From Folklore to Film: Making Meaning with La Llorona, El Chupacabras, and Other Latin American Monsters

Webinar Details

Folklore is more than a collection of legends—it is the living body of stories, beliefs, and traditions that communities use to preserve history, express cultural values, and respond to changing social and political realities. Across Latin America, folkloric figures such as La Llorona, El Chupacabras, and other legendary creatures have evolved alongside the communities that created them, reflecting local concerns, identities, and aspirations.

This webinar explores how Latin American folklore has been adapted and reimagined through film, expanding the cultural and political meanings of these familiar figures. Participants will examine how cinema preserves, transforms, and sometimes challenges traditional folklore while considering the broader historical and social contexts these stories represent. Educators will gain approaches for helping students analyze folklore and film as interconnected cultural texts and explore symbolism, identity, and historical memory through humanities instruction.

Instructor: Gabriel Eljaiek-Rodriguez (NHC Fellow, 2024–25), Spelman College