San Diego Preview Screening

As part of the Splendors of Mexico, the Herminia Tribute, the documentary film, As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos by Laura Varela will screen at the Malcolm X Library August 10, 2010 Tuesday at 1pm and at the Logan Heights Library August 11, 2010 Wed. at 6pm.

What: San Diego Preview Screening of the PBS Documentary

As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos,

by Laura Varela to air on KPBS September 27, 2010 at 11 pm

Where: Malcolm X Library, Aug. 10, 2010 Tuesday at 1pm 51 48 Market Street 92114

Logan Heights Library Aug. 11, 2010 Wed at 6 pm 567 South 28th ST 92113

Sponsored by: Ballet Folklorico en Aztlan Inc. Media Arts Center San Diego, and KPBS

balletfolkloricoenaztlan.org

At the height of the Vietnam War, Mexican Americans and Latino’s only made up 10% of the nation’s population, nevertheless they suffered 20% of the casualties in Viet Nam. The soldier/warrior tradition is a big part of Chicano culture and continues today in our current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This film examines the personal legacy, memories and healing of the Vietnam war and asks the question, “Does a soldier, his family and community ever really heal from the wounds of war.”

As part of the Splendors of Mexico, the Herminia Tribute, the documentary film, As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos by Laura Varela will screen at the Malcolm X Library August 10, 2010 Tuesday at 1pm and at the Logan Heights Library August 11, 2010 Wed. at 6pm.

Produced and Directed by San Antonio filmmaker Laura Varela, and Produced by Fernando S. Cano, the documentary chronicles the experiences of three South Texas Vietnam-era veterans who are also artists: visual artist Juan Farías, author Michael Rodríguez and poet/performance artist Eduardo Garza. The film takes the audience through the lives of the artists and their families: growing up in the Mexican American community, their military service in Vietnam, and their lives after the war – and examines the role art plays in the sorting of sometimes painful memories. Laura Varela will attend the screening.

This film is funded by Humanities Texas, Latino Public Broadcasting (part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting) and the San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs; additional support provided by the Southwest Alternate Media Project, Houston, Texas. The film will have a National PBS broadcast in fall of 2010 offered through American Public Television. The San Diego Broadcast on KPBS will be Monday September 27, 2010 at 11pm; as well as PBS World September 29, 2010.

This screening is sponsored by Ballet Folklorico en Aztlan, Media Arts Center San Diego and KPBS. For more information contact Nancy Rodriguez at (619)248-8943 nancy@tochlitangel.com or balletfolkloricoenaztlan.org. Preserve, Promote, Create and Educate about Indigenous Dance and Culture to Develop the Mind, Body and Spirit. Ballet Folklorico Inc. is a registered 501 ©3, a public benefit organization.

2010 National Council of LaRaza Annual Conference

As Long as I Remember: American Veteranos will be screening at the National Council of La Raza Convention here in San Antonio, it’s free!  Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 2:30 pm and Monday July 12, 2010 at 12 noon.

Watch for it this fall on your local PBS station!

NCLR is thrilled to host the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference and the National Latino Family Expo in San Antonio, a city with unique traditions, history, and world-renowned entertainment. Join us July 10 – 13, 2010 for what is to be an exciting event!

The National Latino Family Expo is the largest Hispanic consumer show in the country.  It is free and open to the general public.  The Expo will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Monday, July 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The expo hall will be divided into seven different pavilions, allowing participants to experience a variety of activities.  Additionally, Monday will highlight services and activities geared toward the San Antonio senior population.

Culture & History/El Museo Pavilion

Engage with the diversity of Latino culture and history. This will be an informative and interactive experience for the whole family.  Featuring: a lowrider exhibit, a CINExpo displaying documentaries and short films, arts and crafts, live performances, and a mercado area for the sale of arts and crafts from local artisans.

Join us for CINExpo at the National Latino Family Expo, which will be held Saturday, July 10–Monday, July 12.  Stop by the Culture and History/El Museo Pavilion to experience Latino documentaries and film screenings!

Special Thanks to Graham Street Productions, The Story of Stuff Project, and Latino Public Broadcasting.

Los Angeles Times | Local

Documentary about Mexican American Vietnam veterans to air at Pasadena film festival

June 4, 2010 |  6:00 am

As the Vietnam war raged, Mexican American troops were suffering casualties at a rate disproportionate to their population in the United States.

