1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: Hey, hey, hey, hey, get us. 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 2: Latino USA is celebrating thirty years today, Ain't that amos? 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: And we would love to hear from you. 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 2: Dear listener, Do you want to share with us exactly 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 2: what Latino USA has meant to you? Do you have 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: a birthday wish for us? Leave us a voicemail at 7 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 2: six four six five seven to one one two two four. 8 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 2: That's six four six five seven to one one two 9 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: two four, and we might feature your message in an 10 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 2: upcoming show grass Yas. 11 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 3: This is Latino USA, the Radio Journal of News and 12 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 3: Kurture's Latino USA, latin Us, Latino USA. 13 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 2: I'm Maria Inojosa. We bring you stories that are underreported 14 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 2: but that mattered. 15 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: To you, overlooked by the rest of the media, and 16 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: while the country is struggling. 17 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 2: To deal with these we listen to the stories of 18 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 2: black and Latinos. 19 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: Studios United, Latino Front. 20 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: A cultural renaissance organizing at the forefront of the movement. 21 00:00:57,720 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: I'm Maria Inojosa, nose Bayan. 22 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 4: One thing that's very important to me is that I 23 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 4: have captured our experience Latino, not just Chicano, but Latino 24 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 4: experience across the country. I think I'm the only one 25 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 4: that has anything to that degree of our culture and history. 26 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: From Fudro Media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria 27 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: Ino JSA. 28 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 2: And today we continue to celebrate our thirtieth anniversary. We're 29 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: bringing you conversations with some of the most influential Latinos 30 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,199 Speaker 2: and Latins of the last three decades, and this time 31 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 2: filmmaker Ektor Galan, who for over forty years has been 32 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 2: documenting our Latino communities. Since the late nineteen seventies, Ektor 33 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 2: Galan has stood behind the camera, featuring the stories of 34 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 2: the people he didn't see in mainstream media. 35 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 5: It was the summer of nineteen fifty five a Hollywood 36 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 5: film crew and the biggest movie stars of the era 37 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 5: descend upon the small, dusty town of Marfa, Texas. 38 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: His film documentaries explore a wide range of subjects. 39 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 6: Two thousand years ago, the world changed forever. It all 40 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 6: began with the birth of a baby boy. 41 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 7: From the history of the Chicano Movement, Mexican Americans in 42 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 7: Crystal City created their own political party, La Rasa Univa. 43 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 8: We no longer accept the fact that we are powerless 44 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 8: and need to be complaining about our powerlessness. 45 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 7: We know we're. 46 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 2: Powerful and life in the Colognas along the Texas border. 47 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 8: The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is one of 48 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 8: the oldest settled regions in America. 49 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: To the rise of Conjunto music and the origin of 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: the accordion. 51 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 4: One of the last of the Conjunto pioneers, Juan Lopez, 52 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 4: helped define a unique musical tradition that still exists today. 53 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: As one of the first Latino filmmakers in public television, 54 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 2: Ecdo paved the way for any of us, and in 55 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety three Latino USA's first year on the air, 56 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 2: we invited Ecdor to the. 57 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 3: Show with us from Austin, Texas, the director of The 58 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 3: Hunt for Panchovilla, Ektor Galan, Welcome to Latino USA, Ecdor. 59 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 9: Thank you, Leria Ekdor. 60 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 2: What Ekdod was doing in documentary film resonated with the 61 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 2: mission we had established for Latino USA to highlight that 62 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,559 Speaker 2: the Latino experience is also the American experience. 63 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 10: We're Latinos, you know, we're Chicanos, and at times we're 64 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 10: looking at it from American perspective, and at other times 65 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 10: we're looking at it from a Mexican historical perspective as well. 66 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 2: Throughout the years, Ecdod built a production company, received many 67 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: awards and recognitions, and mentored students and aspiring filmmakers, and 68 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 2: all along the way, he would return to Latino USA. 69 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 3: Accordion Dreams, produced and directed by independent filmmaker Ektor Galan, 70 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 3: who has documented many aspects of Latino life for public television. 71 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 3: He joins us now on Latino USA and Ector, why 72 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 3: conjunto music? 73 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: Why the Accordion? Why now? 74 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 4: Well? 75 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 10: I think Conto is an extraordinary music that I wanted 76 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 10: to be able to bring about in a film to 77 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 10: share with the rest of the country. 78 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 2: But after all of these years, I realized that I 79 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: had actually never sat down with Ector to talk not 80 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 2: about his latest project, but about him. How he grew 81 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 2: up in a small town in West Texas, how the 82 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 2: Chicano movement pushed him into filmmaking, and what stories are 83 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 2: still left for him to tell. We're going to get 84 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 2: into all of that and more today in a conversation 85 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: that is west long overdue. Hello, Ector, Hello, Mariainosa. Ector Galan, 86 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 2: the man, the father, the husband, the producer, the media entrepreneur, 87 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 2: the luchadorl Kenosernde. 