August 5, 2026 • 31 mins
In this week's episode, Mala reports on her experience at the premiere of American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez. Famously known as the father of Chicano cinema, Valdez gave Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Esai Morales their start. The story of Valdez is finally getting the documentary treatment it deserves.
This episode, we're taking you inside the Sundance-winning documentary. Mala interviews the people who lived Valdez's legacy, like Dolores Huerta, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Esai Morales. She also talks to Eduardo Arenas of Chicano Batman who scored the film, producer Everett Katigbak, and Director David Alvarado.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I had the chance to talk to Lou Diamond Phillips,
which is really exciting. We were just talking about how
Lou Diamond Phillips, you know, he played in Richievallens and
La Bamba, this icon of Chicano music, this rock star
who we love and revere in the.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Mexican American community.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And although Lou Diamond Phillips is not of Mexican descent,
there's not really any pushback from our community against him.
And he also played a Mexican American character in Angel
in Stand and Deliver, who is also an iconic character
in Chicano cinema. And I love that he was there
because I think and the film also identifies La Bamba
(00:42):
as being his breakout role.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
He was definitely a.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Very very young up and comer when he was cast
as Richie Vallens, and his career took off after that film. Ritche,
you may know that iconic line from La Bamba, one
of the most important pieces of Chicano cinema. But do
(01:06):
you know the life, the legend, the legacy of writer
and director Louis Valdez. Well, this episode, we are diving
in to the life and legacy of Louis Valdez thanks
to a brand new documentary that is out now screening
all over La called American Patchuco The Legend of Louis Valdez.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
How long did you practice that, Richie scream?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I've I've just always been able to do it.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
You've always just knew you had it in you.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Of course, no practice necessary.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Before we dive into today's episode, I'm your host, Theosa
and I'm Mala and we are the host of Locat Radio,
a radio.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Which is just a very extra way of saying.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
A podcast, and today we are talking about American Batchuko,
The Legend of Luis Favez, which is a ground breaking
documentary that tells the story of playwright and director Louis Fades.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
He was the.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Founder of El Teetro Campesino and directed Chicano classic cinema
such as zoot Suit and La Bamba. And we have
been talking about Luis Valdes and Zootsuit plenty now on
this podcast, especially in the last couple of episodes.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Right we went to the Ford for the forty fifth
anniversary screening of zoot Suit and we watched a panel
with Edward James Almos, who famously played the Bachuco and
Luis Valdez, the writer and director of Zootsuit. And it
was at that screening that we learned about this brand
new documentary which is all about the life and legacy
of writer, director Luis Valdez, who's considered the father of
(02:39):
Chicano playwriting and Chicano cinema. So, after we put out
our Zootsuit episode, that one of the producers of American Pachuco,
Everett Katigbach, he reached out to us and invited us
to the premiere of the documentary, directed by David Alvarado
at Vidiots. So we're gonna give you a little deep
dive into Luis Valdez. You might know his work, but
(03:01):
you might not know his story.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
What many people don't know about Luis Faldez is that
before he wrote and directed movies, he was on the
ground marching and organizing with the Lodes Wuerta and Cesara
Chavis during the Delano grape strike. The documentary goes deep
into his origins as a child farm worker who was
raised in agricultural labor camps throughout California's Central Valley. He
(03:24):
also founded El Teatro Campesino. As a child, he found
his love of theater and storytelling, a passion that would
become a calling.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
A couple weeks ago, I had the great fortune, the
great opportunity to attend the premiere of American Pachuco at
Vidiots in El Rock. I was able to work the
red carpet and conduct some interviews with incredible, incredible, incredible
icons of movies, of art of cinema. Everybody was there,
I mean everybody was there to celebrate Louis Valdez and
(03:53):
this new documentary. Delores Wedditta was in attendance. Edward James
almost was in attendance. Lou Diamond, Phillips was there.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Amazing. I freaked out, of course, Lou Lou is here.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Wow right, and not only Lou, but Esai Morales iconic.
I mean, can you even I can't. I was texting
every time I saw someone walk through the doors. I'm like,
Lou time in Phillips's here, the yeah, Esai is here.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I was getting a play by play.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
It was incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
It was so cool. And Jimmy Smits was also there.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So handsome, yes, so talented yes.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And all of these actors, all these men still have
all of their hair and they look great, and they
were very just. I didn't get a chance to talk
to Jimmy Smit's, but I did speak to Lou, I
spoke to I, I spoke to Dolores and Edward of course,
who we've had the chance to interview in the past
at the Mine Awards. He always makes himself very available
(04:47):
and it was just really cool. I also interviewed Eduardo Arenas,
who is the guitarist, bassist and vocalist of Chicano Batman,
because he did the score for the documentary American Pachuko,
so it was like the who's who of Chicano cinema.
Even though famously Lou Diamond Phillips he played Richie Vallens
in La Bamba, but Lou Diamond Phillips is not Chicano.
(05:10):
He's half white, half Filipino. And in the American Bachuco documentary,
Louis Faldez talks about the audition process for finding his
Richie Valens, and it was just really interesting how he
was able to sort of connect Lou Diamond Phillips and
his like bicultural heritage to Richie Valens as being someone
(05:30):
who is a was a Mesthiso, Mexican American, and the
way that he kind of found commonality in that sort
of heritage between the two of them.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Well, I mean famously, you know. I think within the community,
like Mexican specifically refer to Filipinos as like arbritmos.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yes, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
And so I don't know what it was like back
then the reception to lou Diamond Phillips playing Richie, But
I know now like he is revered as like an
icon who played Richie Vallens, And I don't hear that
type of chatter of it should have been a Mexican actor.
Maybe that was the reception at the time. I'm not sure,
but I think now like there's there's a lot of
(06:08):
like love and solidarity within like Filipino Mexican communities.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
That is very true.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
And this point also came up when I spoke to
producer Everett Katigbach, who is Filipino and he produced American Pachuco.
And so much of the story of Louis Feldez and
the story of Chicano cinema started with the farm workers
movement and the Delano grape strike. Because you know, Delores Wett, Dass,
(06:38):
Caesar Chavez other organizers are like scouring the Central Valley,
scouring the country, organizing, recruiting farm workers and laborers to
join the movement to strike against grapes and to form
a union that will protect the rights and the labor
of farm workers. And in the course of that movement,
Louis Feldez, who was a farm worker as a child.
