Made in L.A. follows the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a mega-trendy clothing retailer. In intimate verite style, Made in L.A. reveals the impact of the struggle on each woman’s life as they are gradually transformed by the experience. Compelling, humorous, deeply human, Made in L.A. is a story about immigration, the power of unity, and the courage it takes to find your voice.
Made in L.A. receives Henry Hampton Award!
In a moving ceremony in Washington, D.C., Made in L.A. just received a Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film and Digital Media from the Council on Foundations. It's a great honor because the prestigious award is named for Henry Hampton, the prolific founder of Blackside, Inc., and producer of the legendary historical tv series "Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years (1954-1965)". The event is part of the Council on Foundations' national conference and, when we got to the hotel, we were immersed in a sea of 3000+ participants who where there to attend the conference!
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| Lupe holds one of the clever centerpieces, which she nicknamed an "Oscarito". Out in the hall people looked at us as though it was a real Oscar! |
The first night, Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media (GFEM), held a special dinner and screening of Made in L.A., with support from Hispanics in Philanthropy and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Lupe, one of the stars in the film, had also been invited to attend, and she, Robert and I led a long Q&A (beautifully moderated by Alyce Myatt!), which focused on the outreach efforts and the continued impact that Made in L.A. is having in the US and abroad. There was also an interesting discussion about the funding process for Made in L.A. (which, like many independent documentaries, struggled for years before breaking through), and it was of course beautiful to see one of our funders, Patricia Boero from Latino Public Broadcasting, in attendance lending her support!
While at the conference, we had the opportunity to attend several panels and events, and Monday's plenary luncheon was especially powerful. Titled "Philanthropic Partnership: Improving the Lives of our Fellow-citizens", it explored the state of human rights sixty years after the Universal Declaration. Moderated by Gara LaMarche, this was a passionate two-hour conversation among three extraordinary panelists: Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU, Kumi Naidoo of CIVICUS, and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland. You can view much of the discussion here (the panel actually starts in "Part 2").
The entire experience was a rare opportunity to peek into this world, and we were deeply inspired by what we saw. Just as we, as filmmakers, strive to change the world through filmmaking, and its unique emotional power to make an impact, so very many of the executives and program officers that we met during the conference are striving to change the world through philanthropy. It's inspiring to know that we are all on this quest together.
Made in L.A. receives "Certificate of Appreciation" from the City of Los Angeles
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| At the reception held in my honor at the Raices Gallery in Tuscon, with the wonderful organizers and Ruben Reyes, who programmed the film. |
Less than a week after we retuned from the East Coast, we had a 5-day sprint that took us across the southwest to do 5 screenings of Made in L.A. in 3 different states! We started at Pitzer College in Pomona, at an event organized by Maria Soldatenko (one of our wonderful advisors) and featuring Maria Pineda (one of the “stars” of the film), who then joined me at another event at Cal State LA. Then I flew to Tucson for the Arizona International Film Festival and to Santa Cruz for the Reel Work Film Festival.
Finally, I returned to L.A. to go to straight to the Port of San Pedro, where Made in L.A. was screening as the closing night film of the LA Harbor International Film Festival. The screening was sponsored by ILWU (thank you!) and we received a memorable Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, which was presented by LA Councilmember Janice Hahn. I got home exhausted from so much activity, but quite invigorated!!!
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City Councilmember Janice Hahn, a big fan of the film , with Joann Lo, Robert and me, after presenting the Certificates of Appreciation. |
Governor Bill Richardson comments on Made in L.A.
Governor Bill Richardson wrote a nice piece on Made in L.A. for POV website, and, since he's been in the news lately, we wanted to take the opportunity to share it here with you:
"Immigration - under any guise - is one of the defining issues of our age. With "Made in L.A.," Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar show in vivid detail that, at a fundamental level, this is not simply an issue of competitive intermingling of people, but that it is also an issue of the assault on universal human dignity in the face of enormous global economic pressures. Ultimately though, they show that despite the political or economic vices twisting down upon the planet, the elementary human spirit remains the most powerful force at work."
To read more reactions to Made in L.A., visit POV's website.
