Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1339678
18 C I N E M O N T A G E C O M M I T T E E N E W S guel Arteta nevertheless recalled "West Side Story" as a big moment for his native island: "It was a step forward for Latinos in film. The sheer force of Rita Moreno's performance, her fierceness transcended the many blind spots in the film." H o n d u r a n - A m e r i c a n e d i t o r K a r e n C a s t a ñ e d a — w h o s e c r e d i t s include "Desperate Housewives" and "Scandal"—recognized that while it generalizes Latinx cultures as a mono- lithic identity, she also put the film in perspective, given that it was made in the early 1960s. E m m y - n o m i n a t e d e d i t o r N a n c y Richardson, ACE, dropped by as a special guest when the 80s classic "Stand and Deliver" was being discussed. Even 30 years on, she will never forget the first fe a t u re s h e eve r c u t a n d w h a t gave the story its authenticity. "There were many Latino cast and crew on the film, the writer/director Ramón Menéndez is Cuban, and [lead actor] Edward James Olmos was also very collaborative on the film." The film made Elizondo—who watched it as a kid—realize how he might be perceived by others: "Man, this is how they see us?" Richardson—who also edited the iconic biopic "Selena"—vividly recalls the audience erupting at a premiere when Olmos, who played the famous singer's dad, uttered a cry of frustration that drew familiar nods from many Lat- inx viewers: "We gotta be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans. It's exhausting!" It resonated deeply with Elizondo and Pe- rez, who have both felt like they've been perceived as "not being Latino enough." THE 'SCARFACE' PROBLEM Latinx characters are often portrayed as violent criminals, drug lords and gangsters—as in another movie under discussion, "Scarface," with Al Pacino as a violent Cuban drug lord. This hit a nerve with Cuban-American editor Julio Perez, ACE (HBO's "Eupho- ria"), who sees it more as a caricature version of "Cuban-ness." "The massive o v e r re p re s e n ta t i o n o f v i o l e n t d r u g lords and criminals is a serious issue. What it says about "Cuban-ness" is not very illuminating." While Castañeda can enjoy the film for what it is, she agreed: "When it's all you see depicted for a culture, it's definitely an issue." Ferrero is curious about how Elizondo navigates this on Netflix's "Nar- cos: Mexico." "It's based on true events, but it tells the story from both sides of the border," he remarked. As Márquez alluded to above, authen- ticity in storytelling will only improve when more Latinx filmmakers are able to play a major role in telling their stories. VIVA LA 'VIDA' Organized in partnership with the LGBTQ+ Steering Committee and mod- erated by co-chair Susy Benaim, the third panel, a discussion on how STARZ's dramedy "Vida" has showcased queer women of color, dove right into the thorny issue of terminology. Early on, there were discussions to make sure certain terms were captured correctly on the series, about two sisters in East Los Angeles. As an Assistant Edi- tor with roots in the Dominican Republic and P uerto Rico, Génesis Henriquez ("Hunters") recalled: "We talked about how the term 'Latinx' would be accepted by those from different generations. Is this a term actually used by Latinos or by 'Americanized' Latinos?" "One of our actors, Ser Anzoategui, who plays Eddy, is non-binary, so it naturally led to many discussions about te r m i n o l o g y," a d d e d e d i to r J o a n n e Yarrow, ACE, who was nominated for an HPA Award for her work on the first season. "The sincere and deep love that Eddy had for Vidalia was unbelievable. It's one of the most sincere love stories." Christina Perez, left, Genesis Henriquez, JoAnne Yarrow, and Susana Benaim. P H O T O : J A S O N R Y A N Oscar Rene Lozoya. P H O T O : J A S O N R Y A N