Filmmaker, director and producer Jesús Salvador Treviño writes that motion pictures made by Latinos over the past 50 years are crucial in understanding the American experience. Without them, people “would be ignorant of important and overlooked aspects of their own history.” In this sweeping look at 41 indispensable Chicano documentaries, Treviño examines the history of non-fiction cinema made by Mexican Americans from 1969 to the present. In the first chapter, he sets the stage, providing details about the origins and precursors of this artistic genre as well as the history of the Chicano civil rights movement, which inspired the emergence of these movies. The ones selected for inclusion are organized thematically in 14 chapters; topics include—among many others—identity, the Chicana, songs, art, Vietnam and queer struggle. Treviño describes each one thoroughly and includes interviews with the filmmakers about the research, writing, editing and filming. The rich diversity of works includes I Am Joaquín by Luis Valdez; Chicana by Sylvia Morales; A Class Apart by Carlos Sandoval and The Bronze Screen by Nancy de los Santos, Susan Racho and Alberto Dominguez. Leading filmmakers such as Paul Espinosa, Héctor Galán, Lourdes Portillo, Rick Tejada-Flores and Ray Telles are represented, as are others who are less well-known. Containing a foreword by Dr. Charles Ramírez Berg and an appendix of all the documentaries Treviño could find produced between 1969-2024, this carefully researched and well-written volume is a must read for anyone interested in film and US history as seen through the eyes of Latinos. These landmark productions are, as the author asserts, “essential to understanding who we are as a nation.”
