KCET Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Special Programming Beginning September 20
BURBANK, CA - Sept. 17, 2014 -KCET, the nation's largest independent
public television station serving Southern and Central California, commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month with several programs
and documentaries that highlight influential figures of the Latino community. These
specials capture the diversity of Hispanic voices and share with viewers their
many inspiring stories.
Cuba's Secret Side, Pts. 1 & 2 - Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.
This two-part documentary, presented back-to-back, is a journey into the
soul of Cuba. For three months, adventure filmmaker and author Karin Muller
hitchhiked around Cuba - living with fisherman and farmers, Santeria priestess
and country doctors. She was arrested over a dozen times, but in the end she
managed to get beyond the propaganda and rhetoric to capture the true character
of the Cuban people. CUBA'S SECRET SIDE is an entertaining, insightful, and
often humorous look at a side of Cuba that few foreigners get to see.
Cruz Reynoso: Sowing The Seeds Of Justice - Saturday, Sept. 20 at 10 p.m.
This special paints a portrait of a man touched by injustice as a child who
dedicated his life to fighting discrimination and inequality as a lawyer, judge
and teacher. The compelling biography, told through a combination of archival
footage and interviews, charts Cruz Reynoso's humble origins, his appointment
to the California Supreme Court (the first Latino justice to serve in the
state's highest court) and more recently, his leadership on the U.S. Commission
on Civil Rights
Immigrant Nation: The Battle For The Dream - Saturday, Sept. 20 at 11 p.m.
This feature documentary film is about the modern immigrant rights
movement. In particular, it is the story of the struggle of Elvira Arellano, a
single mother from Chicago, who fought her deportation. The film also
interweaves the stories of individuals, organizations, activists and community
leaders united by passion and a concern for justice. This film illustrates the
opposition to the controversial HR4437 immigration bill as well as the ongoing
struggle and demand for comprehensive immigration reform.
Johnny "Chano" Martinez: El Padrino Salsero - Friday, Sept. 26 at 8:30 p.m.
Johnny Martinez was known as the Godfather of Salsa in Los Angeles, but his
influence ranged everywhere. In this documentary, the audience learns how he
was part of a wave of Cuban-Style Music that brought all the exciting Latin
sounds of the1950s. He started playing bass in the 1940s and worked with the
great bands of Perez Prado, Chuy Reyes, Celia Cruz, Noro Morales, Tito
Rodriguez, Carmen Cavallero, Migalito Valdez, and many more. Johnny's orchestra
recorded albums for Capitol Records, RCA, Liberty, Columbia, Decca, Tropicana,
Fiesta, and Musimex/Sono Tropic. Besides music, his career also included
movies, commercials and radio and television appearances. In this documentary,
Johnny recalls the pivotal moments of his career, and how much he loved people
dancing to his music.
Linda Ronstadt: In Conversation - Monday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m.
This KCET special
features an exclusive interview with famed Latina Linda Ronstadt with
award-winning journalist and radio personality, Patt Morrison, who discuss the
rocker's latest memoir, "Simple Dreams". Ronstadt exposes the long
and difficult road to becoming the most successful rock singer of the '70s and
also reveals her inability to sing again due to her recent diagnosis of
Parkinson's disease.
Cubamerican - Monday, Oct. 6 at 9 p.m.
CUBAMERICAN is a documentary
that seeks to define a generation removed from Cuba at a very young age. The
influence of this past is much more abstract to these people who fled the
island nation as children with only vague nostalgic memories of playing on the
beach. Despite spending most of their lives growing up in the United States, a
strong Cuban identity remains.
ABC Colombia - Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 9 p.m.
ABC COLUMBIA is an intimate
portrait of a small rural community in Colombia controlled by paramilitary
forces. The film follows a group of young children through a school year,
exploring the realities that nurture and perpetuate the violence that often
forces them to make difficult choices.
Stranded: The Andes Plane Crash Survivors Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 9 p.m.
STRANDED is the tale of flight
571, which crash-landed in a desolate glacial valley, high in the Andes
Mountains. 15 people died, including the pilot. Five were badly wounded. But --
miracle of miracles -- 29 lived. Three decades after the crash, the 16 survivors
revive long-buried emotions and intimate memories. They take viewers, moment by
agonizing moment, through their suffering, as hope turns into despair and as
hours stretch into days and weeks. Finally, just before disbelief hardens into
bitterness and fear turns to madness, the unexpected happens.
ABOUT KCET
On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital
role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central
California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well
as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its
50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and
regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and
documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's
programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET
is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about
KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community
events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink.
###