
By Katie Small
For better or worse, boxing is a sport that has never shied away from using race as a tool to create spectacle. In La Guerra Civil, engaging interviews and detailed archival footage reveal how an epic 1996 rivalry between a Mexican icon and his Mexican American challenger launched a cultural battle, illuminating the dual identity that Latinos in the United States must contend with to this day.
Eva Longoria Bast n is no stranger to the Sundance Film Festival, having starred in 2020's Sylvie's Love and appearing in 2021's Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It. This year she returns as director with her energetic feature-length documentary debut, which takes an in-depth look at the legendary boxing match between seasoned Mexican champion Julio C sar Ch vez and the younger Mexican American Oscar De La Hoya. The famous fight pitted Mexicans against one another, as fans from both sides of the border had to choose a champion that most resonated with them.
In a pre-recorded introduction to the film, Longoria Bast n reflects, This battle between two legends was about more than boxing - it really takes us into a fascinating slice of the Latino experience.
The two fighters had very different introductions to the sport, and as a result their personal histories carried contrasting cultural significance. Hailing from Culiac n, Sinaloa, Julio C sar Ch vez was one of 11 children. He began working from a young age, climbing out of poverty after he made a name for himself in the boxing rings of Tijuana. His rags to riches story embodied Mexican ideals of grit and perseverance and inspired national pride throughout his iconic career.
Eva Longoria Bast n and Julio C sar Ch vez appear in La Guerra Civil by Eva Longoria Bast n, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Ilse Fernandez. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or Courtesy of Sundance Institute.' Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited. Meanwhile, Oscar De La Hoya was groomed to be a fighter; in the documentary, the son of immigrants recalls how he was forced into boxing. He was trained from age five and scouted at 11, before winning a gold medal for the U.S. in the 1992 Olympics. Although he was raised in a Spanish-speaking Mexican household, the golden boy from East LA struggled to gain acceptance from fans - he was regarded as not Mexican enough for his father's generation, not American enough for his own.
Eva Longoria Bast n and Oscar De La Hoya appear in La Guerra Civil by Eva Longoria Bast n, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Ilse Fernandez. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or Courtesy of Sundance Institute.' Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited. Interviews with both Ch vez and De La Hoya provide insight into their personal experiences, while commentary from sports scholars, boxing commentators, and notable Mexican American figures - such as actor Mario Lopez, journalist Claudia Trejos, and comedian George Lopez - ground the moment in historical and cultural significance.
After the premiere, the director joined Sundance Institute programmer Dilcia Berrera, Oscar de La Hoya, and producer Grant Best in a live Q&A session. She reflected on her own memories of the 25-year-old fight, how it divided her household at the time, and how Mexican Americans continue to juggle dual - and dueling - cultural identities. What surprises me is how little has changed, Longoria Bast n notes.
For me, when people say, Oh you're half-Mexican, half-American' I go, No - I'm 100% Mexican, 100% American, at the same time. Own that, she says. Longoria Bast n reflected on how her own generation was discouraged from speaking Spanish, but says she is excited to see younger generations of Latinos embrace their diverse identities and celebrate their cultural legacies. You don't have to choose, and you don't have to assimilate [ ] Today's generation is turning the tide.
Most recent headlines
04/11/2022
The best gamers know DTS Headphone:X technology ups their play. Now major magazines have caught on, too.
DTS Headphone:X technology creates immersive soundsc...
14/05/2022
Critics of the $8 billion-plus purchase of Tegnas TV station group by investment fund Standard General have told the FCC it needs to collect more data on the pr...
14/05/2022
Comedies Kenan and Mr. Mayor, and drama The Endgame will not return on NBC. Kenan lasted two seasons, as did Mr. Mayor. The Endgame lasted one....
14/05/2022
Gray Television said it named Ron Bartholomew as general manager of WNDU-TV, South Bend, Indiana....
14/05/2022
Nielsen, which has agreed to be acquired by a private-equity group led by Elliott Investment Management, said that its go-shop period has expired without an alt...
14/05/2022
The FCC, Department of Agriculture, National Telecommunications & Information Administration (all of which oversee broadband subsidy programs) and the Treasure ...
14/05/2022
Lisa White has been named vice president and news director at KPIX-KBCW San Francisco Bay Area, which are part of the CBS News and Stations group. She has been ...
14/05/2022
CBS has ordered three dramas for the 2022-2023 season, cop drama East New York, firefighter drama Fire Country and private investigator drama So Help Me Todd....
14/05/2022
Warner Bros. Discovery's U.S. Networks Group will be reorganized under Kathleen Finch, chairman and chief content officer, with long-time Discovery executiv...
14/05/2022
Natasha Lyonne will host the season finale of Saturday Night Live on NBC May 21. It is her first time hosting....
14/05/2022
ABC has renewed unscripted series America's Funniest Home Videos, American I...
14/05/2022
BRISTOL, Conn. ESPN has unveiled a record-setting 23-game NFL slate for the 2022 Season that includes 21 regular season games, plus the Monday night Super Wild ...
14/05/2022
SAN FRANCISCO Veteran local news executive Lisa White has been named vice presid...
14/05/2022
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision's audio network Uforia has announced that it is expanding its podcast offerings....
