Moving to the United States at a young age deprived me from connecting with my own culture, people, and celebrations, especially after being surrounded by others who don’t share it. This is what made Disney’s “Encanto” exciting, it’s not every day that Colombian culture is portrayed in the media. A sentiment of pride came over me every time the colors of my flag flashed on screen. I saw the food that I ate as a child on screen for the first time and listened to authentic Colombian singers, such as Carlos Vives.
The animated film has become a big topic on social media. Many of its viewers created fan art and started TikTok trends that focused on the characters. One of the recurring topics in social media, mainly Tik Tok, are headcanons, personal ideas or beliefs that are not mentioned in the media itself. While scrolling through Instagram and navigating through YouTube, I fell upon on many videos, expressing individuals’ own beliefs of Encanto characters such as Isabella being a lesbian, Maribel being bisexual, or Camilo being genderfluid. Many of these videos created discussion, one side stating headcanons are harmless, the other side feeling that focusing on the sexuality of the characters is overshadowing the true meaning of the film.
It is clear that “Encanto” is a film that celebrates Colombian and Latin culture, tackling heavy themes of generational trauma and family dynamics. However, it does not mean others can’t see themselves, relate to different characters or have their own interpretation of the film. Mirabel, being a teenage girl that happens to not fit in into her almost perfect family, is a theme that many individuals can relate to, no matter their race, ethnicity or sexuality. After all, there is nothing wrong with having LBTQ+ related headcanons. However, when the only thing others tend to focus on are LGBTQ+ headcanons, it can create the idea that the message of the film didn’t stick, and the issues that the film is addressing are left in the background.
Disney taking the chance, not shying away from telling the story of a Colombian family, and representing the Latino community is appreciated. It can also be agreed it would be an improvement to add LGBTQ+ characters to their movies. The LGBTQ+ community is still under underrepresented in the media and ignored at times. When it comes to “Encanto”, there is an underlying history behind the movie. The history of violence, forced displacement and the infamous FARC group that has terrorized the country and its people for years are things that many families are still dealing with. I’m not saying that to enjoy the movie we should only focus on these themes, but rather, we should acknowledge and uplift the voices and stories that have been touched by history.
