Over the Waves: A Story of Flamenco in the U.S.

(Sobre las olas)
Carolina Loyola-García | Documentary, Musical

2013 | 100 minutes | United States

For over a hundred years, the art of flamenco has been crossing the ocean into distant places. Many have fallen in love with the deep song, the cry, the rhythm. Over the Waves explores the tradition of flamenco art in the US: its origins, protagonists, and its identity as a nomadic and hybrid art form.

Dance + Performing Arts Music North America Migration Studies Iberian Studies Latinx Culture + Identity
Synopsis

For over a hundred years, the art of flamenco has been crossing the ocean into distant places. Many have fallen in love with the deep song, the cry, the rhythm. Over the Waves explores the tradition of flamenco art in the US: its origins, protagonists, and its identity as a nomadic and hybrid art form. Focusing on the most important flamenco artists living in the United States, the documentary offers a unique look at their creative process.This documentary brings us straight into the heart of flamenco in the U.S. and to the artists who keep it alive.

Reviews

"Captures the beauty and mystery of the music and dancing as if you are right there, along with the fascinating story of José Greco, the grandfather of Flamenco in the U.S." — Joan Wagman, Contemporary dance choreographer, dancer, and professor

"Sobre las Olas is a beautiful love letter to the under-represented art of Flamenco dancing in the United States. The film paints an aesthetically rich portrait of its subject." — Joey Nolfi, writer and critic

"This was a marvelous turnout for a remarkable film. I recommend this movie to everyone for the beautiful music, dancing, costumes, fascinating stories...this is must-see cinema." — David Bennett, Musician and librarian

"Amazing powerful documentary." — Bea Luna, PhD; Neuroscientist, University of Pittsburgh

"The film is beautiful, joyful, and informative... Great music, great dance, great skills. A film MUST SEE for everyone." — Jon Beckley, Professor of Art, Carnegie Mellon University

"A must for all dancers and those who love dance." —Jennifer Jemeena, Belly dancer and choreographer

"The artistry demonstrated in the film is brilliant. The film is a great tribute to the artists and the tradition." — Andrew Weintraub, Professor and Chair of Music University of Pittsburgh

Citation
Main credits

Garcia, Carolina Loyola (film director)
Garcia, Carolina Loyola (film producer)
Nogales, Rocio (film producer)
Peiffer, Erica (film producer)
Smith, Janet (film producer)

Other credits

Cinematography, Mark Knobil.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
flamenco; rhythm; artists; creative; Jose Greco; Carmela Greco; Dame Libby Komaiko; Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater; Edwin Aparicio; Ricardo Marlow; Jesus Montoya; Barbara Martinez; Rebeca Tomas; Elba Hevia y Vaca; Marija Temo; Manolo Leiva; Maria Benitez; Joaquin Encinias; tradition; spanish; spanish language; latin america; latin american cinema; latin american film; ibero america; latin; latinx; latino; latina,,dance; performing arts; dramatics; music; musical theatre; musical theater; entertainment; performance; performer; performers; dancer; dancers; dancing; musical; pageantry; scenes; live performance; recorded performance; choreography; movement; choreographer,music; tune; melody; hymn; harmony; popular music; rock music; latin music; latinx music; latino music; spanish music; modern music; folk music; soul music; ibero-american music; latin american music; celtic music; flamenco; spanish classical music; classical spanish music; musicals; film musicals; movie musicals; musical films; spanish pop; latin pop; latin pop music; spanish pop music,north america; america; us; usa; united states; united states of america; us mexico and canada; map of north america; north american countries; states of north america; provinces of north america; countries of north america; continental america,migration studies; migrant studies; immigration studies; refugee studies; diaspora studies; resettlement studies; settlement studies; migration; migrant; immigration; refugee; diaspora; resettlement; settlement; refugees; international migration; continental migration; resettling; settlers; settler; migrant; migrant studies; first generation immigrant; first generation immigration; new americans; new spaniards,culture; identity; identity politics; culture wars; left wing; right wing; intersectionality; identity groups; civilization; literacy; humanism; cancel culture; online culture; cultural revolution; cultural diffusion; culture shock; popular culture; pop culture; material culture; cultural capital; cultural assimilation ,iberian studies; iberian peninsula; mediterranean; andorra; spain; portugal; andorra studies; spanish studies; portuguese studies,latinx; latin american; latino; latina; latin american people; hispanic; hispanic people; hispanic people; chicano; chicana; latine; latinx heritage; afro-latinx; "Over the Waves: A Story of Flamenco in the U.S."; Pragda Films
Clips
No clips are available yet.
Festivals

Three Rivers Film Festival
Boston Latino International Film Festival
Ensemble Español Flamenco Festival
Fuego Flamenco Festival
Chicago Latino Film Festival
New York Havana Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Carolina Loyola-García

NATIONALITY: United States

YEAR: 2013

GENRE: Documentary, Musical

LANGUAGE: Spanish; English

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

Existing customers, please log in to view this film.

