The Mexican filter, or Mexico filter, is a yellow-colored or sepia filter that is sometimes employed in films and television productions to visually represent scenes set in Mexico,[1] [2] as well as other Latin American and South Asian countries. It has been criticized for tending to wash out the faces of people with darker skin, and for stereotyping the countries it depicts.[3]
The use of yellow color filters for Mexico began around 2000, when technical advancements in film-making allowed the easier use of color filters. Traditionally used to convey a sense of heat and aridity, the use of yellow color filters for Mexico eventually became a trope. It has been disputed that temperature is a good justification for using the Mexican filter given that hot cities in the United States are rarely if ever depicted with yellow filters.
Notable examples of Mexican filter use include:
The term Mexican filter has been used to describe the appearance of New York City during the 2023 Canadian wildfires.[8]