(07:00):
He was born to migrant labors. Luis Valdez is one
of ten children. He and all of his siblings worked
in the fields as kids, and he approached Delores Werta
and Caesar Chavez. This is all covered in the documentary
right as he's telling his own story. He approached them
as a young man, as a young playwright, and asked them, hey,
(07:22):
can I start a theater as part of this movement?
Can I start a farm workers theater? And in his
own retelling of the story, Delores Wertha was very supportive.
Caesar Traves was not quite as supportive.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Interesting, yes, Caesar Travez was very hesitant. He didn't like
the idea.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
At some point he wanted them to stop, and he
didn't like the theatro that they were building.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
So maybe in your cheek on.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
His studies classes, you've heard of elt Theiatro Campecino.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
This is how it began.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Is literally like on the picket line and in the fields,
and it was a way for Luis Valdez to put
on theater for the people, by the people, but also
to spread the word of the farm workers movement in
a way that incorporated storytelling, artistry, and humor. And it
(08:15):
took off, and they started touring even after the farm
Workers Movement sort of like asked them to stop. And
he took that experience and just grew his like theatrical repertoire,
and eventually.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
He wrote zoot Suit as a stage play.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
And so I didn't really understand that history until I
sat down and watched the documentary American Patchuko. And so
the producer, Everett is a Filipino descent, and I asked him,
you know, how did you come to be involved and
why was this story an important story for you to tell?
(08:53):
And for him, it's because of his own interest in
backstory and his own heritage as a Filipino America and
understanding the intersectionality of Filipinos and the United farm Workers Movement.
And this also came up in the documentary with the
history of Larry Itlong and all of the Filipino folks
who were picking and growing and working alongside Mexicans in
(09:17):
the Central Valley.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
In the last several weeks, I saw members of Larry
Iolong's family talking about how he's like the forgotten leader
of the farm workers movement and how he really laid
the foundation for what Donorserta and Sasata Chavis did with
the United farm Workers Movement, and how they want do
(09:39):
for his story, and they want his name to be
known for his movement, for his role in the movement
as well.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Absolutely, and so it was it was good to see that.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Larry Itlong and the Filipino community were very much acknowledged
in this documentary in the telling of Luis Feldez, his
own story and how it intertwines with that of Dolores
Caesar Chavez and the farm workers movement. So Dolores was
there at the premiere, she was on the red carpet.
She is still doing appearances, she is still doing events,
(10:11):
she's still doing talks, and I had the chance to
interview her. And of course, over the course of the
past year, her name has come up on a national
scale because she is one of several people who have
come forward to talk about Caesar Chavez and his abuses
against women and girls in the farm workers movement, and
(10:33):
she spoke about herself as a survivor of assault at
the hands of Caesar Chavez, and I wanted to sort
of ask her about it without asking her about it
at the premiere, So when I had a chance to
speak to her, I asked her how we can discern
when to celebrate a powerful man like we were doing
(10:56):
that day, celebrating Louis Faldez and his legacy, and when
when do we question a powerful man?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
How do we make that distinction?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
And here's what she had to say, Hi, I am
so good.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
It is an honor to meet you.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
My family is from Bakersfield, from Kern County, and so
of course I grew up hearing all about you and
your work and as a chikana, you are just a
seminal figure in our history. And a question that I
have for you today we're celebrating a great man, Louis
Faldez and his work. When do we know when a
great man is to be celebrated and when a man
(11:33):
we consider great maybe.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Needs to be questioned. How do we make that distinction?
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Well, I think the fact that we want to question
everyone is good. I think always you know, but I
think we have people like Liu will this when you
have these creators, these artists that are able to bring
(11:58):
so much to the public, you know, so much historical context,
but also to be able to present us in a
way that people will not only learn, but they'll also
enjoy in the in the learning process because it's entertaining.
So it's educational, it's entertaining at the same time.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
And so I think people like Muzadas are very uh
might say, in our society, as we know, our artists
are very blessed people because they have gifts that all
of us just have to just re say, how do
how do they do this?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Okay, but uh, we definitely have to honor them.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
We have to honor them and.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
And give them the space to bring their creations more
forward so that the public can enjoy them.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
So after I spoke with Dolores, I had the chance
to talk to Lou Diamond Phillips, which is really exciting.
We were just talking about how Lou Diamond Phillips, you know,
he played in Richie Allens in La Bamba, this icon
of Chicano music, this rock star who we love and
revere in the Mexican American community, and although Lou Diamond
(13:10):
Phillips is not of Mexican descent, there's not really any
pushback from our community against him. And he also played
a Mexican American character in Angel in Stand and Deliver,
who is also an iconic character in Chicano cinema. And
I love that he was there because I think and
(13:31):
the film also identifies La Bamba as being his breakout role.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
He was definitely a.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Very very young up and comer when he was cast
as Richie Vallens, and his career took off after that film,
and I think that's true for several actors who starred
in Luis Feldez films. Edward James almost his career took
off after zoot Suit, Lou Diamond Phillips his career took off.
Issie Morales, who played Bob in LaBamba, his career took off.
(14:00):
And it was just really awesome to see them there
honoring this man who basically put them on the map.
And so because Lou Diamond Phillips had this breakout role
in LaBamba, I was curious to know his thoughts.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Don't know any where Logo is. We'll be right back.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
About what story he thinks should be told on the
big screen.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Next, whose story should be spotlighted?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Who has not had their story told? And here's what
he shared.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You've played some iconic roles, from Richie Allen's to that
young student in Stand and Deliver Angel. Yes, so can
you tell me who do you think is the next
figure in American history who can have that type of
impact on the screen.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Wow, that's a very good question, you know. I mean,
I think we're seeing some people rise to the occasion now,
mostly in the world of politics. You know, I'm interested
to see what AOC does.
