Cruz Reynoso: A Man for All Seasons

Images

Document

Movie_Clipping_1

Website

http://www.reynosofilm.org

Topics

Arts & Culture: Nonfiction
Human Development: Agriculture, Children, Education, Labor, Migration, Population, Poverty, Refugees, Social Exclusion, Urban
Human Rights: Civil Rights, Race Politics, Social Exclusion
Information & Media: Communication, Culture, Freedom of Expression, Media
Peace and Conflict: Peace
Politics: Activism, Civil Society, Codes of Conduct, Corruption & Transparency, Democracy, Ethics & Value Systems, Justice and Crime, Law

Identity Niches

Latino, Student, Youth/Teen

Budget

Raised to date: $311,500.00
Estimate to complete: $112,000.00
Total Estimated Budget: $423,500.00
The budget numbers above are accurate as of 04/30/2009

Status

Post Production

Media Type

Video

Project End Use

TV

Key Personnel

Abby Ginzberg
Director/Producer

Abby Ginzberg has been producing and directing award-winning documentary films since 1983. Her work has focused on character-driven stories, racial and gender discrimination and social justice issues, and has been shown in film/video festivals and broadcast on public television networks nationally and internationally.

SOUL OF JUSTICE: Thelton Henderson’s American Journey, her most recent feature-length documentary won a CINE Golden Eagle, a Telly and a Silver Gavel Award and was featured at film festivals across the country and was broadcast on public television in February, 2008. A timely and unforgettable story about an African-American jurist’s lifetime commitment to integrity and human rights and his profound effect on the lives of millions, SOUL OF JUSTICE takes viewers through a thought-provoking and heart-wrenching cinematic experience, reverberating with the power of Henderson’s fearless efforts to make real the promise of the US Constitution for all citizens.

Ginzberg’s recent films about youth include A TALE OF TWO CITIES which won a CINE Golden Eagle award and OPPORTUNITY OF ALIFETIME, which were broadcast on KQED. Ginzberg has produced numerous award-winningfilms documenting the successes of programs for at-risk and underserved youth that deserve, but rarely get public attention. These films, whose “stars”include college bound low income students (VANGUARD IN THE VANGUARD), graduates of successful drug court programs(recovering lives, uncovering dreams),and AmeriCorps members (EVERYDAY HEROES). Without her sensitivity and her tenacity, these compelling stories would never be told.

Profiling another unsung hero of the legal profession, Ginzberg produced and directed DOING JUSTICE: The LIfe and Trials of Arthur Kinoy which portrayed civil rights lawyer Kinoy’s landmark cases which began with the Rosenbergs and continued through Watergate. The film has become a staple in law schools helping to inspire the next generation of“people’s lawyers.” The film won numerous national awards, including the Best of Festival from the Vermont International Film Festival, a CINE Golden Eagle,an ABA Silver Gavel and was screened at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, the Oakland Museum, the Film Arts Festival and was televised on public television and Free Speech TV.

Ginzberg’s interest in justice and her efforts to shine a spotlight on important legal themes stems from having started her career as an attorney. After practicing law for 10 years, she switched careers and has produced over 30 films. She has captured the stories of trailblazing women (DAUGHTERS OF JUSTICE and IF THE ROBE FITS) and minority judges (ON THEIR SHOULDERS WE STAND) and has made numerous films about discrimination in the legal profession. She is a 2008 Gerbode Foundation Fellow.

Consulting Producer
Raymond Telles

Raymond Telles’ twenty-five year career in film and television includes the production of   documentaries and news magazine segments. He has been a producer and director for Dateline- NBC, Turning Point and Nightline ABC, PBS and Univision.  Telles has won numerous awards including three Emmy Awards,  the DuPont-Columbia  Gold Baton , twoPBS  Programming Awards for News and Current Affairs. His role as co-producer/co-director (with Rick Tejada-Flores) for Fight in the Fields: CesarChavez and the Farmworkers Struggle, makes him a key member of the producing team for the Reynoso film. 

 

Vicente Franco
Director of Photography

Vicente Franco has a reputation as one of the finest Directors of Photography in the San Francisco Bay Area.  He was nominated in 2003 for an Oscar as well as an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for his documentary, Daughter from Danang. Franco is winner of the Sundance FilmFestival 2002 Grand Jury Prize Winner for Daughter from Danang.  He shot Laurie Coyle and Rick Tejada-Flores’ Orozco: Man Of Fire and Alan Snitow and Deborah Hoffman’s Thirst and The Fight in the Fields-Cesar Chavez and theFarmworkers’ Struggle.  He has collaborated with Abby Ginzberg on all her recent projects and was Director of Photography on Soul of Justice and Everyday Heroes.  

Outreach/Engagement Plan(s)

TARGET AUDIENCE
Cruz Reynoso: A Man for All Seasons represents the human drama of one man’s lifetime commitment to justice played out against the backdrop of key moments in American history. It is also a story of how Reynoso became an accidental trailblazer at a time when Latino-Americans were not yet being recognized. Reynoso’s importance not only in the legal world, but beyond it, has resonance for later generations. This film will create a compelling story for general audiences, as well as those with particular interest in the Latino-American experience.

In spite of Reynoso's unique qualities, his experiences are representative of the broader challenges that have faced first generation Americans of Mexican heritage in the United States, challenges that are present today. By emphasizing these commonalities in our outreach and distribution strategies, we hope to make the program attractive to anyone interested in Latino-American culture, the immigrant experience and the fight for social justice. Moreover, Reynoso’s “everyman” qualities stand out making him an unlikely model of courage and tenacity in an era where citizens have few role models.

The Latino –American Audience: This film directly addresses the needs of Latino-Americans by introducing them to one of their own, whose life and struggle parallels their experience. Reynoso’s success is inspirational, not only because he was one of the first Latinos of his generation to succeed, but because the message of his life is one of “work hard and pursue your dreams, but do not forget where you came from.” This is a message younger Latinos need to hear to overcome the many discouraging obstacles facing them. Also, time is of the essence in completing the film so that Reynoso, now 78, can be present at screenings in advance of the broadcast to help build the audience for the film. Reynoso retains a personal humility which makes his story that much more compelling and empowering for viewers who share some aspects of his background. We also will create a Spanish-subtitled version of the film for monolingual Spanish-speakers. We are working on getting Univision to air the Spanish-language version of the film. The Hispanic National Bar Association is interested in co-sponsoring programs around the country once the film is completed. The Oakland Unified School District will be collaborating with us to develop a teacher’s guide for high school American History teachers and we anticipate working with Facing History to make the film available for their teachers.

Public Television: The film is designed for a public television audience and has received support from Latino Public Broadcasting, as well as the California Council for the Humanities. Because of the current debate over immigrants and immigration, there is an additional reason to support the Reynoso film since it highlights a success story that is both connected directly to the Latino experience and transcends it. Moreover, many of the film’s themes are of great significance today and of interest to public television audiences—preventing voter disenfranchisement in national elections; the role of politics in judicial campaigns; and the ongoing attacks on legal services organizations. The film will generate discussion about these issues in communities across the country.

Funders

Location