Through the example of Barry Jenkins’ choices for Moonlight (2016), this chapter argues that pre-existing musical cues can link a film’s themes to other minority filmmaking traditions. The song at the center of this chapter, “Cucurrucucú Paloma,” exemplifies the kinds of cultural translations common in transnational queer cinema. It was orig…[Read more]

Through the example of Barry Jenkins’ choices for Moonlight (2016), this chapter argues that pre-existing musical cues can link a film’s themes to other minority filmmaking traditions. The song at the center of this chapter, “Cucurrucucú Paloma,” exemplifies the kinds of cultural translations common in transnational queer cinema. It was orig…[Read more]

This chapter is a study of music and violence in action films set in Rio de Janeiro’s poorest neighborhoods. It traces how the Brazilian films Cidade de Deus [City of God] (2002) and Tropa de Elite [Elite Squad] (2007) rely both on visual language that emphasizes hyperrealistic slum violence, and on musical tropes that carry a local meaning l…[Read more]