Rahdi Taylor

On October 6, 2010, the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP) and filmmakers Richard Ray Perez and Molly O’Brien are presenting a work-in-progress screening of their film, Cesar’s Last Fast with the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. This film offers a unique and very personal view of the intersection of Cesar Chavez’s faith and his activism. The project has been supported with a grant from the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.

The evening will be the very first public screening of about 60 minutes of selected sequences from what will be a feature length documentary. We will close with a discussion hosted by Academy Award nominated actor Edward James Olmos, and featuring Cesar Chavez’s son, Paul Chavez, the filmmakers, and other special guests. They will discuss Cesar’s legacy and the impact of the movement which continues to empower Chicanos and inspire generations of Latino leaders and labor and organizing movements across the United States.

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Work-In-Progress Screenings are interactive events that reveal the anatomy of a documentary in the making. Work-In-Progress Screenings provide a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process, a chance to meet the remarkable people the film follows, and the opportunity to engage in conversation with thought leaders on the ideas and concerns the film broaches.

Cesar’s Last Fast is a multi-platform, cross-media documentary film in production that is structured around powerful, never-before-seen footage of Cesar’s 1988 “Fast for Life,” an act of penance for not having done enough to stop growers from spraying pesticides on farm workers. The story of this 36-day, water-only fast is the film’s dramatic arc into which the filmmakers interweave the historic events that defined the life mission of one of America’s most inspiring Latino leaders.

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Presents
Work-In-Progress Screening: Cesar’s Last Fast
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 7:00 p.m.
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd at Westwood
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone: 310-443-7000

The program is free and open to the public. Tickets are required, and are available at the Billy Wilder Theater Box Office one hour prior to start time. Reservations not accepted, RSVPs not required. Parking is available under the museum for $3 after 6:00 p.m.