Our Hollywood Bel

Bel Hernandez Publisher, Activist, Leader

On Thursday, September 9, 2010, the National Hispanic Media Coalition at its annual Local Impact Awards Luncheon, in Pasadena, CA, is presenting the “Outstanding Service to the Latino Community” Award to Bel Hernandez, publisher of Latin Heat Magazine and Latin Heat Online. No doubt the awards presentation will include a recap of her outstanding contributions in helping Latinos in entertainment gain visibility, respect and work. Many owe their careers in part to Bel and her efforts of always representing the Latino actor, filmmaker, writer, behind-the-scenes professionals and technicians up front and center. The spotlight has never been about her or her publication.

Today, I’d like to share a bit of Bel the real woman, the true and loyal friend that she is. Those few who are in her confidence know her already but most of the people she is fighting for do not. Allow me to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Bel:

Bel, an actress and former professional Mexican folklore dancer gave it up to jump into the publishing world without knowing one thing about this industry other than knowing she had something to say and she was going to get it out in public. She never gave it a second thought that she would be competing with powerhouses like The Hollywood Reporter and the Daily Variety.

I have worked with Bel on and off throughout the past 15+ years. Anyone who has worked closely with Latin Heat can attest to the fact that at times our debates were very colorful. That’s what happens when two hardworking, determined and passionate women join forces to fight a common cause. I cannot say that she has always been a best friend, but I can say she has always been a loyal friend who never allowed any of our disagreements to get in the way of our mutual mission: To put Latinos on the Hollywood map.

When the rest of Hollywood is ignoring Latinos, Bel makes sure Latin Heat shines the spotlight extra bright and then knocks on the doors of decision makers without intimidation and states her case. When Latin Heat first started publishing, the subscription list was not very long. But the few Hollywood names that were subscribers, packed a powerful punch. It literally is a who’s who of Hollywood elite, and they read LH because they know it’s the main source where they can tap into who’s hot in Latinowood.

At the beginning, Bel went without any pay to first take care of Angie Ortíz, our Graphic Designer, and me. We worked for very little but it was enough to get by and enough to feed our passion to help Latinos. In 1995, we decided to co-host the first Latino Entertainment Media Conference in response to the dozens of calls we received from struggling talent asking for direction, opportunities. We often felt like the “Social Services Office for Latinos in entertainment.” One summer night while relaxing at former CBS weatherman Maclovio Perez’s famous Pasadena pink house, we came up with the idea of a conference where we would gather industry professionals to give out info to our readers. Bel and I immediately planned, plotted and made it happen. Bel combed through the Hollywood Creative Directory and called the most high profile names she came across. She talked to presidents and power brokers. She was able to get by the receptionists and in some instances talk to the “men” themselves (few women in power then). If any one said “no” to her, it was because of scheduling problems. Most said “yes” and we can only assume it was because they took the publication seriously and/or maybe wanted to be politically correct. We didn’t care the reasons why they agreed Bel hooked them with her convincing pitch. Our event budget came out to be $130,000 and we had no money. If the event had been a bust, she and I would probably still be washing dishes at the Sheraton Hotel in Universal City. But it succeeded beyond our wildest dreams and, from this one event, we co-founded the non-profit organization, Latino Entertainment Media Institute (LEMI) and hosted conferences for several years until the event outgrew us and Bel stepped aside for others to continue sponsoring industry conferences.

Hernandez and Esparza
at the 1st LEMI Conference, 1995

Bel has never turned down any request to help, ever. She’ll either share her resources or contacts she has cultivated during the past two decades. She’ll even take the time to make the introductory call for you. She’ll never say it, but there are several high profile talents who owe in part their careers to her relentless efforts.

I remember the first time we met Jennifer Lopez, I recall Bel saying, “This one, is going to be a big star.” Jennifer was our 2nd LEMI Conference Celebrity Co-Chair just as the film Selena was about to premiere. Neither one of us had any idea how big she’d eventually be, but Bel called it first. And, Latin Heat was the first media publication to support this future megastar.

One of the things that I admire most about Bel is her strength of character. Very little rattles her or if it does, she never ever allows it to show. She’s unreadable this way and it has gotten her far when pushing Hollywood decision makers. I read in the manuscript of an upcoming book titled, “How to Say I love My Life and Mean It,” contains a chapter she wrote titled “The Power to Say I Belong,” where she tells how her pregnant mother “weaved her way in and out of rows upon rolls of towering green and golden cornstalks, through the beautiful hills and valleys that surrounded her home in El Rancho del Padre in Momax, Zacatecas,” on her way to the midwife. She never made it and gave birth to Bel while in route. “She delivered me on her own; quickly measuring the umbilical cord and cutting it with a nearby rock. Afterwards she wrapped me in her rebozo.” No doubt, this is where her fearless resolve and strength comes from.