14/05/2022
ATLANTA Gray Television has named Ron Bartholomew the new general manager of WNDU, the NBC affiliate in South Bend, Indiana (DMA 99)....
14/05/2022
FREMONT, Calif. Blackmagic Design has announced that a Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K digital film camera was used to capture visual effects (VFX) plates for the ...
14/05/2022
MUNICH Rohde & Schwarz has announced that its high-performance intelligent storage network, as well as its media servers for content preparation have been deplo...
14/05/2022
NEW YORK The NFL and Amazon Prime Video have unveiled the schedule for the Thursday Night Football (TNF) games that will be streamed exclusively on Prime Video....
14/05/2022
Kendrick Lamars New Album Is Full of Berklee Collaborators Berklee alumni played significant roles in every step of the creation of Kendricks double album, Mr...
14/05/2022
Ukraine wins 66th Eurovision Song Contest...
14/05/2022
A mischievous, musical experience for the whole family where the children are in charge and the adults get to be kids again!
From 10th December 2022
The Aud...
13/05/2022
Thursday 12 May 2022 Award-winning documentary maker, Stacey Dooley MBE, is set to take her hit W show overseas, in the brand-new three-part series Stacey Doole...
13/05/2022
Thursday 12 May 2022 UKTV today announces that it has commissioned two new serie...
13/05/2022
(L-R) Sian Gibson and Johnny Vegas
Friday 13 May 2022 The nations favourite com...
13/05/2022
-- John Nein is a senior programmer for the Sundance Institute....
13/05/2022
Ryan Coogler and Ludwig G ransson have worked together on several films, including Fruitvale Station.
By Vanessa Zimmer
Why do people say they watched a movie...
13/05/2022
La m sica mexicana tiene una rica tradici n narrativa. Canciones como La Jaula ...
13/05/2022
Mexican music has a rich tradition of storytelling. Songs like La Jaula de Oro ...
13/05/2022
Nations around the world - from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea - are facing increasingly aggressive actions from adversarial superpowers and terrorist orga...
13/05/2022
Imagine the scene: it's midday, and, somewhere in eastern Europe, a special operations team patrols through thick woodland to find and fix enemy positions c...
13/05/2022
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has announced that its most powerful streaming player, the Roku Ultra, will include Roku's top-of-the-line remote, the Roku Voice Remo...
13/05/2022
LOS ANGELES Scener, a destination for finding and sharing streaming entertainment, has announced the launch of a new mobile application designed to enhance and ...
13/05/2022
TEL AVIV, Israel Radcom has announced that it was selected by Dish Wireless to provide its Radcom Ace solution to monitor customers experience across Dishs 5G S...
13/05/2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. The NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF) has announced that it is now accepting applications for the 2023 Technology Apprenticeship Program (TAP)....
13/05/2022
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. Gaian Solutions unveiled its Mobius Marketplace NextGen TV monetization platform, an AI-based ATSC 3.0 spectrum planning tool intended to e...
13/05/2022
albert is working on building an accredited network of equipment suppliers for the UK production industry
By Jenny Priestley
Published: May 13, 2022
albert...
13/05/2022
V-Studios will be powered by the disguise Extended Reality (xR) workflow, featuring Absen's 10m x 5m LED wall
By Jenny Priestley
Published: May 13, 2022 ...
13/05/2022
She takes over from Sir William Sargent who has led the company for 26 years
By Jenny Priestley
Published: May 13, 2022
She takes over from Sir William Sar...
13/05/2022
A lot of the work weve done around innovation within BT Sport has been about loo...
13/05/2022
Blackbird plc announced the appointment of Sumit Rai as chief product officer. He will join the company in June, to lead the strategic development and direction...
13/05/2022
STAMFORD, Conn. & PHILADELPHIA, Penn. Charter Communications and Comcast Corporation have selected Marcien Jenckes as president of their recently announced stre...
13/05/2022
Julius P. Williams Composes Song for 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial Rededi...
13/05/2022
At BroadcastAsia 2022, Broadpeak will highlight how pay-TV operators, content providers, and OTT players can provide a compelling video streaming experience to ...
13/05/2022
Rohde & Schwarz, a global leader in broadcast media technologies, has today anno...
13/05/2022
Zero Density is proud to announce that its AI-powered, talent-tracking system, TRAXIS talentS, has won a Product of the Year award at this year's NAB! The a...
13/05/2022
WATCH UZALO: Tonight's episode, Friday, 13 May 2022 - E50 S8Don't get left behind, catch up on Uzalo now!
by SA TV and Soapies
13-05-2022 15:46
in ...
13/05/2022
WATCH: Gomora episode, 13 May 2022 (E15 S3)Don't miss out on what's happening on tonight's episode of Gomora, and watch the latest episode every wee...
13/05/2022
Actress Zoe Mthiyane chats about her role in Generations: The Legacy'The actress Zoe Mthiyane chats about playing Zitha in Generations: The Legacy', m...
13/05/2022
Generations: The Legacy' June Spoilers: Sphe kills serial killer' Winst...
13/05/2022
The way I found out about Studio One and PreSonus: I had lunch with Bob Moses (president of the Audio Engineering Society at one time) and I asked him some que...