Diego Luna, Rosario Dawson: Why Chavez Movie Matters Today By Raul A. Reyes NBC News (March 17, 2014) As part of the national press tour for the upcoming biopic, Cesar Chavez director Diego Luna and star Rosario Dawson met with journalists Monday in New York City to discuss the first major film about the Mexican-American icon. Cesar Chavez focuses on Chavez journey from labor organizer to founder of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) to national champion for social justice. Michael Peña plays the title role, with America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) in the role of his wife Helen. John Malkovich also co-stars as one of the grape growers opposed to Chavezs organizing efforts. Luna, best known for his starring role in the film Y Tu Mama Tambien, was born in Mexico and admits that initially he did not know too much about Chavez. I remember images of his funeral, I was 14 or 15; I remember the image of thousands of farm workers walking with the wooden box (casket) that he asked his brother to build for him, he said. I remember that image, but I didnt know why he would move so many people. Luna said it was when he was in California, years later, that that he realized he needed to educate himself about Chavez. I felt horrible to be driving through an avenue called Cesar Chavez without knowing who he was, to see murals, to see schools, parks named after him, without actually knowing why. I started researching and was shocked there was no film about
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 23:41:32 +0000
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