88 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 4: Well, thank you Marie, that's true. 89 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 9: I'm still going at it. 90 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 4: You know. It's been I guess now, oh jee, about 91 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 4: thirty five forty years that I've been doing this. 92 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: You were actually one of the very first guests that 93 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 2: we ever had on the first year of Latino USA, 94 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 2: when we went on the air back then nineteen ninety three, 95 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,679 Speaker 2: you were about to premiere The Hunt for Buncho Villa. 96 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 2: That film would go on to win multiple awards. It 97 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: was going to be shown on PBS for the American Experience, 98 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 2: the first Latino to ever direct an American experience. 99 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,919 Speaker 3: What inspired you and and writer Paul Espinosa to develop 100 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,799 Speaker 3: this project, The Hunt for Bunchovilla and to add even 101 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: more information about this mystique of the character bunch of Villa. 102 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 10: Back in college or even in our homes, we all 103 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 10: had posters and the Banchovia who represented something to us 104 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,479 Speaker 10: as Chicanos. Some of us do you understand and know 105 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 10: a little bit of the story of his life, but 106 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 10: to most people in America it's more of a caricature. 107 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: You were directing a national film, correcting the narrative on 108 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 2: this legendary Mexican revolutionary to a mainstream public television US 109 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 2: audience told by a Mexican American proud Chicano from Texas. 110 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 10: Vian is just one person that can point at but 111 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 10: a lot of the feelings along the border against Mexicans, 112 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 10: you know, weren't They had their own stereotypical negative views 113 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 10: of Mexicans. And we know that as a story too, 114 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 10: so as as Chicano's US. It was very, very interesting 115 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 10: to go through that process. 116 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 3: The premiere of The Hunt for Punchovilla will be on 117 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 3: November third on public. 118 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: Television stations across the country. 119 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 2: Did us, Yes, that was a long time ago, but 120 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 2: that was the first time that I interviewed you for 121 00:06:58,920 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 2: Latino USA. 122 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: Remember anything about that? 123 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 9: I remember that interview. 124 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I. 125 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 4: Remember where I went where Latino USA used to be 126 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 4: here in Austin. And that's been many years now, you know. 127 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 4: With me, I like to tell stories like Pancho Viar, 128 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 4: stories that aren't really known. They need to be accessible 129 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 4: to the mass audience, and that was my goal with 130 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 4: these stories. You know, that was only one. I did 131 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 4: two American experiences. The other one was called Los Minetos. 132 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 9: No Strive on Them. 133 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 7: This is a story of men who came to work 134 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 7: in a foreign landge the story that has never been told. 135 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 5: They brought us from Mexico to work the couple minds 136 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 5: of Arizona Beautiful film. 137 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 9: A lot of these stories. 138 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 4: I like to shine a light on us so that 139 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 4: the rest of America can understand us a little bit better. 140 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 2: So speaking about that, you know, it was a particular 141 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,239 Speaker 2: thing for you a Latino public television to be talking 142 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: to a show called Latino USA on public radio. I'm 143 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 2: wondering because we were one of the places where you, 144 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 2: you know, we're basically like tks. We know you, we 145 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 2: get what you're doing with your work. But I'm wondering, 146 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 2: do you have recollections about that? 147 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 4: Well? I think that the most important thing that there 148 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 4: was a program called Latino USA. I mean, to me, 149 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 4: that's extremely important. And to have it on NPR and 150 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 4: be out there, I mean I was doing that interview 151 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:32,079 Speaker 4: was just it. 152 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 2: Was an honor, And for me it was an honor 153 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 2: because I was like midiastick ching on. Let's get to 154 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 2: the fact that by the time you are assigned that 155 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 2: American experience very big deal, you had actually been working 156 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 2: in television for over two decades. So I want you 157 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 2: to take me back to there. 158 00:08:59,360 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: Where is it? 159 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 2: How long you growing up in San Angelo, Texas where 160 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 2: you're just like, no, bis bis, I'm just gonna be 161 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 2: a gamogna for I'm just like, how does that happen? 162 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 4: Well, it's really funny, Maria, that question, because when I 163 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 4: graduated high school, court college didn't even come into the 164 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 4: equation because nobody in my family or anybody my extended 165 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 4: family had been to college. 