This show explores how most storytellers, including documentary filmmakers are forced – understandably – to tell a story with an end. While this may be considered “good storytelling”, these parameters are not entirely faithful to the ongoing narrative. The other issue we look at in this show is America’s long-running internal conflict with immigration, which continues to be a fierce and stark dividing line in this country.
Joe Richman founded the program Radio Diaries well before podcasts existed. What he did was simple: he gave his carefully chosen subjects a microphone and a recorder and asked them to share their stories. In 1992, he met a young man named Juan, who had recently arrived in US. For the next 25 years, Joe followed Juan’s story, garnering a non-narrated audio history. The bond that formed between storyteller and subject fostered an ongoing openness, allowing listeners to stay with something long after most stories have – in a way – artificially ended. That relationship will be explored as well as Juan’s longtime struggle to become a legal resident of this country he has given so much to.
This show also includes the stirring short documentary, The Undocumented Lawyer, which follows Lizbeth Mateo, who has never let her immigration status stop her from pursuing her dreams and helping those in need. This film reveals so much about why the issue of immigration remains so volatile and unresolved, it’s own never-ending story.
Speakers: Joe Richman, Juan, Lizbeth Mateo, Chris Temple, Zach Ingrasci
Film: The Undocumented Lawyer (19 min)
Moderator: David Holbrooke
Lizbeth Mateo is an attorney in Los Angeles—one who started a law practice, hired four employees, and took an oath to uphold the U.S. constitution. She also has no legal options to stay in the country. Lizbeth is undocumented.
Since crossing the border at age 14, Lizbeth hasn’t let her immigration status hold her back. Frustrated by an unjust system, she’s drawing from her own experiences to fight for immigrant rights in the streets and in the courts.
Her latest client is Edith Espinal, a woman avoiding deportation by taking sanctuary in a church. As the months turn to years, Lizbeth is running out of legal options to help. Lizbeth returns to her activist roots and teaches Edith to fight back—because sometimes you need to ignore the law in order to change it.
- Year2020
- Runtime20 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorChris Temple and Zach Ingrasci
- ProducerJenna Kelly
- Executive ProducerBrenda Avila-Hanna, Morgan Kays, John Trefry
- EditorLila Place
This show explores how most storytellers, including documentary filmmakers are forced – understandably – to tell a story with an end. While this may be considered “good storytelling”, these parameters are not entirely faithful to the ongoing narrative. The other issue we look at in this show is America’s long-running internal conflict with immigration, which continues to be a fierce and stark dividing line in this country.
Joe Richman founded the program Radio Diaries well before podcasts existed. What he did was simple: he gave his carefully chosen subjects a microphone and a recorder and asked them to share their stories. In 1992, he met a young man named Juan, who had recently arrived in US. For the next 25 years, Joe followed Juan’s story, garnering a non-narrated audio history. The bond that formed between storyteller and subject fostered an ongoing openness, allowing listeners to stay with something long after most stories have – in a way – artificially ended. That relationship will be explored as well as Juan’s longtime struggle to become a legal resident of this country he has given so much to.
This show also includes the stirring short documentary, The Undocumented Lawyer, which follows Lizbeth Mateo, who has never let her immigration status stop her from pursuing her dreams and helping those in need. This film reveals so much about why the issue of immigration remains so volatile and unresolved, it’s own never-ending story.
Speakers: Joe Richman, Juan, Lizbeth Mateo, Chris Temple, Zach Ingrasci
Film: The Undocumented Lawyer (19 min)
Moderator: David Holbrooke
Lizbeth Mateo is an attorney in Los Angeles—one who started a law practice, hired four employees, and took an oath to uphold the U.S. constitution. She also has no legal options to stay in the country. Lizbeth is undocumented.
Since crossing the border at age 14, Lizbeth hasn’t let her immigration status hold her back. Frustrated by an unjust system, she’s drawing from her own experiences to fight for immigrant rights in the streets and in the courts.
Her latest client is Edith Espinal, a woman avoiding deportation by taking sanctuary in a church. As the months turn to years, Lizbeth is running out of legal options to help. Lizbeth returns to her activist roots and teaches Edith to fight back—because sometimes you need to ignore the law in order to change it.
- Year2020
- Runtime20 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorChris Temple and Zach Ingrasci
- ProducerJenna Kelly
- Executive ProducerBrenda Avila-Hanna, Morgan Kays, John Trefry
- EditorLila Place