Speaker 7 (15:04):
You know.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I think she's inspirational. I think she's got her heart
and her mind in the right place. But I mean,
as far as movie treatments go, it's like who who
you know deserves to be elevated to that to that level? Yeah,
I mean Louis obviously, And I think this documentary, forty
years after the fact, is finally celebrating him when he
(15:27):
should have been celebrated even more back in eighty seven
when he you know, kicked down the door and broke
down the walls, you know. And the fact that the
movie is perennial and evergreen today, you know, I'm glad
that this movie, you know, has been made. And that's
the thing too, is I mean, you know, the documentary
(15:48):
form is a great way to sort of elevate somebody.
When you're looking at a lot of biopictures, a lot
of musical biopics and whatnot. There's more coming, you know, along,
it's hard to say who should be an anointed with
that kind of you know, that kind of special treatment.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Next, I was super excited for the chance to interview
Esi Morales, who played Bob Richie Allen's brother in La Bamba.
And I actually did not realize this until after the premiere,
but Esi Morales is not Mexican American.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
He's Puerto Rican.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
And I guess, like he just played a Chicano so well,
like Bob is like obviously Mexican, obviously Chicano, like like
no one has ever been more Chicano than Bob.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
He embodied that role so well.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
He embodies it so well.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And it was funny because in the in the recording,
in the interview, he uses like us, we and chicano
like in his responses to me, and he's like including
himself and talking about like our stories us as Chicano's
we and our community, and it was just really interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I love that because I feel like, like og Chicano
scholars will tell you that a Chicano identity is so
political that you don't actually have to be Mexican American
to be Chicano. So I love that that he's including
himself in the wei of it all.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, I think he's tapped into that, into that history,
into that legacy. I think that there are some folks
who might like nitpick at that, of course, and whom
I like, you know, grasp at straws and say like, oh,
like someone who is not Mexican playing a Mexican character
is somehow like benefiting from like those ties to the community.
(17:38):
But I think that he's another example of somebody who
did such a great job in his work that the
community has embraced him and like totally accepts him and
the role that he played. So for me, I also
think of Bob and La Bamba as like the ultimate
anti hero character. You want to love him, and there's
(17:59):
so many things to love about him, but he's also
kind of so awful as a person and in his
behaviors that you want him to do better. So I
asked Esi how he went about preparing for that role
and playing such a complex character with dignity and with
(18:21):
layers and levels.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
And here's what he had to say.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
A character that I think is one of the greatest
anti heroes in cinema history.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Bob in La Bambab. How do you go.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
About giving a flawed character like Bob humanity, complexity, heart
and honoring his life in such a way that he's
not flat on screen.
Speaker 8 (18:42):
Well, I'm very blessed that I did incredible research with
a character who very much liked. Bob isn't perfect, and
I had to find him in the mirror. So I
use my own flaws and I find where they match
is And it's about creating a character that is specific, identifiable,
(19:06):
universal all at the same time. How you just it's instinct.
You listen to to see what sounds like reality, what
you know, you rehearse. I met the real Bob. That
was extremely helpful. You know, I had my instincts, but
meeting the real Bob grounded me in the character in
his specific chicanism with a little head tilt when he
(19:29):
sees his brother like that ike. You know, there are
certain things that I learned just from hanging out having
a beer with Bob and hearing old stars and hearing
how he spoke and his kind of a Mexican American like.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Brogue. It's not and it's not all American.
Speaker 8 (19:51):
It's that fusion that makes Chicanos very unique and world renown.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
The last person that I had the chance to interview
is Eduardeau Aren't who is the bassis guitar player and
vocalist for Chicano Batman, which is an iconic group on
its own.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
He actually scored.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
The film American Bachuco, which is really cool to see
that overlap and intersection. So I asked him, as an
icon himself, how it felt to be part of this
multi generational project that's going all the way back to
Louis Faldez and the actors that I just described and
now his role in creating this documentary. And here's what
(20:33):
he shared. I'm Mala Munios for a look at THOTR Radio.
Can you introduce yourself and tell me about your role
on the film American Pachuco.
Speaker 7 (20:40):
My name is and I am the composer for American
Bachuco and it's been quite an honor and yeah, that's
doing the score, original score for the for the documentary.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
And what was the process like for you creatively to
come up with the score that fit the story and
the figure at the center of it, Luis Feldez.
Speaker 7 (20:59):
First, you get rejected about a thousand times, but the
producer and the directors until you find the right emotion.
And then once you find the right emotion, it's kind
of like you kind of just go. You kind of
just go, and there's a certain rhythm once you lock in.
For me, it was emotional. So I had to look
at their eyes because it's America, Pachuko, it's like Latino,
(21:22):
and but I'm also Latino. But I'm not trying to
be known, Like I'm not doing corridos, I'm not doing Kumbia,
I'm not doing that. What I'm doing is emotion. I'm
doing like an emotional arc for a history of like,
you know, like our emotions are not brown, they're not white,
they're not pink. You know, they are just emotion. And
it was my job to get that, get that out
of the characters.
Speaker 9 (21:42):
In the movie.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
And you are a member of an iconic Chicano musical group,
Chicano Batman, So like tell me about merging those two
worlds Louis Feldez, zoot Suit, Chicano Batman, different eras, different decades,
but now coming together to work on one project.
Speaker 7 (21:59):
Well, it was awesome because when we were at Sundance,
I was on a panel with Louis Valdez and Edward
James almost myself, and I mean, it's honestly means a
lot more than I can understand, to be honest, because
when I was a little kid, I was in the
High Mescalanta program me too.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
At eLAC and so was he in the summers.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
So then Culture Clash they did a presentation there, and
then I was like, you know, I just did a
show with Culture Clash at the Grand Performances Plaza. But then,
you know, if it weren't for Louisvaldez and the Death
or Capasino, then the Culture Clash will not exist, you
know what I'm saying. So but then I'm on the
red carpet of whether at Sundance with Edward James almost
and New Diamond Phillip take a pictures and I'm like, hey, guys,
(22:40):
you have no idea, but this is I just composed
a score to you guys in a movie, and I
was like, you guys literally inspired. And then and then
they're like, there are no coincidences in life, and I
was like, thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
I understand that I'm where.
