New Documentary Follows Grassroots Activists and Political Operatives Working to Mobilize Latino Voters in the Coming Election
The new VOCES special, directed by Bernardo Ruiz ("Harvest Season," "Reportero") and produced by Ruiz and Andrea Cordoba, “Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground,” is an up-to-the-minute look at the ever-evolving 2020 election through the eyes of Latino voters who are poised to be the largest racial or ethnic group eligible to vote in a presidential election.
Historically known as “the sleeping giant,” the Latino vote has been an elusive prize, but many believe that 2020 will be the year the giant awakens. Latino voters turned out at unprecedented rates in the 2018 midterms and candidates have stepped up their courting.
Told through a series of immersive dispatches from the battleground states of Nevada, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania, “Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground” follows the efforts of grassroots organizers, community leaders and political operatives working to ensure Latino voter turnout.
The film follows left-leaning progressives as well as Latino evangelicals, many of whom support President Donald Trump.
The film begins in Las Vegas as candidates reach out to Latino workers ahead of the February caucus and then moves on to Super Tuesday, March 3, when Joe Biden’s candidacy seems assured.
But less than two weeks later, the country is struck by an unexpected calamity: a pandemic that ravages communities both rural and urban, with Latinos bearing a disproportionate brunt of the devastation.
Soon, the country is roiled again by the May 25 killing of George Floyd. What effect this seismic shift in the national landscape will have on Latino voters in November is a question organizers and candidates are hoping to answer as this very unique election draws near.
“‘Latino Vote’ is a fascinating chronicle of this year’s highly charged political climate,” says Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of Latino Public Broadcasting and executive producer of VOCES. “With Latino voters poised to be a powerful non-white bloc this November, this film introduces us to those on the ground, working to realize this promise.”
Says director/producer Ruiz, “I was eager to bring journalism to the screen that doesn’t rely on correspondents or pundits, but instead focuses directly on the Latinx organizers and voters who may very well determine the nation’s political future.”
About the participants, in order of appearance:
- Chuck Rocha, senior advisor to Bernie Sanders and president of Solidarity Strategies
- Sonja Diaz, Founding Director, UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative
- Audrey Peral, Economic Justice Organizer, Make the Road Nevada
- Laura Jiménez, Latino Engagement Director, Joe Biden Campaign
- Geoconda Argüello-Klein, Secretary/Treasurer, Culinary Workers Union
- Carmela Perez, Casino Worker and Culinary Workers Union member
- Pasqual Urrabazo, Associate Pastor, International Church of Las Vegas
- Geraldo Cadava, author of “The Hispanic Republican”
- Jennifer Medina, journalist, The New York Times
- Belén Sisa, Latino Press Secretary Bernie Sanders Campaign Daniel Hernandez, journalist, The Los Angeles Times
- Jazmine Ulloa, journalist, The Boston Globe
- Julián Castro, former presidential candidate
- Alex Birnel, Advocacy Manager, MOVE Texas
- Jonathan Flores, Latinx Constituency Organizer, Texas Democratic Party
- Andrea Mercado, Executive Director, New Florida Majority
- Eduardo Gamarra, Professor at Florida International University
- Dr. Gabriel Salguero, Founder, National Latino Evangelical Coalition
- Natasha S. Alford, journalist, theGrio
- Rev. Adán Mairena, West Kensington Ministry, Philadelphia, PA
- Adrian Rivera-Reyes, community organizer, PhillyBoricuas
- Charito Morales, nurse and community organizer, Philadelphia, PA
- Jessica Fernandez, Chair, Florida Federation of Young Republicans
- Daniela Ferrera, Biden campaign volunteer, Miami, FL
- Chris Wills, Biden campaign volunteer, Miami, FL
Watch On Your Schedule:
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Join The Conversation:
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Credits:
Major funding for was provided by the Ford Foundation; PBS; ITVS, the leading documentary co-producer and distributor for public media; and Latino Public Broadcasting, with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
