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| Truly CA: Our State, Our Stories: "Fruit of Labor" Press Release |
Independent Filmmaker Pepe Urquijo's Documentary "Fruit of Labor" Chronicles the Immigrant Experience of an Oakland Street Vendor
Premieres on KQED's Truly CA series, May 22 at 6pm on KQED 9
May 2, 2005, San Francisco, CA -- Welcome to the Fruitvale District in Oakland -- home to one of the oldest and largest Latino communities in Northern California. Street vendors are visible fixtures throughout Latino America and Fruitvale is no different. Here, neighborhood residents rely on street vendors for inexpensive goods and healthy snacks that create a living link with their cultural heritage. Filmed and narrated in Spanish with English subtitles, Fruit of Labor explores this vibrant part of California's Latino American traditions in this second documentary from KQED's new television series Truly CA (www.kqed.org/trulyca), premiering on KQED 9 Sunday, May 22 at 6pm.
Meet Santiago "Chago" Cazares, a pushcart vendor of delicious fruit sprinkled with salt, chilé & limón. Having moved from Mexico in search of the American dream, Chago's working days begin before dawn at a wholesale produce market, where he purchases fresh fruit for the day's supplies. Struggling to support a growing family as well as establish a legitimate business, Chago's story is that of an everyday, hard-working entrepreneur trying to move from rags to sustainability.
Filmmaker Pepe Urquijo's Fruit of Labor follows Chago as he uncovers a complicated world of people, politics and power. An influential street vendor's union has made daily business -- and thus his livelihood -- ever more difficult as Chago endeavors to go his own way without the aid of the union. Faced by harassment, and threats of confiscation and unemployment, Chago responds with patience, persistence, and Mexican ingenuity.
Pepe Urquijo was born in California's San Fernando Valley. Although he grew up in California, it wasn't until 1994, when he picked up his first video camera, that he was able to convey his sense of place to the rest of the world. Urquijo's films seek accurate representations of the day-to-day challenges and struggles that California Chicano and Latino communities face, and resonate with a political and social consciousness. Urquijo has recently been awarded a 2005 Media Arts Fellowship, established by the Rockefeller Foundation.
About Truly CA
Truly CA is KQED's new series of independent documentaries about life in the golden state. It airs monthly on Sundays at 6pm on KQED 9. Truly CA is a KQED production presented in association with the Bay Area Video Coalition and Film Arts Foundation. Rachel Raney is the series producer, Sue Ellen McCann is the executive producer.
About KQED
KQED Public Broadcasting operates KQED Public Television 9, one of the nation's most-watched public television stations during prime-time, and KQED's digital television channels, which include KQED HD, KQED Encore, KQED World, KQED Life and KQED Kids; KQED Public Radio, the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation with an award-winning news and public affairs program service (88.5 FM in San Francisco and 89.3 FM in Sacramento); KQED.org, one of the most visited station sites in Public Broadcasting; and KQED Education Network, which brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and media professionals through workshops, seminars and resources.
About BAVC
The Bay Area Video Coalition is the nation's largest noncommercial media arts center dedicated to providing access to media, education and technology. BAVC is a production facility, an affordable training center, a pioneer in technology-based workforce development and a critical resource for independent filmmakers.
About Film Arts Foundation
Film Arts Foundation supports the creation and success of independent film and video makers by providing education, comprehensive information, state of the art facilities and equipment, financial support and exhibition opportunities. Film Arts Foundation is a catalyst and advocate for the diverse voices of the independent film community on the West Coast and nationally.
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