Speaker 7 (22:52):
I need to be. So it's basically chole and believing
in yourself and actually creating your own path, you know,
not your parents' path, not society's path, not the American dream,
you know, following your own frequency. I've been just doing
that for a long time, you know. I went to
school and I did that, but I just kept following music,
following your own frequency. Leasy too, Moments that you grandiose,
(23:12):
moments that you won't believe. And I think that's kind
of the big lesson in all of those, this whole experience.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Finally, I spoke to the filmmakers behind American bachuco producer
Everett Katigbach and I asked him how it felt to
be part of this documentary, his own role in the process,
and why he thinks it's important to tell this Filipino
history alongside this Chicano history.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
And here's what he shared.
Speaker 9 (23:39):
I mean, there's so much shared history with Filipinos in
the Philippines, you know, through Spanish colonization and a lot
of just historic, you know, trade routes between the Philippines
and Mexico, and at one point, I think the Philippines
was technically considered a province of Mexico. That's deep history stuff.
But you know, Philippine Americans on the farm lines, on
(24:02):
the fields of Delano, they work hand in hand, you know,
in a strange way, because farm workers at the time
kind of kept them segregated and tried to keep them
working against each other. But I think the farm workers
fought really hard to stay united, which hence turned into
the United farm Workers when the Filipinos and the Chicano
farm workers merged together. And I think that's like a
(24:24):
part of history that a lot of people don't really
see because they the United farm Workers logo and all
that such as strong Mexican, strong Chicano identity, But it
really was about the union between the Filipino farm workers
and the Mexican farm workers. Other things as like zutsu riots.
There's a lot of pachucos that were Filipino zoot suitors.
(24:44):
I mean a lot of the riots happened in Little Manila,
in downtown LA So, you know, it's just kind of
all overlapping it at the same time.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Lastly, I caught up with American Pachuco director David Alvarado.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Don't go anywhere, Luka Modes will be right back.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
And I was very curious to know why he thinks
Louise Faldez, after all these years, chose to tell his
story in this way with this team of filmmakers.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
And here's here are his thoughts.
Speaker 10 (25:16):
We've shown this film to sun Dance, to New York City,
has had incredible responses from audiences, but there's nothing more
important than Los Angeles for this film. The heart of
the and the birthplace of the Pachuco is right here
in Los Angeles. So I just can't wait to share
it with everybody here.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
And what was the process like introducing the idea of
making this film about Louis Feldez to Louis Faldez himself.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
How did he receive the idea? How did he respond?
Speaker 10 (25:42):
Well, I had a sense that he might remember me.
I met him when I was twenty one.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
He says that he did remember me, but.
Speaker 10 (25:50):
I don't believe him truly. I think I think I
was just one of ten thousand kids that he's inspired.
When he went from college to college telling his life story.
I heard one of those speeches and I was so
moved by it.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
I had to speak to him that night.
Speaker 10 (26:03):
And my whole film career is really owed to him
and his inspiration. And so years later, I guess this
was like fifteen years later, I reached out to him
and said, why is there not a documentary about you
and your life?
Speaker 2 (26:16):
And so that.
Speaker 10 (26:16):
Began our conversations, and I'm so grateful he gave.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Me the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
If you have not had a chance to watch American
Pachuco The Legend of Luis Valdez, there is still time.
This is a self funded premiere and theatrical release, which
means they need us, our community, our family to go
out and watch the film. They also have a Kickstarter
(26:41):
campaign if you want to contribute. This is one of
those moments where we have to like reflect on the
fact that as a community, we're very critical of the
fact that there aren't enough of Chicano films, Latino films
in theater. There's not enough cast and crew who are
Latino or Chicano, and we have to really seize this moment,
show up if we're critical of it and then we're
(27:02):
not showing up to watch it.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
You know, you have to show up.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
We have to do it. We have to be there,
we have to take our family members, we have to
tell everybody about it, and like really, you know, put
our dollars like where we say we want them to go.
And so this is an opportunity for all of us
to show up to watch the film and contribute to
the Kickstarter campaign.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Absolutely, I also think it's a moment to do for
one of like the greats in our community. What I
see happening for like the Spielbergs and the Scorsese's, you know,
there's a lot of celebration of their body of work
and of their legacy. But I have not seen such
a celebration for someone in our own community who has
(27:44):
been creating cinema and theater for so many years. I
don't think that most people who love La Bamba know
this history of the writer, director and who made it
all happen, or if you're a fan of these actors,
you might not know that this is where they got
their start in works written and directed by Luis Feldez.
(28:06):
So it's also a way, I think to elevate our
artists to the level that they deserve to be elevated
again like a George Lucas or Steven Spielberg. These are
like works of art that are enduring and generational. And
I think most Latino households have probably seen La Bamba
(28:28):
or have a DVD of it somewhere in the house, right,
So I think that that's really incredible, and there's only
so many movies that like reach that status in the community.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah, And it's interesting that you bring that up because
when we were talking about producing this, I was thinking, like,
when was the first time I saw LaBamba? And it
was with my brother, you know, And it is that
multi generational experience of sharing it with your siblings or
your parents or your grandparents, And it's one of those
examples of I can remember when I first saw it,
(28:59):
I remember who introduced me to this film, and it is,
I think, and also going along with what you're saying,
an opportunity to give flowers to our icons while they're
still here and really give them the stature that they
do deserve that they may not be getting from a
broader Hollywood, but within our community, we have the opportunity
(29:22):
to do that here.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Very much, so very much so, and I think it's
also something that allows for learning, like in a curriculum.
The documentary when I was watching it, to me, it
reads is something that not only could win an OSCAR.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
I mean it won the.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Festival Award and Audience Favorite at sun Dance, and I
think that it could be an OSCAR winning documentary, that's
just how powerful and beautifully.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Done it is.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
But I can see it being an enduring part of
like a Mexican American or Chicano studies history curriculum. It's
definitely also a teaching film as well as like just
a beautiful and creative watch. So I think that's also
why things like this are important, because it's adding to
(30:11):
the canon, but it's adding to the curriculum.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
Yeah, and I think at this point it's really important
for us. I'm glad you brought up canon because it's
what I was going to say next, is it's really
important for us to have our own canon. You know,
oftentimes our films, our books, our media is left out
of the broader canon, and so for us to really
establish our own and consider like what goes in our canon,
(30:35):
like as Latino media, Chicano media, and of course this
would be included in that as well.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So check out American Pachuco, The Legend of Luis Valdez,
directed by David Alvarado, and check out the Kickstarter campaign,
Go to a screening and support the film.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
All right, this is another Capitolo of radio. We'll catch
you next time, Bessifa lo
I had the chance to talk to Lou Diamond Phillips,
which is really exciting. We were just talking about how
Lou Diamond Phillips, you know, he played in Richievallens and
La Bamba, this icon of Chicano music, this rock star
who we love and revere in the.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Mexican American community.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And although Lou Diamond Phillips is not of Mexican descent,
there's not really any pushback from our community against him.