In 2007, I was diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer and I was frozen with fear. I recall that the only woman I wanted to talk to was Bel Hernandez. I knew that she would not coddle me or let me crumble. I knew that if anyone could kick me in the A and knock some courage into me, it would be Bel. She not only calmed me down and reinforced my faith, she also offered to take over my pending projects on top of her own responsibilities with the magazine. She did this quietly without ever saying a thing to anyone. Because of Bel, I was able to take care of my health business and all that was waiting for me without having to worry about my own career responsibilities.

This is the type of woman Bel Hernandez is. And, she’s never asked for anything in return.

Latin Heat is growing into a media giant and I hope the next time the publication comes knocking, you’ll remember the sacrifices it has taken for Bel Hernandez to represent the Latino community. She is, after all, all about us.

Congratulations, Bel.

—Elia Esparza

From Angie, With Love

Angela Ortíz with Latin Heat Publisher, Bel Hernandez    

The first time I met Bel, I liked her, even though she was very cautious while she looked through my portfolio. The next thing I know, I’m doing a couple of small graphic things and the next issue of Latin Heat. That was in 1996.

After a few issues with some minor changes, she allowed me to make some major changes in the layout and a great working partnership, I can say, began. That doesn’t mean she didn’t have layout suggestions, which I would do and then end up doing my original layout. We laugh about that a lot now.

That’s how Bel and I have worked for many years. I think it was good for both of us. She learned more about publishing and design; which made our jobs so much easier. Today, it’s smooth sailing when we are planning our next projects. She has pushed me in directions I never dreamed of, like doing event photography for instance. My titles at Latin Heat have run the gamut from Art director, Production Manager, photographer and to the “NO” person.

Her passion for the publication and what it stands for (in print or online) really drives her to make changes in this world we know as Hollywood. When you meet Bel and you listen to her talk, especially about things that move her or bother her about the industry she loves, you know she is a driven person to the causes she supports. That’s the true her…I don’t think many people realize how much she has supported many talent(s) in Latin Heat.

The more I’ve gotten to know her, the more I admire and respect her. She’s a great mom; she has a really cool hubby, Enrique Castillo. And on a personal note, I can call her a friend, a very good friend. And I love her.

Thank you, Elia for introducing us.

—Angela “Angie” Ortíz

Taught Me Tools of the Trade

Brenda Herrera with Latin Heat Publisher, Bel Hernandez 

I remember picking up Latin Heat at the bookstore as a student at UCLA and thinking, “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for…” without even knowing it! I read through it from beginning to end and it was then that I decided what I wanted to do with my life.

A couple years later, I landed at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival where I had the good fortune of meeting and working alongside Bel Hernandez. I told her that I was a big fan of Latin Heat and would love to work with her. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship on several levels. She took me under her wing and showed me the ins and outs of the entertainment industry and gave me the opportunity to spread my wings. She trusted in me to explore and execute new ideas to help market Latin Heat. We made an awesome team and even better friends!

Bel has been a great inspiration to me for her tireless commitment to the Latino entertainment industry and I am honored to call her not only my mentor but one of my best friends! I couldn’t be happier for her to finally be recognized for her efforts after all her years of supporting Latinos in front of and behind the camera and never expecting anything in return. Besides showing me the ropes and handing me the tools to succeed in this business, most importantly Bel has taught me that when you are passionate about something, the satisfaction of seeing it come to fruition is reward enough.

—Brenda Herrera
Photos: Angela María Ortíz S. (Bel Hernandez/Brenda & Bel)
             Anselmo S. Ortiz (Angie and Bel)

NBC’s “The Event” A Major Casting Faux Pas?

Recently, Julio Martinez, Latin Heat correspondent gave the lowdown on NBC’s upcoming drama series, The Event, starring Blair Underwood who plays Cuban American U.S. President, Elias Martinez. (www.latinheat.com)

When a member of the Television Critics Association asked Underwood “if he was Cuban American,” he responded, with a flippant, “I’m going to say yes.” He isn’t.

My initial response was among the negative. Latino roles are so few and if the script called for a Latino, why cast a non-Latino?

But it’s not as black or brown as it seems. A Facebook posting by veteran actor, comedienne Lydia Nicole read:

“Congratulations to my friend Blair Underwood for playing a Cuban American President in “the Event.” I love that. And for all the haters out there pitching a fit because he is not Latino, let it go. Nobody complained when George Sanford Brown got to play a Black guy in “the Rookies.” And he’s Cuban.”

