Private Project

First Voice Generation

First Voice Generation follows three Latinx high school students in Holland, Michigan. As children of Mexican immigrants, they struggle with a sense of identity and belonging growing up in this predominantly Dutch community. They dream of being the first in their family to go to college but Covid-19 shuts the world down, and virtual learning exacerbates their struggles. The cost of affording college makes their dream seem impossible.

  • Cynthia Sofia Martinez
    Director
  • Cynthia Sofia Martinez
    Producer
    Something In the Clouds
  • Melissa Sterne
    Associate Producer
    The School Project, Senator Obama Goes to Africa
  • Melissa Sterne
    Editor
    Punch 9 For Harold Washington, All the Difference, Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, Senator Obama Goes to Africa
  • Kristina James
    Music Composer
    Yangtze River the Race, Never Again Para Nadie
  • Ignacio Bonet
    Sound Designer
    Retrograde, Generation 328, Rendezvous, Groundswell
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 11, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    200,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Black Magic 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Central Michigan International Film Festival
    Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
    United States
    February 18, 2023
    World
    Best Independent Feature Documentary
  • Capital City Film Festival
    Lansing, Michigan
    United States
    April 15, 2023
Director Biography - Cynthia Sofia Martinez

Cynthia Martinez is a 2nd generation Mexican-American born in Holland, Michigan. She is a mother, writer, director, and producer. A graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, her experience includes working for Univision News in Miami. She is currently engaged with directing and producing films and media that advocate social justice. Cynthia is currently producing the film First Voice Generation. Cynthia was recently an Associate Producer for the Michigan based short film, Something in the Clouds, which has been selected for the 2022 National Black Film Festival and the winner of the 2022 Sedona International Film Festival Screenplay Competition. Cynthia is a Kartemquin Films Diverse Voices in Documentary program fellow. She is a member of the Brown Girls Doc Mafia, where she was recently selected to participate in the Rough Cut Feedback Loop Program.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am the granddaughter of Mexican migrant farm workers. I was born to two teenage parents who barely have a high school education. As a young child, I did not go to summer camp or have playdates.  Instead, I stood long hours in the middle of a farm picking blueberries.

My name is Cynthia Martinez. I was born in Holland, Michigan. I am the director and producer of the First Voice Generation Documentary. This film was inspired by my own personal story and fight to rise above the cycle of generational poverty and be the first in my family to go to college. My parents were always busy working and had no time to help me with school. I wanted more than what appeared to be my destiny in the fields or a factory. I joined a program that helped with after school tutoring and college readiness support. This same program helped the participants in the film with after school academic support.

Twenty years ago I left Holland to pursue my education and start a new life. The pandemic shut the world down forcing me back to a place I never felt I belonged. That is the genesis of the First Voice Generation film. Coming back to Holland, I saw the same underlying racial tensions and educational challenges for Latinx students. I wanted to use my education, passion, and news experience to give a voice to first generation Latinx students in my community.

As I pursued the production of the film, I was motivated by the strong sense of community surrounding the issues in the film. As a result, we were fortunate enough to have a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign and raised $50,000 in thirty days. We also received a local Holland grant from Women of Color Give, a local non-profit organization.