And he also played a Mexican American character in Angel
in Stand and Deliver, who is also an iconic character
in Chicano cinema. And I love that he was there
because I think and the film also identifies La Bamba
(00:42):
as being his breakout role.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
He was definitely a.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Very very young up and comer when he was cast
as Richie Vallens, and his career took off after that film. Ritche,
you may know that iconic line from La Bamba, one
of the most important pieces of Chicano cinema. But do
(01:06):
you know the life, the legend, the legacy of writer
and director Louis Valdez. Well, this episode, we are diving
in to the life and legacy of Louis Valdez thanks
to a brand new documentary that is out now screening
all over La called American Patchuco The Legend of Louis Valdez.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
How long did you practice that, Richie scream?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I've I've just always been able to do it.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
You've always just knew you had it in you.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Of course, no practice necessary.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Before we dive into today's episode, I'm your host, Theosa
and I'm Mala and we are the host of Locat Radio,
a radio.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Which is just a very extra way of saying.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
A podcast, and today we are talking about American Batchuko,
The Legend of Luis Favez, which is a ground breaking
documentary that tells the story of playwright and director Louis Fades.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
He was the.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Founder of El Teetro Campesino and directed Chicano classic cinema
such as zoot Suit and La Bamba. And we have
been talking about Luis Valdes and Zootsuit plenty now on
this podcast, especially in the last couple of episodes.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Right we went to the Ford for the forty fifth
anniversary screening of zoot Suit and we watched a panel
with Edward James Almos, who famously played the Bachuco and
Luis Valdez, the writer and director of Zootsuit. And it
was at that screening that we learned about this brand
new documentary which is all about the life and legacy
of writer, director Luis Valdez, who's considered the father of
(02:39):
Chicano playwriting and Chicano cinema. So, after we put out
our Zootsuit episode, that one of the producers of American Pachuco,
Everett Katigbach, he reached out to us and invited us
to the premiere of the documentary, directed by David Alvarado
at Vidiots. So we're gonna give you a little deep
dive into Luis Valdez. You might know his work, but
(03:01):
you might not know his story.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
What many people don't know about Luis Faldez is that
before he wrote and directed movies, he was on the
ground marching and organizing with the Lodes Wuerta and Cesara
Chavis during the Delano grape strike. The documentary goes deep
into his origins as a child farm worker who was
raised in agricultural labor camps throughout California's Central Valley. He
(03:24):
also founded El Teatro Campesino. As a child, he found
his love of theater and storytelling, a passion that would
become a calling.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
A couple weeks ago, I had the great fortune, the
great opportunity to attend the premiere of American Pachuco at
Vidiots in El Rock. I was able to work the
red carpet and conduct some interviews with incredible, incredible, incredible
icons of movies, of art of cinema. Everybody was there,
I mean everybody was there to celebrate Louis Valdez and
(03:53):
this new documentary. Delores Wedditta was in attendance. Edward James
almost was in attendance. Lou Diamond, Phillips was there.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Amazing. I freaked out, of course, Lou Lou is here.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Wow right, and not only Lou, but Esai Morales iconic.
I mean, can you even I can't. I was texting
every time I saw someone walk through the doors. I'm like,
Lou time in Phillips's here, the yeah, Esai is here.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I was getting a play by play.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
It was incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
It was so cool. And Jimmy Smits was also there.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So handsome, yes, so talented yes.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And all of these actors, all these men still have
all of their hair and they look great, and they
were very just. I didn't get a chance to talk
to Jimmy Smit's, but I did speak to Lou, I
spoke to I, I spoke to Dolores and Edward of course,
who we've had the chance to interview in the past
at the Mine Awards. He always makes himself very available
(04:47):
and it was just really cool. I also interviewed Eduardo Arenas,
who is the guitarist, bassist and vocalist of Chicano Batman,
because he did the score for the documentary American Pachuko,
so it was like the who's who of Chicano cinema.
Even though famously Lou Diamond Phillips he played Richie Vallens
in La Bamba, but Lou Diamond Phillips is not Chicano.
(05:10):
He's half white, half Filipino. And in the American Bachuco documentary,
Louis Faldez talks about the audition process for finding his
Richie Valens, and it was just really interesting how he
was able to sort of connect Lou Diamond Phillips and
his like bicultural heritage to Richie Valens as being someone
(05:30):
who is a was a Mesthiso, Mexican American, and the
way that he kind of found commonality in that sort
of heritage between the two of them.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Well, I mean famously, you know. I think within the community,
like Mexican specifically refer to Filipinos as like arbritmos.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yes, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
And so I don't know what it was like back
then the reception to lou Diamond Phillips playing Richie, But
I know now like he is revered as like an
icon who played Richie Vallens, And I don't hear that
type of chatter of it should have been a Mexican actor.
Maybe that was the reception at the time. I'm not sure,
but I think now like there's there's a lot of
(06:08):
like love and solidarity within like Filipino Mexican communities.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
That is very true.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
And this point also came up when I spoke to
producer Everett Katigbach, who is Filipino and he produced American Pachuco.
And so much of the story of Louis Feldez and
the story of Chicano cinema started with the farm workers
movement and the Delano grape strike. Because you know, Delores Wett, Dass,
(06:38):
Caesar Chavez other organizers are like scouring the Central Valley,
scouring the country, organizing, recruiting farm workers and laborers to
join the movement to strike against grapes and to form
a union that will protect the rights and the labor
of farm workers. And in the course of that movement,
Louis Feldez, who was a farm worker as a child.