166 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 2: So it was not like, Okay, you're attorney eighteen, they 167 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 2: asked Parloni or see that. 168 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 1: It was you turn eighteen, you need a job. 169 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm good to be a truck driver or whatever. 170 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 4: But I wanted to work in radio. So now what's 171 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 4: interesting is that I grew up in West Texas, San Angelo. 172 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 4: We still had remnants of Jim Crow and nothing compared 173 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 4: to what my parents went through, but we still had 174 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 4: a little bit of that, and some jobs in that 175 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 4: town just weren't for Mexicans, you know. But there was 176 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 4: this opportunity that came up at the local one local 177 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 4: CBS affiliate station for a cameraman studio cameraman, and I said, 178 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 4: what the heck and I applied. I went to the 179 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 4: TV station and there were all these Anglo young Anglos applying, 180 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 4: and there was me with my hair down to my shoulders. 181 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 4: My father let me grow my hair long. 182 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: We definitely need a picture of that. 183 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 4: And I went in and lo and behold the person 184 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:15,839 Speaker 4: interview and me also had long hair. And I'm talking 185 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 4: seventy two, nineteen seventy two long hairs. Whether you're Mexican 186 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 4: or Anglo or whatever, we were all brothers. 187 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 2: Can you tell me what it was like to work 188 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 2: in a tiny television station in West Texas in the seventies. 189 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 4: That's really where I got the bug for television, because 190 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 4: even though I got real good at running the studio camera, 191 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 4: I wanted more. I could hear the director in the 192 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 4: control room, I could hear the tape room, and because 193 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 4: we're all hooked up on headsets, and I said, I 194 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 4: want to do that, And that's what started me. So 195 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 4: I left that station to a junior college in Colleen. 196 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 4: I met a professor there who thought I had a 197 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 4: lot of potential, and he said that he would starting 198 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 4: a program at Texas Tech in Lubbock called mass communications, 199 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 4: and he encouraged me to go. So I went, and 200 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 4: I started a four year and I started working TV there. 201 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 4: There's where I got the bug to start producing, because 202 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 4: you have to remember, around that time was when these 203 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 4: cameras started to come out, they call them mini cams, 204 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 4: and we were able to use these cameras in the 205 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 4: field because shooting film was just too expensive. 206 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 2: But they were still weighing what thirty pounds more or less? 207 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, right, So just to work there you had. 208 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 9: To drag like a wheelchair, you know, with a power unit. 209 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 9: But that's what got my start. 210 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 4: And then at that point I decided because I met 211 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,839 Speaker 4: so many people that were part of the Rasso Nita 212 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 4: party and involved in protesting police brutality that Mexican America 213 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,559 Speaker 4: and Chicanos were facing at the hands of police here 214 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 4: in Texas, all the marches. I started filming all of that. 215 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 2: So your introduction as a documentarian was because you were 216 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 2: documenting the civil rights movement of Chicanos and Chicanas chican 217 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 2: ecks in Texas. And you were not only documenting it firsthand, 218 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 2: but you were also like yotamien ZOI prout Chicano. 219 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 4: That's right, you know, I became part of the Rasonita Party. 220 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 4: I became part of the Chicano movement. 221 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 9: I met my. 222 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 4: Early friends like Assustravigno and people like that from California, 223 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 4: because the winds of change were blowing from California to Texas. 224 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,319 Speaker 4: But we had our own organizing going on in Crystal 225 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 4: City for the Rasonia Party. 226 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 2: And you know, in the nineteen seventies here in New 227 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 2: York City, Puerto Rican activists actually took over Channel thirteen, 228 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 2: which is the public television station of New York se 229 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 2: to Maron Lasoficinas, demanding that there'd be more Latino representation 230 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 2: in public media across the board. So you were a 231 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 2: part of a historic wave of politically conscious, politically engaged, 232 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 2: unafraid to say we are radical media producers. Deal with it, 233 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 2: am I right. 234 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 4: You're absolutely correct. One of the first things that we 235 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 4: did when I was out with the mini camps because 236 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 4: now I got hired as a producer instead of a director, 237 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 4: and I created a program called. 238 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:22,839 Speaker 8: Slan well like as the programa the alolos Sados and 239 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 8: Labola said competo agrado. 240 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 4: And we decided to do it in Spanish because they 241 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 4: didn't know what we were talking about. Otherwise it take us. 242 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 8: Off the air Elasamana Kendra programa Conbindo Porrama Happenings and 243 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 8: on the senas La. 244 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 9: But you know, that's how we spread the world. 