Jorge Sánchez Cruz

The Queer Sonic in Teo Hernández

"The Queer Sonic" situates unexplored cinematic techniques of the late Mexican experimental artist Teo Hernández (1939-1993).

This project places the work of Teo Hernández within a larger archive of Latin American  "queer" cinema, specifically how his experimental techniques probe on a "queerness" of film that goes beyond traditional forms, normative tropes, and the mere visual as representative of a cinematic production.

Q&A

Fellowship Cohort: Fall 2024

Why did you choose this project? 
I have been fascinated with experimental film for some time and wanted to research, teach, and write about a lesser-known film artist. In fact, I place Hernández under a specific "cannon" of artists, writers, and producers that passed away early in the 1990s due to HIV/AIDS complications, and that left a trace and blueprint of experimentality and transmediality.

How was this fellowship meaningful or impactful to you? 
I am very grateful for this Fellowship. I was able to support part of my teaching for my Winter class, Latin American Cinema, by purchasing books and taking my students to the San Diego Latino Film Festival. I also was able to travel to Mexico City and Berlin, Germany to access film archives related to Teo Hernández work, and bumped into other experimental film creators.

Have you showcased this work in any other ways or places? Do you have any future plans related to this work? 
This will be the first time I will  be presenting on Hernández work and I am looking to transform the research into an article manuscript for publication.

Jorge Sánchez Cruz is a native of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca and a scholar of 19th-21st century Latin American literature, culture and theory, with attention to Mexico.