mid-20s, when I was volunteering for NYICFF, I had never seen Afro-Latin representation in animation. With LatinX Heritage Month coming to a close, I thought it was only right to revisit this film. It was also around this time that I started truly owning my Afro-Latin identity. Growing up, it was always easier to lean into my Black American and Caribbean American identities because they were ones that weren’t ever questioned. Every time I mentioned being Hispanic or Spanish, I was immediately prompted to “prove” it. Unfortunately, since I couldn’t speak Spanish, I’d fail these pop quizzes every time.
Despite the film being about Chico and Rita, there’s a third character that’s worth mentioning, and that is the music. The music in this film, alternating between bolero and jazz, helps to shape the relationship between the two characters and serves as a storytelling device in its own right. Since Chico is a piano player and Rita is a singer, the pursuit of their musical careers while figuring out their romantic connection takes them from Havana to New York to Las Vegas to Paris. Through this journey, they encounter real jazz musicians, and we learn a bit about what it was like for Black American jazz musicians of the time and how Cuban/ Latin Jazz was influenced and took on a life of its own.
The more I learned about the production that went into this film, the more appreciation I developed for it. The directors and creative team used a lot pf photographic references to accurately portray Havana, Cuba. The visual style is most easily comparable to Archer. It is a flat 2D aesthetic with minimal shading, bold black outlines, and isn’t childlike but also not too realistic. There is some use of 3D when it comes to cars and some of the more dynamic shots with changing perspective angles. I’m pretty sure there’s rotoscoping when it comes to the scenes where they are dancing. I respect the way they layered technical approaches to achieve this desired final result.
What I always found to be interesting was how this film did not shy away from how Black musicians and singers were treated. Despite being headliners at jazz clubs and venues, they still had to go through the back or side doors. Even if they weren’t Black American, afro-everyone was treated just the same. We see some women singers having to keep close proximity to the white investors and A&R characters in hopes of furthering their careers. With this, we see not only racism at play but misogynoir as well. While this film is based on the Jazz scene of the 1940s, many Black people, regardless of profession and age, still have those encounters where we are recognized for our talent while still being treated as outsiders.
Since Chico & Rita, we have started seeing more Afro-Latin characters depicted on screen, from the obvious Miles Morales in the Spider-Verse franchise to Félix Madrigal and his offspring in Encanto to Tere, Tabi, and Toñita Ramirez in Primos. What makes Chico & Rita different from these is the mature and historical nature of the film.
Want to hear the full conversation?
This post only scratches the surface of why I love Chico & Rita.
In episode 25 of SimplyRobotix Pod, I dive deeper into the film’s animation style, historical research, Latin jazz influences, and portrayal of Black performers. I also share my personal reflections on Afro-Latin identity, representation, and a few creative choices that didn’t quite work for me.
If you’re interested in animation, international films, cultural storytelling, or discovering animated features beyond the mainstream, this episode is for you.
Watch the full Chico & Rita episode on YouTube and let me know what you think!
Have you seen Chico & Rita? I’d love to hear your thoughts.