245 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 4: And every week we would would would try to educate 246 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 4: the community about what's going on in voting, police brutality, education, representation, 247 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 4: all of that. We were covering stuff that they wouldn't 248 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 4: even get to, and that's what gave me that verve. 249 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 2: In prepping for this interview, I didn't realize that you 250 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 2: were really part of that first class of frontline. 251 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 10: It was. 252 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 4: It's really funny, you know, because I was working on 253 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 4: a major series called Checking It Out with one of 254 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 4: my mentors, Ada Baretta. She was an early pioneer. I 255 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 4: was working doing this series for Hispanic teenagers at the time. 256 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 4: I got recruited out of Lubbock to work on this 257 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 4: film series being shot on sixteen, So that took me 258 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 4: all over the country and I did a film on 259 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 4: getting violence in. 260 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 9: Chicago that was very powerful and it was very very 261 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 9: tough for me. 262 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 4: It was very very scary time, but I was able 263 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 4: to get in and did a very powerful look at 264 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 4: what's going on and why is there so much violence 265 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 4: in our community. That series ended and I went to 266 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 4: Dallas to work on a first major cable facilities called Cube. 267 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 4: At that time, I had sent some tapes out to 268 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 4: WGBH that I had read that were looking for people 269 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 4: this proud you never heard from him back then for us, 270 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 4: a three quarter inch tape a dove was expensive. So 271 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 4: I called him and then they said what's your name? 272 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 4: Said Hector Gon, We've been looking for you acid. Oh really, yeah, 273 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 4: hold on, and then they put me on the line 274 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 4: with this new guy that was starting this new series 275 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 4: called Primetime USA that eventually became Frontline. 276 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 2: And so Frontline again was very upstart. It was we're 277 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 2: going to do our long documentary films. We're going to 278 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 2: be uninterrupted by any commercials. The idea of Frontline hiring 279 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 2: this radical Chicano producer and having him move from Texas 280 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 2: to Boston. 281 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: To WGBH, I mean, that was a huge move. It 282 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: was a huge feather in your cap. Again. We saw 283 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: you as somebody who was breaking down these doors. 284 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 2: But it was difficult, right because you had not left 285 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 2: Texas in that way before. Can you tell me a 286 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 2: little bit about moving to Boston and working at a 287 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: place like WGBH. 288 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 4: First of all, the people at GBH really didn't understand Chicano's. 289 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 4: I mean, they didn't have anything against us, don't get 290 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:13,479 Speaker 4: me wrong, but they didn't know much about Latinos in America. 291 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 2: Believe it or not, Boston has its issues around race 292 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 2: and segregation, and there's always been a Latino Latina presence, 293 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 2: but it is Yeah. 294 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 4: I did the third front line of the first season 295 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 4: on Marion Barry, the Mayor of Washington, DC, and then 296 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 4: I did Sanctuary, and then I did Chasing the Basketball Dream. 297 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 4: And at that point I said, look, I've got to 298 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 4: go home. I really missed home. I missed Texas. I 299 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 4: felt like a fish out of water in Boston. It's 300 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 4: a beautiful town. I mean it's great, but I kind 301 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 4: of felt like an oddball. And right before that, I 302 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 4: was starting to move more into the indie world. I 303 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 4: did an independent documentary, my first one really for National 304 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 4: Consul in La Rasa. The first documentary that I did 305 00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 4: that aired on PBS was on Cuba. 306 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 10: Fidel Castro marches triumphantly into Havana. It's a popular victory, 307 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 10: a time of great hope, of great expectations. 308 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 4: I followed an exile back it's called Cuba Personal Journey. 309 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 10: My name is Antonio Gernica. I've lived in this country 310 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 10: for more than twenty years. When I left Cuba as 311 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 10: a child, I never really said goodbye. I thought I 312 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 10: would soon return. 313 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 9: And I turned thirty in Cuba. This was in nineteen 314 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 9: eighty three, believe it or. 315 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 10: Not, after twenty two years in exile, on returning with 316 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 10: memories of yesterday's Cuba and meeting for the first time 317 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 10: the Cuba of today. 318 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 4: At that point, David Fanning had seen my independent documentary 319 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 4: and he said, Hector, why don't you work for us 320 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 4: from Texas. I said, man, that would be great. So 321 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 4: I came to Texas and I, did you know, eight 322 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 4: more documentaries through my production company for Frontline. So really, 323 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 4: Frontline me got me started. 324 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: Up on Latino USA. 325 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 2: Ektor Galan goes independent, creating his own production company and 326 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 2: in the process making way for a new generation of 327 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 2: diverse filmmakers. 