(07:00):
He was born to migrant labors. Luis Valdez is one
of ten children. He and all of his siblings worked
in the fields as kids, and he approached Delores Werta
and Caesar Chavez. This is all covered in the documentary
right as he's telling his own story. He approached them
as a young man, as a young playwright, and asked them, hey,
(07:22):
can I start a theater as part of this movement?
Can I start a farm workers theater? And in his
own retelling of the story, Delores Wertha was very supportive.
Caesar Traves was not quite as supportive.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Interesting, yes, Caesar Travez was very hesitant. He didn't like
the idea.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
At some point he wanted them to stop, and he
didn't like the theatro that they were building.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
So maybe in your cheek on.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
His studies classes, you've heard of elt Theiatro Campecino.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
This is how it began.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Is literally like on the picket line and in the fields,
and it was a way for Luis Valdez to put
on theater for the people, by the people, but also
to spread the word of the farm workers movement in
a way that incorporated storytelling, artistry, and humor. And it
(08:15):
took off, and they started touring even after the farm
Workers Movement sort of like asked them to stop. And
he took that experience and just grew his like theatrical repertoire,
and eventually.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
He wrote zoot Suit as a stage play.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
And so I didn't really understand that history until I
sat down and watched the documentary American Patchuko. And so
the producer, Everett is a Filipino descent, and I asked him,
you know, how did you come to be involved and
why was this story an important story for you to tell?
(08:53):
And for him, it's because of his own interest in
backstory and his own heritage as a Filipino America and
understanding the intersectionality of Filipinos and the United farm Workers Movement.
And this also came up in the documentary with the
history of Larry Itlong and all of the Filipino folks
who were picking and growing and working alongside Mexicans in
(09:17):
the Central Valley.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
In the last several weeks, I saw members of Larry
Iolong's family talking about how he's like the forgotten leader
of the farm workers movement and how he really laid
the foundation for what Donorserta and Sasata Chavis did with
the United farm Workers Movement, and how they want do
(09:39):
for his story, and they want his name to be
known for his movement, for his role in the movement
as well.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Absolutely, and so it was it was good to see that.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Larry Itlong and the Filipino community were very much acknowledged
in this documentary in the telling of Luis Feldez, his
own story and how it intertwines with that of Dolores
Caesar Chavez and the farm workers movement. So Dolores was
there at the premiere, she was on the red carpet.
She is still doing appearances, she is still doing events,
(10:11):
she's still doing talks, and I had the chance to
interview her. And of course, over the course of the
past year, her name has come up on a national
scale because she is one of several people who have
come forward to talk about Caesar Chavez and his abuses
against women and girls in the farm workers movement, and
(10:33):
she spoke about herself as a survivor of assault at
the hands of Caesar Chavez, and I wanted to sort
of ask her about it without asking her about it
at the premiere, So when I had a chance to
speak to her, I asked her how we can discern
when to celebrate a powerful man like we were doing
(10:56):
that day, celebrating Louis Faldez and his legacy, and when
when do we question a powerful man?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
How do we make that distinction?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
And here's what she had to say, Hi, I am
so good.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
It is an honor to meet you.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
My family is from Bakersfield, from Kern County, and so
of course I grew up hearing all about you and
your work and as a chikana, you are just a
seminal figure in our history. And a question that I
have for you today we're celebrating a great man, Louis
Faldez and his work. When do we know when a
great man is to be celebrated and when a man
(11:33):
we consider great maybe.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Needs to be questioned. How do we make that distinction?
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Well, I think the fact that we want to question
everyone is good. I think always you know, but I
think we have people like Liu will this when you
have these creators, these artists that are able to bring
(11:58):
so much to the public, you know, so much historical context,
but also to be able to present us in a
way that people will not only learn, but they'll also
enjoy in the in the learning process because it's entertaining.
So it's educational, it's entertaining at the same time.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
And so I think people like Muzadas are very uh
might say, in our society, as we know, our artists
are very blessed people because they have gifts that all
of us just have to just re say, how do
how do they do this?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Okay, but uh, we definitely have to honor them.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
We have to honor them and.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
And give them the space to bring their creations more
forward so that the public can enjoy them.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
So after I spoke with Dolores, I had the chance
to talk to Lou Diamond Phillips, which is really exciting.
We were just talking about how Lou Diamond Phillips, you know,
he played in Richie Allens in La Bamba, this icon
of Chicano music, this rock star who we love and
revere in the Mexican American community, and although Lou Diamond
(13:10):
Phillips is not of Mexican descent, there's not really any
pushback from our community against him. And he also played
a Mexican American character in Angel in Stand and Deliver,
who is also an iconic character in Chicano cinema. And
I love that he was there because I think and
(13:31):
the film also identifies La Bamba as being his breakout role.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
He was definitely a.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Very very young up and comer when he was cast
as Richie Vallens, and his career took off after that film,
and I think that's true for several actors who starred
in Luis Feldez films. Edward James almost his career took
off after zoot Suit, Lou Diamond Phillips his career took off.
Issie Morales, who played Bob in LaBamba, his career took off.
(14:00):
And it was just really awesome to see them there
honoring this man who basically put them on the map.
And so because Lou Diamond Phillips had this breakout role
in LaBamba, I was curious to know his thoughts.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Don't know any where Logo is. We'll be right back.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
About what story he thinks should be told on the
big screen.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Next, whose story should be spotlighted?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Who has not had their story told? And here's what
he shared.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
You've played some iconic roles, from Richie Allen's to that
young student in Stand and Deliver Angel. Yes, so can
you tell me who do you think is the next
figure in American history who can have that type of
impact on the screen.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Wow, that's a very good question, you know. I mean,
I think we're seeing some people rise to the occasion now,
mostly in the world of politics. You know, I'm interested
to see what AOC does.
Speaker 7 (15:04):
You know.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I think she's inspirational. I think she's got her heart
and her mind in the right place. But I mean,
as far as movie treatments go, it's like who who
you know deserves to be elevated to that to that level? Yeah,
I mean Louis obviously, And I think this documentary, forty
years after the fact, is finally celebrating him when he
(15:27):
should have been celebrated even more back in eighty seven
when he you know, kicked down the door and broke
down the walls, you know. And the fact that the
movie is perennial and evergreen today, you know, I'm glad
that this movie, you know, has been made. And that's
the thing too, is I mean, you know, the documentary
(15:48):
form is a great way to sort of elevate somebody.