Writer, Michael W. Rodriguez is featured in the documentary. | Photo by LA Parker.

The tales of three Mexican American Vietnam war veterans will be featured in a documentary film “As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos,” which will be screened Saturday as part of a film festival in Pasadena.

The film was produced and directed by Laura Varela and examines the lives of the three men, all from south Texas, and how they dealt with the painful memories of combat.

The film will be shown at the Regency Academy 6 Cinemas, 1003 E. Colorado Blvd. as part of the 7th annual Reel Rasquache festival, which examines Latino experiences in film and art.

– Robert J. Lopez

full article here:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/documentary-about-mexican-american-vietnam-veterans-at-pasadena-film-festival.html

Photo: Vietnam veteran Michael Rodriguez is one of the men featured in “As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos.” Credit: Luis Alejandro Parker

Reel Rasquache Film Festival

As part of the Reel Rasquache Art & Film Festival, the documentary film, As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos by Laura Varela screens at the Regency 6 Cinemas 1003 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA  91106.  On Saturday June 5^th at 5pm.

What: Festival Screening for the Documentary

As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos,

by Laura Varela

Where: Regency Academy 6 Cinemas, 1003 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA  91106

When: Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.

Who: Reel Rasquache Film Festival.

REEL RASQUACHE

On June 4-6, the Reel Rasquache Art & Film Festival (RRAFF) will celebrate its seventh year. 2010 marks the Festival’s growth from the campus of California State University, Los Angeles to Pasadena’s historic Regency Academy 6 Cinemas. Proud to continue in administrative partnership with California State University, Los Angeles, Reel Rasquache 2010 is honored to share this partnership with CASA 0101.

Reel Rasquache is the first exhibition forum in Los Angeles, Southern California and the West Coast to focus on the U.S. Latino experience in film and art. The festival provides a unique opportunity for independent U.S. Latino filmmakers to showcase their work while building bridges – between East and West Los Angeles, between independent Latino filmmakers and the entertainment industry.

Reel Rasquache brings together a broad base of community members, U.S. Latino film/video independents and entertainment industry representatives.  This year’s offerings will include theatrical premieres of new works by Jesús Salvador Treviño, Sylvia Morales, Kenneth Castillo, and Vagabond, workshops on financing, marketing, and distribution, receptions and the 2010 Rasquache Awards.  Save the Reel Rasquache website and visit it often for Festival program updates and announcements.

www.reelrasquache.org

Muertos de la Guerra/War Dead

MUERTOS DE LA GUERRA/WAR DEAD

a Día de Los Muertos ofrenda/tribute exhibition featuring work by
Claudia Agraz, John Berrios, Rolando Conseguera, Ignacio Gómez,
Roberto Guerrero, Sergio Hernández, Michelle Juárez, John Carlos de
Luna, Nico, Francisco T. Norzagaray, Christy Ramírez, Hector Silva,
Antonio Sorcini, Anabel Tovar, Arturo Urista, Laura Varela, J. Michael
Walker, Todd Waters and Jaime “Germs” Zacarías.

October 17th – November 10th, 2009
Reception/Altar Dedication: Thursday, Oct. 29th, 8 pm

Plus Special 7 pm Sneak Preview Screening at CASA 0101
(2009 E. 1st St., three doors east of Brooklyn & Boyle) of
As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos
a new documentary film by Laura Varela

An exhibition that explores death in latter day conflicts from Vietnam
and Central America to Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these wars have
taken our young people to die in faraway places or wounded their
psyches as well as their bodies before delivering them home. These
wars have created hundreds of thousands of refugees, many of whom
eventually find their way to the U.S. as they flee violence and
attempt to reassemble their tattered lives. And on the streets
themselves, gang wars have claimed lives with similar results, leaving
sadness, broken hearts and pain in their wake.

MUERTOS DE LA GUERRA/WAR DEAD is a plea and a poem for peace, for an
end to violence both outside of and within our nation’s borders and
finally, the violence within our own homes and families. MUERTOS DE LA
GUERRA/WAR DEAD is our way of saying that we must let the healing
begin.

MUERTOS DE LA GUERRA DEAD is highlighted on Thursday, October 29th
with the dedication of an altar to veterans by multi-media
artist Laura Varela and a CASA 0101 Special Sneak Peak Screening of
her film, AS LONG AS I REMEMBER: AMERICAN VETERANOS, a documentary
that examines the toll Vietnam took on three Chicano artists in South
Texas. The Dia de Los Muertos tradition figures prominently into the
film as these veteranos attemp to heal the psychic wounds of war.