Lydia’s comment stopped me in my tracks because I realized my own biases stemmed solely from personal reasons rooted from my experience of having once worked at a historically Black institution. The then administration recruited Latinos to hold key executive positions in its effort to be more diversified and of course, to make it easier to tap into Latino education funding. I was one of the few hired. It was quite an honor to be selected among so many candidates. However, throughout our tenure [Latinos] were met with resentment. In fact, at one meeting, a Black faculty angrily stated “every Latino who works at the university, is one less job for Blacks.” They wanted our money but that’s about it. It was a challenging time and we did our best despite the hostile environment. I kept at it because I believed in the mission of helping the less fortunate and underserved. After reading Julio’s article, I found myself reversing the Black-Latino sentiment with: Every Black actor who takes the role written for a Latino, means one less Latino working. However, for me to interject a negative reaction based on personal feelings is unfair and not conducive to moving Latinos forward.

Therefore, in an effort to better understand this casting controversy, I invited Lydia Nicole, whose FB comment grabbed me, and to visionary music producer, Benjamin Esparza (no relation) to present their opposite views and maybe somewhere in between, we might have an Aha moment on how to conquer Hollywood’s ongoing blasé disrespect of Latinos.

Q:  Should it matter that Hollywood cast a non-Latino actor to portray a character that was written for a Latino actor? There are two Latinos (Lisa Vidal and Clifton Collins) cast in key supporting roles, isn’t this enough?

  LYDIA NICOLE

Actress, comedienne, writer, producer, motivational speaker

As an actress who has been in the business for the last thirty years, I too have gotten frustrated in the past when an actor from another ethnic group got an acting job that was written for a Latino. But in the last ten years as I have been working behind the camera, my perspective has changed dramatically.

I find what will work best is to embrace that a Black Latino character has been written into a major series and gently encourage the network to include Latino show runners, directors, and writers on the series to really make a difference.

That is where the power is.

It is not in begrudging a Black actor because he got the part. Because at the end of the day what we want is to pave the way for Latino actors to have the opportunity to play any character they are right for regardless of their background. I personally want to see Latinos, Blacks and Asians all represented. For me it’s not enough for a Latino to get an acting job. I want to truly see diversity represented on television and the big screen. And the fight is bigger than just having an actor of Latino heritage star on a show.

The fight is about diversity in front and behind the camera to tell our stories authentically and not stereotypically. I want to see this generation not be given the crumbs but be allowed to sit at the table and call the shots at every studio and network. But it will only come when we change our fighting tactics. Instead of demanding that the Studios and Networks give us by trying to strong arm them to force ourselves on their teams and play on their fields, we need to woo them by learning to use the power we hold in this country. As my friend, Dyana Ortelli, reminded me, via Facebook, Latinos constitute 15.1% of the total U.S. population, which converts to over 45 million Latinos. We Latinos in Hollywood need to get those Latinos to demand that the airwaves change by their votes and viewership.

As Nelson Mandela said “…we are powerful beyond our imagination.” And what I know is that the battle is won because of money, power and imagination and not from protests and complaints. So, instead of trying to force the Studios and Networks to include us as unwelcomed guests, let’s use our money, power and creativity to take ownership.

About Lydia Nicole: Actress recently took some time off from performing and lecturing so she could hone her skills as a writer and producer. During the last few years she apprenticed under the iconic filmmaker Robert Townsend. Under his guidance was given the opportunity to associate produce Why We Laugh, the comedy documentary on the history of Black Comedians. But now she is returning to her first love, performing. She is bringing her one- woman show “A Rose in Spanish Harlem to a theater near you.

  BENJAMIN ESPARZA

Break Records, Founder & CEO

When I heard that NBC’s new drama series, The Event had cast Blair Underwood in the Latino president role, I was instantly infuriated. Clearly, NBC had yet again missed an opportunity to help end this long and ugly chapter in Hollywood tradition to only cast Latino talent in negative and disposable roles.

Maybe I’m ultra sensitive because of the anti-immigration, anti-Latino, anti-Mexican climate we’re currently experiencing, but whatever the network’s excuse is, it is simply no longer acceptable. I’m sick of Hollywood’s tradition of telling our stories their way, utilizing actors from white bread America. Pancho Villa (a Mexican General) was once portrayed by Wallace Berry, whose interpretation as a goofy fat buffoon was insulting and culturally insensitive. Zapata’s (another Mexican General) story went to Marlon Brandon and many other leading men also attempted to play Latinos—Yule Brenner, Paul Newman—none delivering accurate or believable performances. 

It wasn’t until in 1982, when Ricardo Montalban was cast in Star Trek II; The Wraft of Khan did a Latino actor have the opportunity to transform a character into one of the best villains of all time. Montalban’s powerful performance turned a mediocre film at best into a box-office hit earning $97 million worldwide and setting a world record for first-day box-office gross. The Wrath of Khan is generally considered one of the best films of the Star Trek series and is credited with creating renewed interest in the franchise.

