By Mark Saldana
Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars)
Richard Pryor is arguably the greatest comedian of all time. From his early, more family friendly style in the early sixties through his raw, honest and profane material in the seventies and eighties, Richard could make people laugh. However, he could also make people think seriously about racism and the Black American experience.
By Mark Saldana
In the seventies, Jennifer Lee met Richard Pryor through a friend who was working for him. She would later work for the comedian and eventually began a romantic relationship with him. The two married in 1981 and had a loving, but turbulent marriage due to Pryor’s wild lifestyle and drug abuse. Jennifer and Richard divorced in 1982, but would rekindle their romance decades later and remarry in 2001.
By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)
Filmmaker Andrew Hevia decides to escape his troubles at home by taking on a documentary project in Hong Kong. The job is to cover an international art festival there and though the project initially seems pretty straightforward, his personal turmoil changes the nature of things. This in addition to some of the culture shock and the feelings of being lost and confused in a foreign city make his jouney much more personal and introspective.
By Mark Saldana
The very first film I watched from the festival this year is a fascinating, poignant and funny documentary that follows filmmaker Andrew Hevia as he attempts to make a documentary about an art festival in Hong Kong. At the time, Hevia was going through some personal turmoil and the film does not at all go exactly as planned. It actually becomes something remarkable, beautiful and personal.
By Liz Lopez
The SXSW Film Festival has many films in the Global category, including films from Latin America, Spain and Portugal, as well as films by Latinos in film within the United States. These films are an important part of the yearly SXSW Film Festival and many are making their premieres in Austin. Some may not have a theatrical release in the United States and it is a great opportunity to attend and catch the films that you may not otherwise view.