328 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 1: Stay with us, not. 329 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 11: Yes, Hi. My name is Barbara Dolinsky in Simsbury, Connecticut. 330 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 11: So I only started to listen to your program about 331 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 11: two and a half years ago. I just felt it 332 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 11: was right and special because even though it's Latino USA, 333 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 11: it's for everybody. I'm very grateful I picked you up 334 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 11: on the radio and thank you, thank you. Just stay safe. 335 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: Hey, we're back. 336 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:10,879 Speaker 2: As part of our thirty year anniversary celebration, we're catching 337 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 2: up with some of our favorite guests from the past 338 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 2: three decades, and today a conversation with Ecdor Galan, who's 339 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 2: an award winning documentarian who just before the break was 340 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 2: telling us how he got his start in the business. 341 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 2: Now Ekdor shares what it's taken for him to continue 342 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 2: making films about the subjects he's passionate about for over 343 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:31,879 Speaker 2: forty years. 344 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: Here's the rest of our conversation. 345 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,360 Speaker 2: So, Ector, in nineteen eighty four, you decide that you're 346 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 2: going to go fully independent and you decide to found 347 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 2: your own company. 348 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: It's called Galan Productions. So what about that moment? 349 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 2: How did you decide to come to this place of 350 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 2: doing something entirely independently and on your own. 351 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 4: When I was doing these documentaries, I was doing it 352 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 4: for the public good and trying to get themes and 353 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 4: ideas out that I felt were very important for people 354 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 4: to know. But then I did a film in nineteen 355 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 4: ninety five called Songs of the Homeland, which was about 356 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 4: Tehano music, the history of Tehano music, past hundred years, 357 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 4: and all of a sudden that year, I started getting 358 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 4: calls and letters of people wanting to buy the documentary 359 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:23,920 Speaker 4: all around the country. And it's proved to me that 360 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 4: Texans or Tehano's being part of the migrant workers stream 361 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 4: were all over the country. And that's why I called 362 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 4: it Songs of the Homeland because it's Texas the homeland. 363 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 4: And all of a sudden, I realized that I could 364 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 4: make a lot of money selling these things. So at 365 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 4: that point, instead of just raising money for the shows, 366 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,399 Speaker 4: making money for the shows both in schools and DVDs, 367 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 4: So you start to learn that business too. So one 368 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 4: thing led to the other, you know, and that's what's 369 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 4: kept me alive and still at it all these years, 370 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:00,400 Speaker 4: you know, because you got two revenue streams, and that's 371 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,679 Speaker 4: very important for entrepreneurs and for young filmmakers. 372 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 2: And I'm wondering what this meant for you personally, and 373 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 2: it may have meant that it was the thing that 374 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 2: gave you the life to be able. 375 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: To be a parent. It can also take a lot 376 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: from our families. 377 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 4: I literally some mornings I'd wake up, you know, after 378 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 4: having kids in over there, and say, what the hell 379 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 4: am I doing because you're always worried about your next film, 380 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 4: your next project, because you have to raise the money 381 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 4: for it, and that's a very very difficult thing to do. Unfortunately, 382 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 4: a lot of my colleagues people that started, you know, 383 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 4: trying to do the same thing, and just. 384 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 9: Couldn't take it. 385 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 4: And I don't blame them, because you have to be 386 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 4: very thick skinned and it's feast and famine. 387 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:45,360 Speaker 9: But I think what really. 388 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 4: Grounded me was what we we're talking about. It was 389 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 4: that period, that decade plus that I truly found my identity, 390 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,959 Speaker 4: who I am in this country and what it all means. 391 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 4: And I still believe that that's the most driving force 392 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 4: for everything that I do. 393 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 2: You become the series producer for Chicano, which is of 394 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 2: series at premier on PBS Primetime, nineteen ninety six. But 395 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 2: it was very important because you were controlling the narrative. 396 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,360 Speaker 2: It was the film about the Mexican American civil rights 397 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 2: movement of the nineteen sixties and seventies. 398 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 7: In the nineteen sixties, a new generation of Mexican Americans 399 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 7: created a militant social movement in response to the anger 400 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 7: and frustration that had been building for so many years 401 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 7: within their community. 402 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 4: There was two things that were very complicated in doing 403 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 4: that series. One was funding, because there were a lot 404 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 4: of big funders they thought were. 405 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 7: Radical in California and Texas. They demanded humane treatment in 406 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 7: the fields where they labored. 