Blair Underwood is a wonderful actor, no argument here. Why not just make him a Black president? It’s reality. Why a Cuban? The decision probably came about for two primary reasons:

One, producers were looking for a series for Underwood; two, they needed a story that incorporates a couple of Latinos to take advantage of the growing Latino demographic.

The pitch meeting with the NBC brass probably went something like:

Producers: We’ve come up with what we consider to be a timely cutting edge futuristic drama that includes the first U.S. Latino President

NBC: But we thought you said that Blair Underwood would star?

Producers: What if we cast Blair as the president?

NBC: Yes, but he’s black not Latino.

Producers: See? That’s what makes this idea so wonderful, we give Blair the role and because he’s playing a Latino president, Latinos will be thrilled, they’ll drive Nielsen ratings through the roof!

NBC: It’s a win-win. But won’t Latinos protests?

Producers: They’ll get over it, they always do. It’s entertainment after all. Blair will prove how powerful an actor he is, and NBC will have a hit! Besides, we’ll cast Lisa Vidal as his first Lady and that actor who looks white but is Latino, Clifton Collins, in a supporting role. Latinos will be fine. Why wouldn’t they be happy? They’ll be happy.

Hollywood decision-makers have continually dismissed Latinos as not important enough AND that they think Latinos will not notice these character faux pas. Combine this with Arizona’s racist legislation, SB-1070, well, guess what? Hell no, this won’t go! For Hollywood to continue to do so means the entertainment establishment wholeheartedly agrees with the political rhetoric and venom being spread against Latinos.

Hollywood’s blatant disrespect and terrible stereotyping track record of Latinos is as insulting to Latinos as when white actors portrayed blacks with painted “black faces.”  The times eventually changed, and when Blacks finally drew that line in the sand by flexing their economic power, Hollywood eventually came around.  Latinos cannot back peddle, not at this pivotal time in history. Our voices have obviously not been loud enough, so now we must speak through our collective pocket books.

To those who say Latino actors are not ready to carry a universal mainstream role or lead a primetime TV series, may I again, remind the naysayers of our growing Latino demographics and its multi-billion dollar purchasing power—if we don’t exercise this power, we’ll always be in the passenger seat. Latinos, we are in the driver’s seat, we can steer our own direction. Our spending power speaks volumes. It’s up to us, it always has been.  

Hollywood, America listen up: Latinos are here and we’re not going away. Shame on you, NBC, for once again robbing a Latino actor of a golden opportunity that The Event offered.

About Benjamin Esparza: He is founder and CEO Break Records music label, and an accomplished composer/musician. He produced Lalo Guerrero's "Vamos A Bailar-Otra Vez,” an award winning CD. Founding member of the 1960's East L.A. rock group "Acostics," Esparza is a member Board of Directors Hollenbeck PAL-ELA. Projects include Ed Begley, Jr.’s musical Cesar and Ruben, and several made-for-TV reality series VH-1 and MTV Music Videos, PBS: ELA Chicano Music documentary. Esparza is currently writing Take A Stand: A Musical Journey, the story of "Acostics" whose 60’s adventures include a glimpse of the life of Mexican-American family life and culture, music, humor, and racism experienced during that era, and a Japanese tour at the Teenage Fair Battle of the Bands.

 

CASANDRA MORENO-LOMBERA

Another colleague, Casandra Moreno-Lombera, an award-winning indie writer/producer also weighed in on this controversy and said:  

“Latinos basically have two beefs against Hollywood’s miscasting. 1) Hollywood does not create Latino roles. The Event storms the citadel by deliberately writing the leading role (of a president) to be a Black-Latino American. Let’s face it, they could have written the role to be Black-American only.  And, 2) Hollywood does not cast Latinos in leading roles.

“If we see either one of these two issues successfully addressed,” said Moreno-Lombera, “we should celebrate. At the end of the day, Latinos need to support The Event. If we don’t, networks will throw their hands up in the air and say ‘Latinos don’t respond to concrete development of key Latino characters/starring roles.’ Let’s not hate progress.”

Thank you Lydia Nicole and Benjamin Esparza. And, thanks to Casandra Moreno-Lombera. Whatever your point of view is, let it be constructive and forward thinking. Won’t it be wonderful when Latinos no longer have to have this conversation?

--Elia Esparza

Trash Matters: "Cartoneros"

Due to the craziness of post-Spring madness, the follow-up article on marketing Latino made or themed films is still a work in progress…however, I am reprinting an interview I conducted with filmmaker Ernesto Livon-Grosman to talk about his documentary Cartoneros.  With the current Gulf of Mexico crisis, now is a good time to bring up this film. For complete info on the filmmaker and docu, please visit, The Hummingbird Review, http://www.thehummingbirdreview.com/.

