My name is Loira Limbal. I am a multidisciplinary artist working primarily in documentary film, video installation, and DJing.
I’m currently available for commissions, speaking engagements, consulting, and DJing.
Thematically, my work is tied together by a desire to witness and behold the myriad ways that we as Black people give meaning to ourselves in the everyday. My practice is driven by a deep reverence for life and a dedication to the subtle, the intimate. I care most about how we see ourselves and how we feel about it.
My most recent film, THROUGH THE NIGHT, is a feature documentary about a 24 hour daycare center. THROUGH THE NIGHT garnered a dupont-Columbia award, was a New York Times Critics’ Pick, was selected for a world premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, and aired on PBS' POV series. My first film, ESTILO HIP HOP, was a co-production aired on PBS in 2009. I am a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow, a Creative Capital Awardee, a USA Fellow, a NAACP Image Award Nominee and former Sundance Institute Fellow. I received a B.A. in History from Brown University and am a proud graduate of the Third World Newsreel's Film and Video Production Training Program. I live in Puerto Rico with my two children. When I am not making films and video pieces, you can find me DJing. My commitment to good music and rocking the crowd have earned me a reputation for creating a house party vibe in any venue. Born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents, my musical selection reflects my Caribbean roots and upbringing in New York City. I have held residencies at many premier nightclubs and ignited dancefloors from Berlin to Brazil. I am one third of the crew behind A Party Called Rosie Perez.
Through the Night
THROUGH THE NIGHT is a cinema verité portrait of three working NY mothers whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center: a mother working the overnight shift as an essential worker at a hospital; another holding down three jobs to support her family; and a woman who for over two decades has cared for the children of parents with nowhere else to turn.
Directed & Produced by Loira Limbal. Produced by Jameka Autry. Co-produced by Nicole Docta. Edited by Malika Zouhali-Worrall. Director of Photography Naita Gamez.
Estilo Hip Hop
Estilo Hip Hop is a feature length documentary that chronicles the lives of three hip hop activists from Brazil, Chile, and Cuba who firmly believe that hip hop can change the world. As we delve into their lives, we learn of three inspirational leaders responsible for mobilizing young people to become politically active.
Directed & Produced by Loira Limbal and Vee Bravo. Edited by Cinque Northern & Tat Ho Yee. Directors of Photography Kira Kelly & Michael Vargas.
Dissonant Maroons
Currently in development. Dissonant Maroons is a 3 channel video installation that combats the historical erasure of Blackness and affirms Black people in the Spanish speaking Caribbean.