Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
I write, direct, produce and edit short documentaries for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
La Marisol and Los Texmaniacs [Behind the Scenes Documentary]
Live in the studio, La Marisoul (Marisol Hernández) and Los Texmaniacs record the music for their forthcoming album, “Corazones y Canciones,” which integrates Mexican, Tejano and American musical styles. When Smithsonian Folkways approached me with over twenty hours of BTS footage, I was tasked with condensing it into a ten-minute piece that would promote the album as well as introduce Marisol to their audience. They did not have any particular story or angle in mind, so I began researching the history of Tejano music, mariachi, and boleros, in order to have a deeper understanding of how this musical heritage fits into Mexican-American culture in the United States. After considering many different story lines, it became clear that this collaboration was about much more than a blending of musical styles— it was a safe space for Marisol and the other band members to embrace their dual identities as Mexican-Americans. The video was was posted to Folkways’ social media platforms.
Role: Writer, Editor
El Fanático De la Música Norteña
Profile of Chris Strachwitz, the founder of Arhoolie Records in El Cerrito, California, and his early love of Mexican border music. The interview provides an overview of Chris’s work with iconic Mexican musicians, such as Flaco Jimenez and Lydia Mendoza. I conducted research on the history of Arhoolie Records, Chris Strachwitz, as well as his “Frontera” collection. I also sourced archival photos and footage from Arhoolie Records and Les Blank Films. This video was shared to Smithsonian Folkways social media and Arhoolie Records’ social media in celebration of Chris’s 91st birthday. It highlights the joint effort of Arhoolie Foundation and Smithsonian Folkways to share Chris’s recordings and vast musical archive with a wide audience.
Role: Editor, Co-Producer
Smithsonian Folklife Magazine
I write and direct films for Smithsonian’s Folklife Magazine
The Art of JD Smith
Profile of artist JD Smith, who creates historically accurate renderings of WWII battleships to honor both Japanese and American sailors who died during WWII. For the project, I acted as producer as well as director and editor. I recruited a DP and still photographer and coordinated with the curator of the art gallery at Battleship USS Iowa Museum in San Pedro, California, where Smith was showing his art. Prior to shooting, I conducted multiple interviews with Smith, to help me conceptualize how we would turn his complex life story into a short piece. We filmed on the historic battleship, dodging tourists and seagulls, as well as in Smith’s art studio in Venice, which is located in back of his childhood home.
Role: Producer, Director, Editor
Karagoz
When I first met Ayhan Hulagu and his handmade shadow puppets at a community arts event in Baltimore, I knew I wanted do a story on his life and work. Ayhan is a Kurdish immigrant from Turkey, who has adapted the ancient art of Karagöz puppetry for an American audience. Over countless cups of Turkish tea, and with the help of his roommate who acted as translator, we met several times and talked about his childhood, his love of mythology, his training with master puppeteers, and his vision for the future of Karagöz in the United States.
Role: Producer, Director, Editor