Enjoy!

Cartoneros

MOVIE ALERT Ernesto Livon-Grosman’s Cartoneros respects the dignity of Argentina’s middle-class citizens who have been thrust into a life of survival when the economy collapsed in 2001—but survival isn’t all this movie is about.  www.cartonerosdoc.com

TRASH MATTERS

By Elia Esparza

Boston College professor Ernesto Livon-Grosman found the sight of people pushing carts packed with trash destined for old train cars in his native Buenos Aires so powerful that it became the subject of his first film, Cartoneros (2006).  In doing so, he helped make public the situation of the cartoneros, who had remained unnoticed by the citizens of Buenos Aires. The word cartoneros refers to the city’s trash scavengers.  What many people didn’t realize was that, by scavenging, the cartoneros were providing an important ecological service: recycling trash and thus reducing the amount of trash that went into landfills by 25 percent.

By and large, these so-called “scavengers” were not homeless beggars or street urchins: they were productive, hardworking people that, due to Argentina’s economic collapse in 2001, resorted to trash recycling to earn money. Unable to wait until the bleak economy began to turn around, the cartoneros found a way to generate an income through honest work by establishing recycling cooperatives.

No one seemed to care much about who, precisely, was responsible for trash removal and disposal before the economic crisis, but when the cartoneros became visible leaders of an informal recycling industry, they were criticized for interfering with the city’s official waste collectors.  This struggle over the rights to the city’s trash ignited fierce debate throughout Buenos Aires.

Cartoneros has excellent production values in terms of cinematography, editing, sounds and music—components that many times are lost in first-time documentary films. The injection of 1940’s news archival clips at the beginning of the film offers an interesting look at Buenos Aires before the economic upheaval of 2001.  The footage reminds us of a time when films featured a preview of world news and when filmmaking was more about the story and not box-office projections. The director also broke tradition by having famed actor and singer, Cristina Banegas, narrate the film. One almost wonders whether this female narrator is, in fact, Livon-Grosman’s alter ego.

“Indeed,” said Ernesto Livon-Grosman, Cartoneros’ director. “I made a conscious decision to use a female voice-over; it is customary to have a male narrator because they are considered the authoritative voiceover. I wanted to have a voice that would be reflective and more intimate, and didn’t necessarily tell the audience how things are supposed to be.”

Cartoneros presents the complexity the social issues surrounding trash—its value and political and cultural implications.  In the end, the film leaves the audience asking numerous questions.  How do people respond when their economic security is pulled out from under them? How do people in an economic crisis salvage their dignity while trying to survive?

We are also given insight into the political arena in which city officials were under political pressure to regulate the activities of the cartoneros. These debates and negotiations took place at meetings between cartoneros and government officials, as featured in the film. It was at one of these meetings that Director Livon-Grosman met some of the anthropologists who were there on the city’s behalf. 

“Once I met the anthropologists, I realized how complex the issue of cartoneros was and that it was so much more than just about picking through trash bins,” said Livon-Grosman. "In keeping with Jørgen Leth, I assume that I know nothing but I would like to know something. Curiosity is an engine. Searching, fascination, framing. Discovering, seeking to understand. Not knowing in advance, not proving, not illustrating, certainly not arguing, but showing."

Cartoneros seeps deep into the predicament of the film’s protagonists:  the people suddenly left to survive by their own wits and the sanitation industry affected by their actions. In Cartoneros the female narrator is a fictional character who returns to Argentina after many years of being abroad in order to rediscover the city where she was born. She introduces us to the film’s main cartonero, a well-groomed attractive woman called La Colo. The film focuses on La Colo, and, in her articulate and her dignified way, she takes us her through her daily life and the decisions that she must make to secure a better existence for herself.

In a conversation with the filmmaker, we were able to ask more about the cartoneros of Buenos Aires.

Q:  What makes the cartoneros unique?

A:  There are many ways of looking at this. For many years the landfill industry offered many jobs and they were not stigmatized in society or politics. The job became stigmatized when entire families got involved. Thousands of people on the streets picking through trash bins suddenly became a very complicated phenomenon.

Q:  They say that poverty is the mother of invention; it is amazing how this group of people, who were once employed and thriving middle-class citizens, abruptly found themselves trying to figure out how to support their families.  The fact that they discovered a form of labor directly related to the global ecological crisis is simply amazing. How did you get inside their lives on such an intimate level?

A:  The film is not just one more way of showing poverty but instead depicts one more way to be independent and still be able to make a living. This is how I got inside to the co-ops in order to film the effect and benefits from organized labor and to present reasonable practical alternatives to help improve the people who are cartoneros. Sure there is the shock factor of extreme poverty and showing the cartoneros struggle elicits our sympathy. But in addition to this, I wanted to show something positive.  I wanted viewers to see how their actions were a means of improving their economic situation, as well as doing something useful for the environment.  In Argentine society, they had not been seen in quite that way before.