New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.

Related Films

READ MORE

Terremoto, the Documentary

Terremoto, el documental
Documentary Spain
The incredible life of Terremoto de Jerez. His style is the sublimation of cante jondo and his biography is the history of flamenco itself.
READ MORE

Juan of the Witches

Juan de las Brujas
Documentary Mexico, United States
An homage to 82-year-old Juan Medellín, a founding member of Mexico City's prestigious Ballet Folklórico de Amalia Hernández. 
READ MORE

Bertsolari

Documentary, Musical Spain
Bertsolaritza is an ancestral, completely improvised, form of Basque poetry. Anachronistic? Not at all: the bertsolari, with their spontaneous creation and wordplay, could be an inspiration for rappers and other improv artists.
READ MORE

Horizons

Horizontes
Documentary Cuba, Switzerland
Alicia Alonso’s splendor still radiates throughout the world of ballet today. A star so brilliant, she has captivated audiences worldwide. Even now at the age of ninety, she continues to encourage the dreams of young dancers who seek to follow in her footsteps.
READ MORE

Bajarí: Gypsy Barcelona

Bajarí: gypsy Barcelona
Documentary, Musical Spain
Bajarí offers an intimate look at how flamenco’s legacy is kept alive within Barcelona’s tight-knit Gypsy community. Flamenco is passed on within the family in the Gypsy community that bore Carmen Amaya, the greatest flamenco dancer of all time.
READ MORE

Triana, Pure and Pure

Triana, pura y pura
Documentary, Musical Spain
This joyful film memorializes the end of an indomitable lineage in a unique flamenco soiree, transformed into a tribute to a disappeared world.
READ MORE

Amerikanuak

Documentary Spain
More than half a century ago, many Basques left Spain to look for a better life working as sheepherders in the American West. In Amerikanuak, Nacho Reig looks at the lives of some of the last remaining Basque sheepherders in the United States.
READ MORE

Dreams of Chonta

Documentary, Musical Colombia, United States
Diego, an Afro-Colombian musician, leaves his family behind on the Pacific Coast of Colombia, and endures a solitary life as an undocumented immigrant and a minimum wage job at a cemetery all to become an ambassador of his music and culture in NY.
READ MORE

9 Sevilles

Nueve Sevillas
Documentary, Experimental Spain
An unorthodox walk through new flamenco by way of nine portraits of figure,s from dance, singing, poetry and activism.
READ MORE

Once Upon a Place

Documentary United States
“La Nacional” is a nondescript building in New York City that welcomed thousands of immigrants to the United States over its 150-year history. The building itself narrates its striking story.
READ MORE

They Called Me King Tiger: A Biography of the Chicano Malcolm X

Me llamaban el Rey Tigre
Documentary Mexico
A balanced view of Reies López Tijerina, who inspired Mexican-American college students of the late 1960s and early 1970s to start the Chicano Civil Rights Movement that stressed ethnic pride, ethnic studies, and opposition to police brutality.
READ MORE

Trance

Documentary France, Spain
A journey to the heart of the flamenco music of Jorge Pardo, an essential artist to understand the evolution of contemporary flamenco.
READ MORE

Sacromonte. The Wise of the Tribe

Sacromonte. Los sabios de la tribu
Documentary, Musical Spain
Sacromonte aims to recover the memory of the most important flamenco community in the world. Through the survivors of a lost and golden age, elder flamenco men and women, we dive in their past in search of their roots and memories.

Related Collections

The Pragda Complete Film Collection

The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.

Number of titles: 621

SEE COLLECTION >
The Arts

A fascinating journey into the creative process and the transformative power of artistic expression.

Number of titles: 113

SEE COLLECTION >
Spanish Language Films

A cinematic highlight of the magic and diversity of the Spanish language.

Number of titles: 440

SEE COLLECTION >
Women's Voices

These films challenge dominant narratives and offer compelling feminine visions of the region's past, present, and future.

Number of titles: 216

SEE COLLECTION >
High School Collection

Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.

Number of titles: 509

SEE COLLECTION >
Documentary Chronicles

A truthful examination and captivating glimpse into the complexities of the region.

Number of titles: 358

SEE COLLECTION >
Immigration and Exile

A captivating exploration of migration and exile experiences.

Number of titles: 109

SEE COLLECTION >
Music

A captivating glimpse into the rich and vibrant musical traditions of this diverse region.

Number of titles: 37

SEE COLLECTION >
Latinx Visions

A powerful collection of films that explore the rich cultural tapestry of the Latinx community.

Number of titles: 39

SEE COLLECTION >