VOCES

Indie Films Series / 2 Seasons

Produced by Latino Public Broadcasting, the acclaimed PBS documentary series VOCES features the best of Latino arts, culture and history and shines a light on current issues that impact Latino Americans. Devoted to exploring the rich diversity of the Latino experience, VOCES presents new and established filmmakers and brings their powerful and illuminating stories to a national audience.

Get Cascade PBS Passport to watch

Trailer | Letters to Eloisa

30s

Based on correspondence with his sister in exile, "Letters to Eloisa" recounts the life of Cuban literary great José Lezama Lima, author of a homoerotic novel, "Paradiso," and tells the story of his silencing by the Cuban revolutionary government.

Cuba Censors José Lezama Lima

7m 3s

"Paradiso" marked José Lezama Lima as a writer too independent to be trusted by a government that required full compliance. Cuba censored his work as a result of the novel and suspicions that he was gay. Despite being forbidden in his own country, the novel was translated and revered worldwide. The poet grew hopeless as attempts to travel abroad were thwarted by denied exit visas.

'Paradiso' Stirs Scandal Amid Glory Upon Release

5m 30s

Poet José Lezama Lima published his long-awaited novel "Paradiso" in 1966, revealing with it scenes that mirrored his own life and secrets he kept for decades. The novel was considered an exaltation of family as the center of human life. In the same way, it was considered an unprecedented invitation to think about being human in an erotic way, making it a source of scandal upon publication.

Campaigning in Border Cities

2m 46s / TV-PG

Border communities are often overlooked by campaigns, despite their growing importance in Texas and National politics. During Super Tuesday, Amanda Salas, talks about campaigning and how reaching out in a culturally competent way is crucial to reaching the Rio Grande Valley community.

Trailer | Andrea Mercado | Latino Vote

30s / TV-G

Get an inside look at the high-stakes effort to turn out the Latino vote in this year’s election. Andrea Mercado, executive director of New Florida Majority, on Florida being a critical battleground state.

The Bernie Sanders Coalition

3m 35s / TV-PG

Ahead of Super Tuesday, Chris Chu de León, Texas State director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign, explains why the inclusive message of the Vermont Senator inspired a multicultural and young coalition of supporters. As volunteers prepare to launch a final bilingual canvassing effort before the primaries, we see how the campaign is trying to empower everyday people.

Mi Familia Vota

2m 52s / TV-PG

Ahead of the 2020 Nevada caucuses, Mi Familia Vota works to register young voters in this key battleground state. Organizers go to high schools and supermarkets in the heart of the Latino community; engaging and educating this electorate with the hopes of a historic turnout for this young and growing demographic.

Trailer | Dr. Gabriel Salguero | Latino Vote

30s / TV-PG

Get an inside look at the high-stakes effort to turn out the Latino vote in this year’s election. Hear from Dr. Gabriel Salguero, founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.

Representation Matters

2m 15s / TV-PG

While the country grapples with racial injustices, Afro-Latinos are often overlooked in media and politics. Ilia Calderón, author and Univision anchor, talks about the Black Lives Matter movement, and the need for visibility and representation.

Extended Trailer | Latino Vote

2m 19s

Get an inside look at the high-stakes effort to get out the Latino vote in the 2020 election. Political candidates are focused on maximizing turnout and support from Latinos, poised to be the largest non-white voting bloc.

Death on the Job

2m 57s / TV-PG

Construction worker Roendy Granillo was 25 years old when he died from heat stroke on the job. His family recounts the day he died. Looking at pictures of Roendy in his room as he left it, Roendy’s parents reflect on the lack of information they had that could have prevented Roendy’s death.

Trailer | Building the American Dream

30s / TV-PG

Across Texas an unstoppable construction boom drives urban sprawl and luxury high-rises. Its dirty secret: abuse of immigrant labor. The film captures a turning point as a movement forms to fight widespread construction industry injustices. A story of courage, resilience and community, the film reveals shocking truths about the hardworking immigrants who build the American Dream.

Our Stories, Our Movement

2m 16s / TV-PG

Another death of a construction worker on the job in Austin fuels the need for change in the industry. Workers are moved to tell their own stories of struggle with the hope to empower workers across the state to stand up against unsafe and exploitative working conditions.

The Electrician

2m 37s / TV-PG

Claudia, a female electrician from El Salvador, enrolled in school to be an electrician in order to reconnect with her father who moved to the United States when she was young. Never imagining she would continue the work, she now works alongside her husband providing electrical services in Dallas.

‘I Don’t Want to Be Vulnerable’

1m 18s / TV-14

Coming Soon to PBS: Victor Rios joined a gang shortly after having his head broken open by a baseball bat. Seeking physical protection in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Oakland, 14-year-old Rios asked to be jumped in. Rios’ story reveals what shorthand labels like “gang member” obscure.

Education, Rebellion, and Hope

4m 36s / TV-14

Coming Soon to PBS: Kadhir Rajagopal was a former university student of Victor Rios. Kadhir’s family was of the “untouchable” caste in southern India before they moved to the south side of Chicago where Kadhir was raised. He uses algebra, Tupac and his father to discuss the relationship between education and rebellion and inspire his students to build faith in themselves.

‘It Really Haunts Me Every Day’

1m 14s / TV-14

Coming Soon to PBS: Victor Rios is haunted each day when leaving the young people he helps mentor in their difficult circumstances while he returns to his safe neighborhood. This struggle pushes him to reflect on memories of his own mentors, who were often in his life only briefly before moving on, and finds solace in the lasting impact all mentors have on young people even after they are gone.

Pushouts Not Dropouts

2m 10s / TV-14

Coming Soon to PBS: Martin Flores directs YO! Watts, a program for 16–24 year-olds who did not finish high school. To solve the “dropout crisis,” Flores says we must first address a widespread misunderstanding: These students are not giving up on their education; they are being pushed out of school.

Trailer | The Pushouts

30s / TV-14

Coming Soon to PBS: Meet Dr. Victor Rios, a high school dropout and former gang member turned award-winning professor, author and expert on the school to prison pipeline, who works with young people who have been pushed out of school for reasons beyond their control.

Supported by