Q: What surprised you the most while making this film?

A:  The fact that I started the film with one idea and ended up with another. At first, I held a much more narrow view of social issues. As the film went on, I realized that these people  looking for a way out of their economic situation had mobilized ecological awareness in a way that was both practical and meaningful. They became much more informed about ecology and benefits of recycling—something that the middle-class in general had not paid much attention to in the past.  As this discovery grew in scope, the cartoneros realized that what they were doing not just another reason to make money but a way of positively affecting the ecological crisis. The evolution of the film cartoneros was created by many circumstances coming together at the same time, and I took away many valuable lessons from making this film.  I hadn’t sufficiently recognized the importance of ecology in what the cartoneros were doing.  My focus was on the economic crisis, but out of this catastrophe an ecological awareness evolved, and I, along with many Argentine citizens became aware of the importance of ecology and the need for regulation and reform. 

Q: How important to you think the experiences, background, and education of the cartoneros influenced their ability to act effectively.

A: No doubt their former position in society as educated individuals came in handy. They had the tools to think carefully and thoroughly about what it was they were doing. This also allowed them to look at the issues in a much broader sense. And, more importantly, their union experience helped them to organize and act effectively.

Q: Did you ever have a private screening for cartoneros or people featured in the film?

A:  I would have loved to screen it only to them but it was never possible—hard to get them all together—La Colo didn’t want to be seen in public. I assume that she felt she had moved on and didn’t want the spotlight on her even though she is a main thread of the film. After the film was completed, she went on to work as a telephone operator. La Colo, who holds a Masters in literature and philosophy, and was the owner of a freight-shipping company prior to becoming a successful cartonero, is now a private tutor to high school students. She no longer rummages through the trash to survive.

Q: What do you hope audiences will take away after viewing Cartoneros?

A: Argentine society, like the U.S., is undergoing an economic crisis, and so it is important to provoke awareness and start making connections between labor, the market, and the environment. We also have cartoneros here in the U.S., and I hope that the next time we see someone rummaging through the trash that we don’t dismiss what they are doing as somehow irrelevant to our own lives.

Cartoneros is a thought-provoking documentary that brings honor to hardworking people by depicting the resourceful and creative measures taken to create work and protect the environment.  The film seeks to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue.

Now that we have been introduced to the life of a cartonero, perhaps the next installment will focus on the future of the movement and trace the impact that these recyclers have had on environmental policy.

Ernesto Livon-Grosman’s Cartoneros is as thought provoking as Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

Reprinted with permission from The Hummingbird Review,

http://www.thehummingbirdreview.com/

Latino Who? Latino What? Latino Where?

Oscar time and invisibility of Latinos has never been more visible. What happened to the new opportunities brought on in the 1980s and 1990s for Latino filmmaking and Latino film representation? According to the L.A. Times, “these shifts took place because of the rising cadre of Latino film professionals entering the mainstream film industry, many of whom had gotten their start in Chicano and other Latino cinemas, as well as the industry's rising interest in the Latino audience.”

So what happened?

Money. It’s about money and the lack of belief or understanding by Hollywood that Latino buying power now exceeds $1.2 trillion, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.  According to Latinalista.net, Latino buying power will be the largest multicultural market by 2012. How much richer does a demographic have to be to gain Hollywood’s respect?

The supposed know-it-all mostly white Hollywood still insist on its failed tradition of continuing to hire non-Latinos to select Latino projects (mostly written by non-Latinos) and then produce a finished product that fails with ratings or at the box-office. They’re baffled as to why “Latinos aren’t flocking to the theatres or watching their shows.” What do non-Latinos know about the Latino experience? Nada.

In 2002, when director Franc. Reyes was premiering his critically acclaimed film Empire, he was asked about the difference between his gangster movie and that of other “Latino” mafia flicks.  “What other movies?” he asked. And he was read a list: “Carlito’s Way?” Brian de Palma, he responded. “Scarface?” de Palma directed and Oliver Stone wrote it, he answered.  “Mi Vida Loca?” Allison Anders, he said. “What about Blood In and Blood Out?” Taylor Hackford. Reyes went on to say that these movies were about the Latino perspective but made by a non-Latinos. That’s why his films are unlike any other type of Latino-labeled gangster movie, unique in that it was actually 100% Latino, cast, story, everything.

