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The trans community is behind when it comes to storytelling. They simply have not been given the opportunities, the support, or the guidance in Hollywood where even some other underrepresented groups have received in the past decade. There is some catching up to do.
While she is certainly aware of this underrepresentation, Aitch Alberto doesn’t let these obstacles weigh her down or get in her head of what is possible to achieve. She tackles them head-on.
The Miami-raised Cubana is a triple threat—writer, producer, director—whose feature film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe not only opened up the 2023 Outfest Film Festival but also won critical acclaim as it opened in theatres later that year. She proved to audiences nationwide that you can indeed have nuances depicted in films and still tell a universal story, especially when it is about something we all do: love one another.
The journey to get the film made took a seven-year chunk out of Alberto’s life, but she knew it was all worth it and she wanted to make sure she was doing the novel, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, justice. However, she knew she had to campaign hard for this opportunity and convince Sáenz to let her take the baton and bring it to the big screen. She pursued him and she convinced him after they had four days of meetings together in El Paso, Texas. He told her: “These boys were mine and now I give them to you.”
While Alberto understood the challenge that lay in front of her, she also knew that she had to rise to the occasion and give the world one more piece of theatrical art that could illustrate that intersection of LGBTQ+ and Latinx.
At the heart of Dante and Aristotle’s relationship is simply love—whether that is love for a friend or something more between two individuals. The intricacies of that love and caring are found within the storytelling itself. It was Alberto’s job to nail this and help bring the literary bestseller to life on the big screen. A daunting task indeed when considering the challenges that can sometimes be present in regard to support from our own communities.
“A lot of these executives haven’t seen anything that is nuanced when it comes to Latino stories.”
Aitch Alberto
This film depicted an intersection of LGBTQ+ and Latino, and appealing to both can sometimes be tricky, but when done properly, this intersection can be the most powerful onscreen. Showing the unconditional love that Eugenio Derbez’s character has for his gay son is not something we always see on the big screen. For Alberto, this was crucial to convey in an authentic and truthful way.
Similarly, the storyline where Eva Longoria’s character must see her son’s critical injuries in a hospital after he suffers a gay bashing is important to point out as in that moment, she is any mom. Any mom having to see results of a beating of their child, the one person they are supposed to protect, is going to have a universal reaction, and that is what the strong takeaways are from a film like this.
Longoria and Derbez are not the only Latino A-listers attached to this movie. The film also boasts Lin-Manuel Miranda as a producer on the film; he also was the narrator on the audiobook version.
The Latino community must embrace more films like this and consume all types of stories so that we can champion inclusivity and use our power at the box office to help greenlight more films in the future. This is something all filmmakers must consider as they are working with studios to complete their projects.
While Alberto doesn’t let obstacles get in her way, she is still very much aware of them, and she still questions why they need to be there. Her frustration is real.
Once a film is complete, there is the additional challenge of receiving ample marketing budgets that can compete against the Inside Outs of the world. Films like Aristotle and Dante also deserve a billboard or strong promotional campaign. “A lot of these executives haven’t seen anything that is nuanced when it comes to Latino stories,” Alberto says. “People have a resistance to it if it is something different and call it niche and not worthy.”
Alberto, represented by the United Talent Agency, is looking forward to two upcoming projects that will be in production by late 2024. It is clear that she is once again tackling the nuances of storytelling within intersections.
Undoubtedly, she will encounter more obstacles in her path, but for Alberto, it will be just another day at the office. Our community is ready to stand behind her every step of the way.
