Watch the Trailer for 'La Negrada'—Mexico's First Feature Film with an All-Black Cast

This August, OkayAfrica shines a light on the connections between Africa and the Latin-American world. Whether it's the music, politics or intellectual traditions, Africans have long been at the forefront of Latino culture, but they haven't always gotten the recognition. We explore the history of Afro-Latino identity and its connection to the motherland.

This new film that recently premiered in Mexico City has made history in the Latin American film world.

La Negrada, directed by Jorge Pérez Solano, is Mexico's first fiction film portraying the Afro-Mexican population, REMEZCLAreports.

Contributing to the slow, but long overdue recognition of Afro-Latino communities on the big screen, La Negrada tells the story of two women, Juana and Magdalena, who are both romantically involved with the same man, Neri. The film was shot throughout Costa Chica—a region that spans along the coast of Guerrero and Oaxaca that's home to the highest concentration of Afro-descendants in Mexico—as Solano enlisted locals and non-professional actors to star in the film.

REMEZCLA summarizes the trailer, noting the Mexican immigration officer questioning the nationality of one of the women. "You are not Mexican right? Where are you from, negra?" the officer taunts. A title card follows the exchange, saying, "There are Mexicans that nobody sees."

Watch it below.

The trailer highlights the daily lives of Afro-Mexicans and Costa Chica's beautiful surroundings through its stunning cinematography. Such an eye for scenic shots landed the film the cinematography award at the 2018 Guadalajara International Film Festival.

Although praise for the film has been rolling in, it has not come without due criticism from organizations that advocate on behalf of Afro-Mexicans, REMEZCLA adds. A group of them released a statement decrying Solano's use of the word "savage" in an interview with a national newspaper to describe Afro-Mexicans. They also call out the film leaning towards stereotypes about black people.

La Negrada is set to premiere in Washington, D.C. at the African Diaspora International Film Festival on August 18. For more information on the film, check out their Facebook page here.