Adria Arjona Wants More Films to Center Latine Stories

Adria Arjona believes in the power of the Latine community. “In the most horrible situations, we know where to find joy,” she says. That’s particularly true for her latest role in the Spanish-language film “Los Frikis,” a coming-of-age story created by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, the directors of “The Peanut Butter Falcon.” The rising star, known for her roles in 2022’s “Father of the Bride” remake and 2023’s “Hit Man,” says that in a time when the fight for accurate Latine representation continues, “Los Frikis” is exactly the kind of storytelling we need more of.

The film, which was released on Apple TV on March 28, is inspired by the true story of a defiant Cuban punk rock subculture during the 1990s, referred to as Los Frikis (the freaks), who purposefully injected themselves with HIV-infected blood during the island’s AIDS epidemic. It was a desperate attempt to be sent to government-funded sanatoriums, where they were guaranteed a warm bed, enough food to eat during Cuba’s devastating famine and economic crisis, and a place where they could freely listen and play their music — which was otherwise banned by the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

The film highlights a heartbreaking period in Cuba’s history that is never taught in schools and rarely, if ever, discussed beyond Cuban American communities. In the early 1990s, Cuba was experiencing dire economic hardships after the fall of the Soviet Union. The “Special Period” during Fidel Castro’s reign not only pushed thousands of Cubans to migrate to the United States, risking their lives at sea, but it also forced Cubans who weren’t able to escape to take desperate measures to survive. But as dark as this part of Cuba’s history may be, the film also beautifully touches on the Cuban people’s inherent resilience and attempt to find joy during a time that felt like literal hell on earth.

“That’s what the movie is all about, and that’s exactly what the filmmakers showcased of us,” Arjona says. “Instead of showing our community as violent or showing our community as problematic, they showed our community for what we are, in that we have been in some really tough situations, and we always seem to find joy.”

The film follows 18-year-old Gustavo (Eros De La Fuente), who idolizes his older brother Paco (Hector Medina), a punk rocker who is part of Los Frikis and self-injects himself with HIV-blood along with his buddies as a way to survive the island’s strict dictatorship and devastating famine. Gustavo never injects himself but gets a doctor to forge his medical paperwork so that he can be sent to the sanatorium to join his brother and friends. Together, they create their own utopia where they spend their days playing baseball, playing rock music, and working together as a community.

With the exception of Arjona, every actor in the film was born and raised in Cuba and had never left the island before filming the movie in the Dominican Republic’s capital of Santo Domingo.

“They really brought life to this film and brought life to these characters, and I’ll just say it because I have no filter, but I’m not supposed to be in this movie,” she adds. “I’m the finance element of the movie. If I hadn’t brought the finance, Maria would’ve been another actress from Cuba. But that’s not how this industry works.”

Arjona, who is half Guatemalan and half Puerto Rican, was a deliberate choice by the directors and Cuban American producer Phil Lord. Arjona plays Maria, a young divorcee who runs the sanatorium operation and is grieving the loss of her brother to AIDS.

“I think our stories should be told, and I think our history should be shared,” she says. “Especially a movie like this, giving voice to artists like Hector Medina and Eros De La Puente, and Pedrito [Pedro Martínez] y Manuel [Manuel Alejandro Rodriguez], artists that would never have a voice or would probably never be able to be in a Hollywood movie because they live in a communist country, unable to leave.”

In a time where Hollywood still has a way to go when it comes to accurate and positive representation and DEI initiatives are being threatened by our current administration, “Los Frikis” highlights the importance of not just bringing Cuba’s history to the surface but proves why more Latine narratives need to be told. In a country where many remain unaware of Latin American history, we need more films based on true events. We can’t truly understand or empathize with a community’s struggles without knowing what led them to where they are today.

In “Los Frikis,” the theme that resonates most is the power of community — how it sustains our spirit and helps us hold onto hope, even in the darkest moments.

Another powerful aspect of the film is that it’s entirely in Spanish — not only does this add authenticity, but it also makes the story more accessible to Spanish-speaking audiences.

“We’re the biggest movie goers, right? It’s important to tell our stories in our language, and language is such a big part of storytelling that it makes it more authentic,” Arjona says, referencing the Latine community. “I don’t get a lot of opportunities to act in my own language and when I do, it’s really exciting because I’m so used to acting in English, it almost feels like I’m learning how to do it all over again because Spanish is such a romantic language . . . it’s really liberating to speak my own language.”

As a Latina actress in Hollywood, Arjona not only wants to see more films centering Latine stories, but she always wants to be able to see more Latine actors being able to take on a range of roles across genres that don’t just center their identities.

“I think we’ve seen it a little bit more throughout the years,” Arjona says regarding accurate, positive, and non-stereotypical representation of Latines in film. “But being able to hop within genres and also being able to hop within cultures . . . It’s not questioned when a white male or female actor who is American plays a British character. It’s okay. And I would like to see that happen a little bit more [with us]. I would love to be in a period piece. I want to see more Latin Americans in period pieces. We existed.”

Johanna Ferreira is the content director for PS Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.