Recently Black History Month was celebrated and Tyler Perry was all over the place, networks and cable. This is one smart dude who knows how to maneuver his way around white tontos.  Sure he’s highly criticized for exploiting his actors, writers and just about everyone who works for him, but hey, the networks and studio love him, so who cares who he screws on his way to the bank. I complained and my teenage smart-ass niece said something that got me thinking, “Tia, is it really THEIR fault our stories aren’t told, is it possible that we Latinos have some culpability here?” She was beginning to sound like Franc. Reyes. “Why are we still asking, begging?” I don’t know the answer, so I asked Latino Hollywood insiders–Yareli Arizmendi & Sergio Arau, Dan Guerrero, Dennis Leoni, Dyana Ortelli, Kathryn F. Galan, Bel Hernandez, Miguel Najera and Richard Yñiguez:

What would I do to improve the state of Latinos in Hollywood?

Yareli Arizmendi and Sergio Arau

(Actor,  Director,  Producer, Writer/Day Without A Mexican,  Naco es Chido)

Sergio Arau as “El Uyuyuy” and Yareli Arizmendi as “Macuca Reina” in
NACO ES CHIDO: The story of Botellita de Jerez more or less based

on the real facts.

Hollywood has to want to change. Does it? Who is Hollywood?

What exactly do we Latinos want Hollywood to allow us to do and to be? 

Be ourselves? Who are we? What do we have to say that is different from what is already being said? Or is it that we just want to have our actors say it?

Hollywood is changing…slowly. Prior generations of decision-makers are passing on the power baton to next. And who’s next? Latinos are definitely part of next. We are part of the resisted past, we are the present and we are the future. But what do we look like now? Interracial marriages have given way to a mixed race population. Latino, Black, Asian, there are no clean lines of demarcation. We need to be aware of what those changes mean for us. This is the new audience. But who is driving the creative wave and tapping into this market? Are we? This is not a rhetorical exercise; it is time that Latino professionals discuss the important demographic/social changes that have already affected the reality of an industry we think we know.

We are now in the 21st, are we people of the 21st century? How so? The ‘traditional’ business models in Hollywood and in every industry are falling apart. After much resistance the great distribution machine has had to pay its respects to the Internet.  Original, niche product is the order of the day. The mass market is fading; not cool to be a ‘one size fits all’ anymore. People are eager to find their special vendor at the open market and pass the word when they find it; the much sought after word-of-mouth. Are we taking our handmade products to the public square for sale or waiting to be invited?   Our point is; we cannot wait for an invitation to be part of a project. We must generate millions of independent projects and call on each other to collaborate. We need to explore, risk, dare, create new genres that surprise the establishment. Let it beg to be invited to our party. And lets not forget who our friends are. Latinos don’t grow up by themselves. They live in a society with Koreans, Russians, Blacks, Iranians, Jews, Hindus, Cambodians, etc.  Our best friends, teachers, bosses have a whole array of faces and stories they bring with them to interact with ours. Don’t erase them from our narratives; including them will paint the enviable party others will want to crash.  No shortcuts, it is hard work. But hey this is our world; shape it or someone else will.  And we know what that feels like.

Dan Guerrero

(TV/Theatre/Live Producer, Director)

Photo: Luther Orrick Guzman

Sweetie, if I knew the answer as to what would improve the state of Latinos in Hollywood, I would bottle it and make more money than Sara Lee with her baked goods. 

www.danguerrero.com

Dennis Leoni

(Executive Producer, Writer, Director)

The problem is a complicated one, but to try and put it as simply as possible, the only way Latinos are going to progress in the film and television industry is if we create a strong marketplace for Latino content. The African-Americans have done it, Tyler Perry being the latest example. But until Latinos start going to Latino films and watching Latino content on TV, nothing will happen. If we don't subscribe to our own content, how can we expect others to? If just half of the forty plus million Latinos in the U.S. faithfully bought Latino content, then the powers that be would see that there is money to be made, more projects would get green lit and more Latinos would work.

Now Spanish language is a different story because they have their own marketplace. But English-speaking Latinos are so intent on assimilating, it creates a problem for anyone trying to make content for English-speaking Latinos here in the United States. Another part of the problem is that Latinos so rarely get an opportunity to get something made that the expectation for every project to so high. Every Latino project can't be everything to every Latino. Obviously, it doesn't work that way for general market content and it shouldn’t for us, either.

Having said all of this, there is another solution for Latinos who want to work in the entertainment industry and that is to forget about Latino content, completely assimilate and make general market films and television. That should probably happen too, but it's a shame that we can't have both so that Latino stories can also be told.