407 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 4: Secondly, we weren't filming our movement, the Chicano movement the 408 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 4: way say the African American Ones movement is captured. Everybody 409 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 4: from New York was going down South filming everything, and 410 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 4: there are such incredible arch of the black civil rights movement, 411 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 4: it's amazing. Whereas with us, you know, a lot of 412 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 4: us didn't have cameras or we weren't filming, so finding 413 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 4: that material was very, very difficult. 414 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,120 Speaker 12: But we did and work poor man, I mean work poor, 415 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 12: and nobody wants to do nothing upon it. You still 416 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,119 Speaker 12: kissing the Democratic Party, think that they're gonna save you. 417 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 9: And they ain't gonna do it. 418 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 2: How big was it and continues to be Victor Gallan. 419 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 2: You get invited to the White House to go screen 420 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 2: Chicano with President Bill Clinton. 421 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 4: Well, I mean, you know, being a Chicano, it was 422 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 4: an incredible experience. And you know, when I was in lovebook, 423 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 4: working at the TV station and involved in the Chicago movement, 424 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 4: the Rustle Nea and everything. All the sports guys and 425 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,360 Speaker 4: the TV people and many of the colleagues there, angels 426 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,719 Speaker 4: would call me a comedy, a pinko. Everything you can imagine, 427 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 4: because I'm this radical guy. 428 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 2: By the way, if we have these listeners and they're like, 429 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 2: what's a comedy pinko, well, it's a communist pinko. 430 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: Meant that you were read. I've heard these accusations, loved 431 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: at you and at me. 432 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, So you can imagine the feeling that I got 433 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 4: thinking about that when I was sitting there with the 434 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,200 Speaker 4: President of the United States watching Chicago at the White 435 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:23,360 Speaker 4: House and their big private theater that they have inside. 436 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 2: Which is very interesting because President Bill Clinton his advisors 437 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 2: had him working very hard to connect with Latinos and 438 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,679 Speaker 2: latinas he was at the launch party for Latino USA 439 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 2: May fifth, nineteen ninety three. So your series Chicano and 440 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 2: him deciding to watch it at the White House is 441 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 2: kind of incredible. I mean, it's kind of like hard 442 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 2: to imagine that that could happen today. 443 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 4: Well, what I do remember, of course, you know, he 444 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 4: liked the series, but he kind of chewed us out 445 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 4: a little bit on a Rassonita segment because he really 446 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 4: didn't like the Rassina. 447 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:56,400 Speaker 13: Wow. 448 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: Wow, this was early on when he was first Okay, he. 449 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 4: Was in Texas organizing with a Democratic Party and he 450 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 4: didn't like, you know, that Lessonia was sucking Democratic voters away. 451 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 9: You know, Latino ones got you. 452 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: I see, I see. 453 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,399 Speaker 4: And so it was funny listening to him about how 454 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 4: he was really against the lesson in the part after 455 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,440 Speaker 4: he saw that segment, but he was. It was a vindication. 456 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 4: I was sitting there watching it in this in the 457 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,360 Speaker 4: White House thinking about those days that what I endured, 458 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 4: of what I was being called for doing what I 459 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 4: was doing, you know, and I went, wow, they could 460 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:32,120 Speaker 4: only see me now. 461 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 2: I want to ask you something particular about your style, 462 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,160 Speaker 2: not just as a filmmaker, but actually as a human being, 463 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 2: because you have made it a very important part of 464 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:55,920 Speaker 2: your work to mentor a lot of aspiring filmmakers and students. 465 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 2: They've collaborated, they've worked, they've learned from you, and why 466 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 2: is this so important for you? Actre this notion of 467 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:04,919 Speaker 2: I'm going to try and open the door. I'm going 468 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 2: to continue to be a mentor, even though this is 469 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 2: hard I'm going to continue to bring the next gen 470 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 2: with me. 471 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 9: There's a couple of reasons. 472 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 4: Because I realized that a lot of the film schools, 473 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 4: like UT and a lot of other ones, even though 474 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:18,920 Speaker 4: they're they have great film programs, a lot of these 475 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 4: young people that I've mentored, they're missing one thing. They're 476 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 4: real hot shots when it comes to the new technologies, 477 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 4: not linear editing and all of that, but they lack 478 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 4: and telling long form stories. They don't get that training. 