THE BRONZE SCREEN - 100 YEARS OF THE LATINO IMAGE IN AMERICAN CINEMA

Produced and Directed by:
SUSAN RACHO, NANCY DE LOS SANTOS
and ALBERTO DOMINGUEZ

USA | 2003 | 123 minutes

THE BRONZE SCREEN is an engaging, entertaining, and largely untold story of the history of Latinos in the Hollywood motion picture industry. Inspiring as well as informing, it is a triumph and celebration of this rich, thriving culture that has made a major contribution to the art of motion pictures.
 
THE BRONZE SCREEN shows the struggle of many gifted artists to bring a measure of reality to their screen images and transcend crudely cliched movie roles. These roles often determined how other Americans and the world viewed them, reinforced mainstream prejudices, and contributed to a poor self-image among Latino audiences.
 
THE BRONZE SCREEN uses extensive film footage, much of it never seen by contemporary audiences, to trace the progression of this distorted screen image, from the early silent films to contemporary urban gang movies. It examines stereotypes such as the lazy Mexican, the Latin Lover and his female counterpart, the Dark Lady.
 
THE BRONZE SCREEN explores how American and world history influenced the portrayal of Latinos on the movie screen, as well as how it eventually opened up opportunities for Latinos in the film industry, and foreshadowed their increased prominence as actors, writers, and directors in today's cinema. It is a celebration of great artists who ultimately have gained creative independence and industry stature, and tell their stories in their own voices.
 
With:
Ruben Blades
John Leguizamo
Cheech Marin
Ricardo Montalban
Rita Moreno
Edward James Olmos
Cesar Romero
Jimmy Smits
Raquel Welch