In the Heights’ New Trailer Reminds Us of the Significance of This Latinx Film

With each day that passes we get closer to the release of Jon M. Chu’s In the Heights. Slated to be released on June 18th on HBO Max, the feature version of the Broadway musical that starred Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to be an instant classic for those in the Latinx community. Why? Because when you see yourself in the content you consume, it leaves an everlasting memory.

I see myself in In the Heights. I see my people, a mix of Latinx women and men from Puerto Rico to Cuba and more. I see my heritage, from the food (looking at you, piragua vendor) to the music. And I see my culture in the language spoken and dreams brought to life through hard work and perseverance in the face of racism and persecution. Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about a movie.

Sure, I’ve felt all these things when it comes to TV. The One Day at a Time reboot was everything I’ve hoped and dreamed of when it comes to the families I see on my screen. From Abuelita’s meddling to the cafe con leche or Elena’s journey as a Latina, it all felt like someone took a magnifying glass to my life and made it real. The fact that Elena was queer just sweetened the deal.

Just like One Day at a Time reached new audiences who don’t know about the Latinx experience, so will this movie. It will show viewers and people all over that we deserve to be represented in the content we consume. And that we deserve more starring roles than the paltry 4.6 percent reported in 2018 according to the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report on Film.

Like the posters say, “The time has come.” The time for our voices to be heard. The time for our experiences to be put front and center. And the time for our heritage and community to be celebrated. No more waiting for Latinx Heritage Month (National Hispanic Heritage Month) to roll around to celebrate who we are as a people. We celebrate now in the form of In the Heights.

And just maybe, this movie will inspire other Latinx people to write, create, direct, and bring to life their own experiences. After all, Lin-Manuel Miranda and other Latinx creators like him need a little company. Why not you? Why not me? Why not us? So, pa’lante, mi gente. We’ve got dreams to make true and stories to tell about who we are as a people and what makes us shine.

The time has come! TRAILER TOMORROW. #InTheHeightsMovie (1/3) pic.twitter.com/ajCoi1MxV6

— In The Heights Movie (@intheheights) March 13, 2021

Turn up the volume! TRAILER TOMORROW. #InTheHeightsMovie (3/3) pic.twitter.com/mvEX5ULsqu

— In The Heights Movie (@intheheights) March 13, 2021

(image: Macall Polay/Warner Bros. Entertainment)

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