Private Project

Finding Blas

In recovering the secret political life of my great-grandfather, Blas Lara, I revisit sites in California that he migrated to prior to the Mexican Revolution and during his activism with the Partido Liberal Mexicano. This short film rooted in place, bridges the past and present to reconstruct his life according to his published memoir, La Vida Que Yo Viví.

  • Marisol Medina Cadena
    Director
  • Alex Santana Jr.
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Personal Documentary
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 8, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    300 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • UCSC Senior Showcase
    Santa Cruz
    United States
    June 10, 2016
    UCSC Film & Digital Media Academic Excellence Award for Finding Blas
Director Biography - Marisol Medina Cadena

Much of Marisol's work examines personal and familial histories of assimilation, internalized colonialism, and identity formation.
She uses film to understand and negotiate her bi-cultural identity, and investigate what it means to be brown in the U.S. When not creating autobiographical work, she is committed to highlighting the voices of Latino artists including her series of digital shorts about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, profiling Peruvian artisans.

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