479 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 4: So I trained them and that's what I learned to do. 480 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 4: And the second most important thing is that I've learned 481 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 4: through the years and when I started, it doesn't do 482 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 4: any good to preach to the choir, you know, seeing 483 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 4: to the choir. You've got to make your stories accessible 484 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 4: to everybody, to bring our stories to the messes. And 485 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 4: that's what I've learned to do, and telling these stories 486 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 4: so that people just don't turn them off and say, oh, 487 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 4: that's just you know. So those two things I think 488 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 4: are very very important to keep these long form stories 489 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 4: or these unknown stories being told. And a lot of 490 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 4: these young people that I've mentored, they go on and 491 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 4: do their own films, and I'm so proud of that. 492 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 14: My name is me Lenn Moreno. I worked with Hector 493 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 14: Galan during the nineties, right after film school. He introduced 494 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 14: me to the world of public television and sent me 495 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 14: into the stacks of Mexico's great photo and film archives 496 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,959 Speaker 14: to research and shape a documentary about the US's doomed 497 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 14: hunt for Pancho Villa. I was given my first opportunity 498 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 14: to produce, helming the lead episode of the legendary Chicano 499 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:42,200 Speaker 14: civil rights series. 500 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: From the start, Hector taught. 501 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:46,479 Speaker 14: Me to swim by dropping me in the deep end 502 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:48,440 Speaker 14: it proved invaluable. 503 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 6: My name is Brian Remiitis. I'm an internationally distributed filmmaker. 504 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 6: I worked with Hector Galan from six to seven, probably 505 00:27:57,320 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 6: two of the most important years of my career. I 506 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 6: was out of film school. 507 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:02,199 Speaker 9: I would work hours on. 508 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 6: An edit and he'd come in and look at it 509 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 6: and say, that's pedestrian comba. He said, anybody can do it. 510 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 6: What separates you from everybody else? And that soon taught 511 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 6: me that story, the way you craft a scene together 512 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 6: has to be something special, has to be something from 513 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:18,199 Speaker 6: the heart, and you know. 514 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:18,920 Speaker 3: That stuck with me. 515 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 6: Because of that, I have directed two feature films, and 516 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 6: I even co executive croust One called Entertainment that was 517 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 6: a Sun Dance hit, and I owe a lot to him. 518 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 6: And I'm without Hector, I don't believe i'd be where I. 519 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 9: Am in my career. 520 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 2: You have this body of work that is incomparable in 521 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 2: terms of documentary visually the Latino Latina experience. You went 522 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 2: on to do documentaries called The Border Accordion Dreams. I 523 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 2: love that ancient roads from christ to Constantine, Children of Giant, 524 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 2: covering everything from music, film, culture, politics, and I won directed. 525 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: What do you think? 526 00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: And I know it's hard, you know because most of 527 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 2: the time we're not really busy thinking about our craft 528 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 2: or this or that. We're just busy working. But what 529 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 2: is your philosophy as a filmmaker and why do you 530 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 2: think it's important to have more Latinos latin As latinx 531 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 2: Latine who are working in the film industry and specifically 532 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 2: in your realm and in my realm, you know, making documentaries. 533 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 9: You know you asked about me being in Boston. 534 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 4: At that point, I could have made the transition to 535 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 4: work more in the feature film industry in LA and 536 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 4: I was actually thinking about moving there. But because of 537 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 4: my experience in the movement and all of that, I 538 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 4: truly believed that the work that we were doing could 539 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 4: change the world. And that stayed with me because what 540 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 4: I find very important is a human story. You know, 541 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 4: I try to get in and tell the real story, 542 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 4: spend time with people, listen to them, and then put 543 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 4: those stories out there, almost like if you're casting for 544 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:08,720 Speaker 4: a feature, but you're doing it in real life with 545 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 4: real people. I mean, there's so many people. I wish 546 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 4: I could stay in touch with all of them that 547 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 4: there's been so many so that period of time that 548 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:20,920 Speaker 4: I spend with them, those six months a year, that's 549 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 4: the time that I spend with them, and we get 550 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 4: to know each other, and then of course you have 551 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 4: the final product, and then there's another story to be told. 552 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 4: And so I think and I encourage, especially the younger 553 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 4: group moving into this arena that you know, of course 554 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 4: everything has changed, stories haven't though social media, all the 555 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 4: different applications and streaming and things that you can do. 556 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 4: Stories though, are still very powerful and we know that, 557 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 4: and you just. 558 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 2: Want to make sure that they realize that we need 559 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 2: them to tell these particular stories because we have a 560 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 2: perspective and if you want to be a filmmaker, documentary 561 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 2: and don't hold back. In fact, you though you have 562 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 2: received so many awards, we're not going to go through 563 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 2: them all. In twenty seventeen, you were inducted into the 564 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 2: Texas Film Hall of Fame. And so I'm wondering now 565 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 2: as you look back, and it's been about fifty years 566 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 2: of your work, right since you started when you were eighteen, 567 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 2: have you seen anything that gives you exceeding amounts of 568 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 2: hope or do you still feel like we collectively Latino 569 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 2: Latina filmmakers, documentarians, we're still in La Ucha and La Barea. 