–
Christy Ramirez
Assistant to the Editor & Gallery Assistant
Brooklyn and Boyle Gallery
323-424-7856

Raul R. Salinas Archives

So yesterday Louis was in town to organize Raul’s archives that are at Resistencia, half are already in the Special Collections Library at Stanford University.  It was Emmet Campos, who is the project archivist, Louis, Rene and I.  Going through boxes and boxes of papers, articles, photos, media, and art.  What an amazing life Raul has led.

There were pictures of him at the founding of the Centro de la Raza in Seattle, at the of the trail of Self Determination,  at the Leanoard Peltier trial when he was co-director of the LP Deffence Committee, in Geneva with the Indiginous Rights Council, one of the first Flor Y Cantos in Califas in the early ’70s, in Nicaragua, in Puerto Rico, etc.  He has worked for human rights and dignity for all, when examining his solidarity work; I will list that another time because I could go on forever.  I am so excited to tell this story of transformation and action for justice and truth for all people.

Raul, we remember you ese.

Raul R. Salinas Leaves Us

I’m sure many of you know that el maestro Raul Salinas passed away earlier this year.

He was a mentor to many young Chicanos and people in general, who dedicated their lives to truth and justice.  I’ve been developing a documentary with raul about his life’s work.  So you can imagine how saddened I was when he passed.  Along with raul, the documentary team consists of some great people who have been there 100%.  Rene Valdez has been a solid foundation for Red Salmon Arts, the non-profit arm of Resistencia Bookstore, and an amazing liason between the project and all things raul.  My heart went out to Rene, as well as Raul’s  family; but Raul was like a father to Rene.

I have a large list of Humanities professor’s if you go to the project site you’ll get the big picture.  They have all been so amazing and are so valuable to this project.  Dr. Louis Mendoza and Dr. Alan Gomez are really the ones who have been in the trenches with raul; they have also been actively involved in the research and development of this film.

Anne Lewis will be co-producing and editing on this project too; she has been a great advisor and solid when it came to making sure we filmed raul at every possible chance.  \r\n\r\nSo yesterday Louis was in town to organize rauls archives that are at Resistencia, half are already in the Special Collections Library at Stanford University.  It was Emmet Campos, who is the project archivist, Louis, Rene and I.  Going through boxes and boxes of papers, articles, photos, media, and art.  What an amazing life raul has led.  There were pictures of him at the founding of the Centro de la Raza in Seattle, at the of the trail of Self Determination,  at the Leanoard Peltier trial when he was co-director of the LP Deffence Committee, in Geneva with the Indiginous Rights Council, one of the first Flor Y Cantos in Califas in the early \’70s, in Nicaragua, in Puerto Rico, etc.  He has worked for human rights and dignity for all, when examining his solidarity work; I will list that another time because I could go on forever.  I am so excited to tell this story of transformation and action for justice and truth for all people.  \r\n\r\nraul, we remember you ese.

Media Kunst at the Blue Star

What can I say, Media Kunst at the Blue Star was a success.  The forum included German interdisciplinary artist Vaago Weiland, Guillermina Zabala and myself.  Installation films and documentations were looping throughout the whole gallery space.  Usually a filmmaker works day and night to complete one project and screen it for an audience. It was a pretty amazing to see all the installations/films playing at one time.

Vaago had his Asmat Shooting Gallery, Attention Burka, Maria, Real Hindus Don’t Eat Meat and Toro Tormentos looping.

Guillermina and I had True of False: Video Altar dedicated to the Muertos of the Iraq War and the documentation of the multimedia installation by Vaago, Gisha and I Exist/Resist Metamorphosis of Destruction.  Plus Gisha and I showed clips from current projects, Gisha showed excerpts of Juanitos Lab and F-Watch and I showed a couple of clips from As Long as I Remember.

The discussion revolved around international collaborations and interdisciplinary work in a contemporary art background.

Raul Salinas and the Poetry of Liberation

Raul Salinas and the Poetry of Liberation has been in development and we are currently filming every opportunity we get with Raul Salinas and trying to get as much information about the trajectory of his life.   The development of this project has been sponsored by Humanities Texas and ITVS.