Dyana Ortelli

(Film and TV actor, comedian)

“Mom, you and your friends have been having the same conversation for 20 years!” That is what my son said to me a few years ago when he overheard me on the phone having a conversation about the “state” of Latinos in television and film…under-represented and subjected to the same-old stereotypes. Sadly, he was right. Not much had changed. I had written letters in industry publications pointing out the inequity; I had spoken out at numerous industry conferences; I was even at the forefront of organizing a protest when a non-Latina was offered the role of our revered Frieda Khalo back in 1992. I used my stand-up comedy routine to try and get the message heard: “If you're Mexican and you’re an actor in Hollywood, you get to play all the UN-people, UNdocumented, UNemployed, UNeducated, On-drugs!” Lots of laughs, but these types of roles for Latinos pretty much remained the same. Our outcries and protests fell on deaf ears.

I started my career 25 years ago, and the truth is that I am still waiting for the opportunity to audition for the white-collar, business professional roles…attorneys, doctors, fashion designers…and the calls I get, for the most part, continue to be the same: the Mexican nanny, the housekeeper, the suffering gang member's mother, stereotypes. Latinos are simply not seen as part of the fabric of America.

While writing, creating and developing our own projects is obviously a given in order to improve the image and numbers of Latinos in the industry, it is also worth noting that, unless and until our community leaders are willing to have an on-going dialog with casting directors and producers to educate them, and demand the casting of Latino actors in a more positive light and in greater numbers, the state of Latinos in the industry will never see a significant change.

Kathryn F. Galan

(Executive Director, NALIP)

More Latino/as in decision making positions:  creative and production VP’s and above; marketing and publicity executives from the U.S. Latino community; lawyers and distributors who know and come from our community. This will require an aggressive campaign and commitment by studios, agencies, mini-majors, production companies, and management firms to recruit and train actual Latino/a executives –not just interns and assistants. The major colleges, business and law schools have great Latino/a candidates who need persuasion to embark on careers in the entertainment industry. The initiative needs to be funded in all seriousness so that film, television, and documentary production/broadcast companies’ train, mentor, promote, and retain mid-to high-level executives who can make decisions that change media to reflect the culture and community where we live in the 21st century. www.nalip.org

Miguel Najera

(Filmmaker, film and TV actor)

We need to find a way to create funding sources for our own films. If it means pooling resources, creating entities or shooting a la brava like some of us are already doing, then so be it. The studios promised to open doors years ago but as is noted only two Latino regulars have been cast for the new season. Create our own studio that should be our aim. There are Black owned companies that have studio space and series but we don’t. We need to create writing groups where the end result is to shoot scripts not more classes or attend ‘how to’ seminars. Award ceremonies are great but do not make films or get us on primetime. Mainstream studios compete for audiences and compete for ours while we compete with each other.

Bel Hernandez

(CEO/Latin Heat Entertainment & Publisher/Latinheat.com)

Photo: Angela María Ortíz S.

We Latinos have to get out of our own way. We need to stop trying to be the “good” Latino that will not create waves and will just go along with the status quo so as not be perceived as “difficult.”  Since when have any major changes occurred by not making waves?

If the African-American community had not stirred the pot, they would not have bankable stars, or films with and all Black casts and have Hollywood begging for more.

Their projects run the gamut from the Tyler Perry broad (and some Blacks even call them stereotypical) to the Spike Lee political-leaning fare such as Malcolm X.  In addition, Black directors like Forest Whitaker have found success by teaming with mainstream projects.

We as Latino entertainment professionals need to allow for the different voices within our community to be expressed. Academia and journalist need to better understand the complexities of the entertainment industry before they rush to judgment when criticizing some of the Latino filmmaker’s choices.

Parties on both sides just need to allow the evolution of Latino Hollywood to happen without throwing a roadblock at every turn, just for the sake of a controversial article that will get you hits.

Instead of criticizing…let’s try to understand the whole picture. We all need to keep the end goal in site, that unless we are allowed to create, without censure (either by the Hollywood studios/networks or journalist, policy makers, or academia), or allowed to fail and keep trying (just like every other group in the entertainment industry) our stories, that should be seen by the world, with our perspective (which is very rare) will never get out there.

That is not to say journalist and academia should not point out when there is a major travesty, but in the past it has been simple things like “another gang movie.” Scorsese has been allowed to make many “Mafia movies” (i.e. “gang” movies) without the outcry from journalist or academia of “another Mafia movie.” Latinos need to be afforded the same courtesy. www.latinheat.com

Richard Yñiguez

(Veteran film and TV actor)

I would ask Latinos to come together and produce projects for their own community! If we do this together as a group (a force, unity is strength in numbers) and we find investors from our own community, we would be able to produce positive and unique stories about ourselves—all with a commercial thrust—and with a goal to set up our own studio facility. We can do it if we come together in the name of trust and support for each other’s creative abilities. I'm ready to work.... are you?

Readers, what do you think? Disagree? Speak up! Personally, everyone above hit it on the nail. Now, what to do about it? I’ll include your responses in a follow-up article for LatinHeat.com