570 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 4: You know, things have of course changed, and I'm seeing 571 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,719 Speaker 4: that change, especially among young people. Young people are more 572 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 4: open to many things, unlike us having to deal with 573 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 4: our own parents and that generation. I see hope in 574 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 4: the young people. 575 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 9: I really do so. 576 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 4: At the moment, I'm focusing a lot of my attention 577 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 4: on Texas stories. I have like three of them on 578 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 4: a back burner and one that I'm working on now 579 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,440 Speaker 4: called Bellleground Texas that will have on next year before 580 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 4: the presidential election. Looking at young people, young Latinos here 581 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 4: in state, how are we going to turn the state 582 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 4: or get that representation, get that voice out there, and 583 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 4: it's exciting to see what they're doing. Well, you know, 584 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:11,719 Speaker 4: the Latinos are the majority in the state of Texas. 585 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:15,719 Speaker 4: Now you wouldn't know whether elected officials, but we are 586 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 4: also Texas has the largest African American population of any 587 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 4: state in the nation. A lot of people don't know 588 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 4: that Texas is changing, and I want to be there 589 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 4: and see what's going on because I truly believe that 590 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 4: young Latino generation Z and ex and Olive, especially Latinas, 591 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 4: they're the ones that are going to make a change. 592 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 4: So that's the next one. But there's several other ones 593 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,640 Speaker 4: that I've got a couple. I don't want to talk 594 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 4: too much about them now because somebody might steal the idea. 595 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 4: But you know, one thing that's very important to me 596 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 4: is that I have captured our experience Latino, not just Chicano, 597 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 4: but Latino experience across the country. I think I'm the 598 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 4: one that has anything to that degree of our culture 599 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 4: and history. 600 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 9: So I'm hoping to keep continuing. 601 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 4: To do this, creating new films and using the archives, 602 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 4: you know, for the younger people that didn't have any 603 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 4: idea of what we went through and they can learn 604 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 4: from that and be proud of it. 605 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 2: Much Ector Delan, It's been wonderful to have this conversation 606 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 2: and to have you back on the thirtieth anniversary of 607 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 2: Latino USA. 608 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,480 Speaker 1: Much what is and for all of your work. 609 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 4: Thank you, Madie, this was extraordinary. I called me anytime 610 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 4: you know, I'm ready to talk to you. Whatever you wish, 611 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 4: and good luck and keep it up on Latino USA. 612 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 9: Man, we need that voice. 613 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 2: This episode was produced by Victoria Strada and edited by 614 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 2: Andrea Lopez Grusado. 615 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:19,240 Speaker 1: It was mixed by Gabriel Abiaz. 616 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 2: Special thanks to the staff of the Benson Latin American 617 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 2: Collection and the University of Texas Libraries for retrieving historical 618 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 2: content from the Latino USA archive. The Latino USA team 619 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 2: also includes Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, Deisi, condreds Renando Leanos Junior, 620 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 2: Patrisa Surubran, and Elizabeth Lenthal Torres. Our editorial director is 621 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,799 Speaker 2: Fernanda Santos. Our director of Engineering is Stephanie lebou. Our 622 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:50,760 Speaker 2: senior engineer is Julia Caruso. Our associate engineer is jj Carubin. 623 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 2: Our marketing manager is Luis Luna. Our theme music was 624 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 2: composed by Zenia Rubinos, I'm your host and executive producer 625 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 2: Mariano Jossa, joining us acad on our next episode. In 626 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 2: the meantime, remember not te vays e Astaxima c Cchao. 627 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 13: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Ford Foundation, 628 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 13: working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide, 629 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 13: the Heising Simons Foundation Unlocking Knowledge, Opportunity and Possibilities more 630 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 13: at hsfoundation dot org, and Latino USA thirtieth Anniversary episodes 631 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 13: are made possible with support from our legacy sustainers, the 632 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:42,880 Speaker 13: Brett Family Foundation, Alonso Contu, Carmen Rito, Wong Vamos Enterprises, 633 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 13: the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, April Gasler, doctor Elmo Randolph, 634 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 13: Belinda de la Libertad, Angela Garcia Simms, Priscilla Rojas, and 635 00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 13: Grace Sanchez. Additional donors include Maria A. Camacho, Sophia Castillo Moreles, 636 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:04,280 Speaker 13: and Anne Cohen. 637 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 9: I'm so proud to be talking to one of the 638 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 9: most famous people in America. 639 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 1: Oh my godness, said Acdot. Why would you say that 640 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 1: That's so not true? 641 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 9: Because we hear you in the car. We hear you 642 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 9: at home, we hear you everywhere. 643 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:25,279 Speaker 1: Well, that's adorable, Achdo. Thank you so much for saying so. 644 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. 645 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 9: No problem, I'm honored.