When you're looking at a lot of biopictures, a lot
of musical biopics and whatnot. There's more coming, you know, along,
it's hard to say who should be an anointed with
that kind of you know, that kind of special treatment.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Next, I was super excited for the chance to interview
Esi Morales, who played Bob Richie Allen's brother in La Bamba.
And I actually did not realize this until after the premiere,
but Esi Morales is not Mexican American.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
He's Puerto Rican.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
And I guess, like he just played a Chicano so well,
like Bob is like obviously Mexican, obviously Chicano, like like
no one has ever been more Chicano than Bob.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
He embodied that role so well.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
He embodies it so well.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And it was funny because in the in the recording,
in the interview, he uses like us, we and chicano
like in his responses to me, and he's like including
himself and talking about like our stories us as Chicano's
we and our community, and it was just really interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I love that because I feel like, like og Chicano
scholars will tell you that a Chicano identity is so
political that you don't actually have to be Mexican American
to be Chicano. So I love that that he's including
himself in the wei of it all.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, I think he's tapped into that, into that history,
into that legacy. I think that there are some folks
who might like nitpick at that, of course, and whom
I like, you know, grasp at straws and say like, oh,
like someone who is not Mexican playing a Mexican character
is somehow like benefiting from like those ties to the community.
(17:38):
But I think that he's another example of somebody who
did such a great job in his work that the
community has embraced him and like totally accepts him and
the role that he played. So for me, I also
think of Bob and La Bamba as like the ultimate
anti hero character. You want to love him, and there's
(17:59):
so many things to love about him, but he's also
kind of so awful as a person and in his
behaviors that you want him to do better. So I
asked Esi how he went about preparing for that role
and playing such a complex character with dignity and with
(18:21):
layers and levels.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
And here's what he had to say.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
A character that I think is one of the greatest
anti heroes in cinema history.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Bob in La Bambab. How do you go.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
About giving a flawed character like Bob humanity, complexity, heart
and honoring his life in such a way that he's
not flat on screen.
Speaker 8 (18:42):
Well, I'm very blessed that I did incredible research with
a character who very much liked. Bob isn't perfect, and
I had to find him in the mirror. So I
use my own flaws and I find where they match
is And it's about creating a character that is specific, identifiable,
(19:06):
universal all at the same time. How you just it's instinct.
You listen to to see what sounds like reality, what
you know, you rehearse. I met the real Bob. That
was extremely helpful. You know, I had my instincts, but
meeting the real Bob grounded me in the character in
his specific chicanism with a little head tilt when he
(19:29):
sees his brother like that ike. You know, there are
certain things that I learned just from hanging out having
a beer with Bob and hearing old stars and hearing
how he spoke and his kind of a Mexican American like.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Brogue. It's not and it's not all American.
Speaker 8 (19:51):
It's that fusion that makes Chicanos very unique and world renown.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
The last person that I had the chance to interview
is Eduardeau Aren't who is the bassis guitar player and
vocalist for Chicano Batman, which is an iconic group on
its own.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
He actually scored.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
The film American Bachuco, which is really cool to see
that overlap and intersection. So I asked him, as an
icon himself, how it felt to be part of this
multi generational project that's going all the way back to
Louis Faldez and the actors that I just described and
now his role in creating this documentary. And here's what
(20:33):
he shared. I'm Mala Munios for a look at THOTR Radio.
Can you introduce yourself and tell me about your role
on the film American Pachuco.
Speaker 7 (20:40):
My name is and I am the composer for American
Bachuco and it's been quite an honor and yeah, that's
doing the score, original score for the for the documentary.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
And what was the process like for you creatively to
come up with the score that fit the story and
the figure at the center of it, Luis Feldez.
Speaker 7 (20:59):
First, you get rejected about a thousand times, but the
producer and the directors until you find the right emotion.
And then once you find the right emotion, it's kind
of like you kind of just go. You kind of
just go, and there's a certain rhythm once you lock in.
For me, it was emotional. So I had to look
at their eyes because it's America, Pachuko, it's like Latino,
(21:22):
and but I'm also Latino. But I'm not trying to
be known, Like I'm not doing corridos, I'm not doing Kumbia,
I'm not doing that. What I'm doing is emotion. I'm
doing like an emotional arc for a history of like,
you know, like our emotions are not brown, they're not white,
they're not pink. You know, they are just emotion. And
it was my job to get that, get that out
of the characters.
Speaker 9 (21:42):
In the movie.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
And you are a member of an iconic Chicano musical group,
Chicano Batman, So like tell me about merging those two
worlds Louis Feldez, zoot Suit, Chicano Batman, different eras, different decades,
but now coming together to work on one project.
Speaker 7 (21:59):
Well, it was awesome because when we were at Sundance,
I was on a panel with Louis Valdez and Edward
James almost myself, and I mean, it's honestly means a
lot more than I can understand, to be honest, because
when I was a little kid, I was in the
High Mescalanta program me too.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
At eLAC and so was he in the summers.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
So then Culture Clash they did a presentation there, and
then I was like, you know, I just did a
show with Culture Clash at the Grand Performances Plaza. But then,
you know, if it weren't for Louisvaldez and the Death
or Capasino, then the Culture Clash will not exist, you
know what I'm saying. So but then I'm on the
red carpet of whether at Sundance with Edward James almost
and New Diamond Phillip take a pictures and I'm like, hey, guys,
(22:40):
you have no idea, but this is I just composed
a score to you guys in a movie, and I
was like, you guys literally inspired. And then and then
they're like, there are no coincidences in life, and I
was like, thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
I understand that I'm where.
Speaker 7 (22:52):
I need to be. So it's basically chole and believing
in yourself and actually creating your own path, you know,
not your parents' path, not society's path, not the American dream,
you know, following your own frequency. I've been just doing
that for a long time, you know. I went to
school and I did that, but I just kept following music,
following your own frequency. Leasy too, Moments that you grandiose,
(23:12):
moments that you won't believe. And I think that's kind
of the big lesson in all of those, this whole experience.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Finally, I spoke to the filmmakers behind American bachuco producer
Everett Katigbach and I asked him how it felt to
be part of this documentary, his own role in the process,
and why he thinks it's important to tell this Filipino
history alongside this Chicano history.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
And here's what he shared.
