We Are Latinos: Discovering the Latino Community of Kansas City

We Are Latinos IV

In the fourth installment of the series, we meet three inspiring Kansas City-based Latinx artists: Dani Coronado, Juan Moya and Adolfo Martinez. Through vibrant visuals, thoughtful narration and personal interviews, the film explores their journeys, cultural heritage and contributions to the community, offering a powerful celebration of resilience and creativity.

Premieres Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.

We Are Latinos IV Preview

“We Are Latinos” is a documentary series that celebrates the vibrant Latinx community of Kansas City. Each episode spotlights three remarkable individuals whose lives and work continue to make a lasting impact on the city’s cultural and social landscape. Through intimate interviews, poetic narration, and rich visual storytelling, including illustrations and archival footage, the series offers a deeply personal look into the experiences, struggles and triumphs of its subjects.

We Are Latinos III

In this third installment by filmmaker Victor Antillanca, We Are Latinos follows three local trailblazers using their diverse perspectives to strengthen their communities.

We Are Latinos III features author and poet José Faus, up-and-coming comic book artist Baldemar Rivas and the first female president of the KC Estilo low-rider club, Monica Peña.

The stories reveal the significant contributions of Kansas City’s Latinx community. Through their experiences, audiences gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultural and personal narratives that collectively shape the identity and vibrancy of the city.

We Are Latinos II

Latino trailblazers have long molded Kansas City into the bustling metro it is today. We Are Latinos II captures that powerful legacy through the lens of three Kansas Citians currently making strides in the community.

The film will feature Dulcinea Herrera, co-founder of Café Corazón and former Miss Kansas City Latina, muralists Isaac Tapia and Rodrigo Alvarez, known as IT-RA Icons, who have painted over 45 murals throughout the metro and rising interdisciplinary artist Cesar Velez, who infuses his experiences as a first-generation American into his art.

We Are Latinos

Explore the stories, hopes and accomplishments of the vibrant - and underappreciated - Kansas City Latino community. The stories of Latino artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, immigrants and proud Americans unfolds in this cinematic and beautifully shot documentary, highlighting the diversity of the community in the metro.

Featured are Jenny Mendez, a third-generation Mexican American artist raised on the west side of Kansas City who created her first mural in 1982 and is cultural arts director at the Mattie Rhodes Center; and Kiki, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who came to the United States from Mexico at age 7, as she returns to her country through memories - not being able to visit her family in person, we reunite them through film.

Featured Artists

About the Filmmaker

Victor Antillanca is a South American filmmaker from Santiago de Chile currently based in Los Angeles and Kansas City. He has over a decade of experience producing, directing, shooting, and editing documentary films, commercials, and extreme sports videos from concept to completion.

At 15 he shot his first documentary, “Vendedores Ambulantes” about the police persecution of the Alameda street vendors in downtown Santiago. In 2020 he created Conception Video Magazine, an online video series that follows the print format of a magazine, featuring six Latin American filmmakers and the skateboarding communities of Chile, Mexico, USA, and Canada. More information at Victor Antillanca Films.