“Respect my existence or expect resistance.” These are the words high school senior and immigration rights activist Aleteia (Monica Betancourt) reiterates throughout “La Leyenda Negra,” writer-director Patricia Vidal Delgado’s first feature film. Aleteia was born in El Salvador but has been in the U.S. as long as she can remember but — thanks to the Trump administration’s xenophobia and anti-immigration policies — her temporary protection status has been revoked. Aleteia is now newly undocumented, and her plans are thrown into disarray.
Meanwhile, Aleteia’s classmate, Rosarito (Kailei Lopez), is beginning to discover herself. She’s growing tired of her mean girl friends, becoming more politically conscious and opinionated, and exploring her sexuality. For the first time, she’s acknowledging her attraction to girls. When they’re paired together for a school project, Aleteia and Rosarito forge a close friendship that has the potential to turn into something more.
In some ways, “La Leyenda Negra” is a typical high school drama: it hits familiar beats such as a makeover, a pivotal party, an unlikely friendship, and an awful queen bee in dire need of a comeuppance. But its specificity — this is the story of bilingual Latinx teens growing up in Compton, Los Angeles — and the fact that it puts a human face to the shameful way our country treats immigrants make it special.
The film, similar to “Vida,” is also a lovely showcase for young activists. Like so many real-life figures, including Emma Gonzalez and Greta Thunberg, Aleteia is angry about the state of the world and ready to do something about it. She’s relentlessly fighting the good fight. That’s why Rosarito and we, the audience, are so drawn to her.
“La Leyenda Negra” broadcasts tonight on HBO Latino. It is also available on HBO Max.