Speaker 9 (23:39):
I mean, there's so much shared history with Filipinos in
the Philippines, you know, through Spanish colonization and a lot
of just historic, you know, trade routes between the Philippines
and Mexico, and at one point, I think the Philippines
was technically considered a province of Mexico. That's deep history stuff.
But you know, Philippine Americans on the farm lines, on
(24:02):
the fields of Delano, they work hand in hand, you know,
in a strange way, because farm workers at the time
kind of kept them segregated and tried to keep them
working against each other. But I think the farm workers
fought really hard to stay united, which hence turned into
the United farm Workers when the Filipinos and the Chicano
farm workers merged together. And I think that's like a
(24:24):
part of history that a lot of people don't really
see because they the United farm Workers logo and all
that such as strong Mexican, strong Chicano identity, But it
really was about the union between the Filipino farm workers
and the Mexican farm workers. Other things as like zutsu riots.
There's a lot of pachucos that were Filipino zoot suitors.
(24:44):
I mean a lot of the riots happened in Little Manila,
in downtown LA So, you know, it's just kind of
all overlapping it at the same time.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Lastly, I caught up with American Pachuco director David Alvarado.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Don't go anywhere, Luka Modes will be right back.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
And I was very curious to know why he thinks
Louise Faldez, after all these years, chose to tell his
story in this way with this team of filmmakers.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
And here's here are his thoughts.
Speaker 10 (25:16):
We've shown this film to sun Dance, to New York City,
has had incredible responses from audiences, but there's nothing more
important than Los Angeles for this film. The heart of
the and the birthplace of the Pachuco is right here
in Los Angeles. So I just can't wait to share
it with everybody here.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
And what was the process like introducing the idea of
making this film about Louis Feldez to Louis Faldez himself.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
How did he receive the idea? How did he respond?
Speaker 10 (25:42):
Well, I had a sense that he might remember me.
I met him when I was twenty one.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
He says that he did remember me, but.
Speaker 10 (25:50):
I don't believe him truly. I think I think I
was just one of ten thousand kids that he's inspired.
When he went from college to college telling his life story.
I heard one of those speeches and I was so
moved by it.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
I had to speak to him that night.
Speaker 10 (26:03):
And my whole film career is really owed to him
and his inspiration. And so years later, I guess this
was like fifteen years later, I reached out to him
and said, why is there not a documentary about you
and your life?
Speaker 2 (26:16):
And so that.
Speaker 10 (26:16):
Began our conversations, and I'm so grateful he gave.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Me the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
If you have not had a chance to watch American
Pachuco The Legend of Luis Valdez, there is still time.
This is a self funded premiere and theatrical release, which
means they need us, our community, our family to go
out and watch the film. They also have a Kickstarter
(26:41):
campaign if you want to contribute. This is one of
those moments where we have to like reflect on the
fact that as a community, we're very critical of the
fact that there aren't enough of Chicano films, Latino films
in theater. There's not enough cast and crew who are
Latino or Chicano, and we have to really seize this moment,
show up if we're critical of it and then we're
(27:02):
not showing up to watch it.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
You know, you have to show up.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
We have to do it. We have to be there,
we have to take our family members, we have to
tell everybody about it, and like really, you know, put
our dollars like where we say we want them to go.
And so this is an opportunity for all of us
to show up to watch the film and contribute to
the Kickstarter campaign.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Absolutely, I also think it's a moment to do for
one of like the greats in our community. What I
see happening for like the Spielbergs and the Scorsese's, you know,
there's a lot of celebration of their body of work
and of their legacy. But I have not seen such
a celebration for someone in our own community who has
(27:44):
been creating cinema and theater for so many years. I
don't think that most people who love La Bamba know
this history of the writer, director and who made it
all happen, or if you're a fan of these actors,
you might not know that this is where they got
their start in works written and directed by Luis Feldez.
(28:06):
So it's also a way, I think to elevate our
artists to the level that they deserve to be elevated
again like a George Lucas or Steven Spielberg. These are
like works of art that are enduring and generational. And
I think most Latino households have probably seen La Bamba
(28:28):
or have a DVD of it somewhere in the house, right,
So I think that that's really incredible, and there's only
so many movies that like reach that status in the community.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah, And it's interesting that you bring that up because
when we were talking about producing this, I was thinking, like,
when was the first time I saw LaBamba? And it
was with my brother, you know, And it is that
multi generational experience of sharing it with your siblings or
your parents or your grandparents, And it's one of those
examples of I can remember when I first saw it,
(28:59):
I remember who introduced me to this film, and it is,
I think, and also going along with what you're saying,
an opportunity to give flowers to our icons while they're
still here and really give them the stature that they
do deserve that they may not be getting from a
broader Hollywood, but within our community, we have the opportunity
(29:22):
to do that here.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Very much, so very much so, and I think it's
also something that allows for learning, like in a curriculum.
The documentary when I was watching it, to me, it
reads is something that not only could win an OSCAR.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
I mean it won the.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Festival Award and Audience Favorite at sun Dance, and I
think that it could be an OSCAR winning documentary, that's
just how powerful and beautifully.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Done it is.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
But I can see it being an enduring part of
like a Mexican American or Chicano studies history curriculum. It's
definitely also a teaching film as well as like just
a beautiful and creative watch. So I think that's also
why things like this are important, because it's adding to
(30:11):
the canon, but it's adding to the curriculum.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
Yeah, and I think at this point it's really important
for us. I'm glad you brought up canon because it's
what I was going to say next, is it's really
important for us to have our own canon. You know,
oftentimes our films, our books, our media is left out
of the broader canon, and so for us to really
establish our own and consider like what goes in our canon,
(30:35):
like as Latino media, Chicano media, and of course this
would be included in that as well.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So check out American Pachuco, The Legend of Luis Valdez,
directed by David Alvarado, and check out the Kickstarter campaign,
Go to a screening and support the film.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
All right, this is another Capitolo of radio. We'll catch
you next time, Bessifa lo
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