Interview with Producer Marcia Robiou
This year’s election season has been unprecedently staggering for a multitude of reasons. With a candidate dropping out of the race, two assassination attempts, and an overall heightening sense of urgency to vote have culminated in an array of issues for voters to consider. An especially pertinent factor in this year’s race is the mobilization of communities that could greatly affect the results of the election. Oftentimes, these communities are overlooked which is why filmmaker and producer Marcia Robiou teamed up with director Bernardo Ruiz and producer Andres Cedielto to showcase the impact of the Latino community’s vote with Latino Vote 2024, a part of the documentary series VOCES.
The documentary which was broadcast on PBS on October 22, is just short of an hour but doesn’t waste any time solidifying its point. Interviewing a wide selection of Latino politicians, activists, and media personalities, Latino Vote 2024 aims to highlight the power and influence Latinos have. With the election less than a week away, films that take an informative stance about the topics voters care about the most, rather than vying to persuade by presenting a particular agenda are necessary within the voting landscape. For more information on voting in this year’s presidential election, please visit https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
Q. How important was it for the film to showcase both the Republican and Democratic perspectives of the Latino community?
A. It was very important for me to counter the longstanding myth that Latinos are a monolith by accurately showcasing the nuance and diversity within our community. We hopefully achieved this by being inclusive, particularly when it comes to political perspectives. Historically, one-third of Latinos have voted for the Republican presidential candidate and two-thirds voted for the Democratic candidate. We didn’t want to overlook such a significant slice of the community.
Q. The film represents voices within the Latino community across the country from Pennsylvania to California. Talk about the necessity of understanding the political issues that affect individual communities.
A. Another myth is that Latinos just care about immigration. Yes, immigration is important and is intertwined with many other issues. That said, polls have consistently shown that jobs and affordable housing are some of the top issues for Latino voters. In addition, gun violence and abortion have become more important since the 2020 election, but the salience of these issues changes depending on where you are. For example, abortion is a top concern for Latinas in Arizona, because they will be voting on a ballot measure in November as to whether to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution or not.
The film opens with a Hispandering sequence, where we see presidential candidates trying, sometimes awkwardly, to connect with Latino voters. But the time for Hispandering is over. Bad Spanish and eating a burrito is not going to cut it with Latino voters (and it never has.) Presidential candidates need to understand that the way to connect with a Latino voter in Allentown, PA is very different from how they may connect with one in Milwaukee, WI. Understanding that nuance is crucial.
Q. When sourcing interviewees for this project, how did you work with director Bernardo Ruiz to decide who was essential to include?
A. One of the reasons I really enjoyed working with Bernardo is because he more or less gave me free rein to pursue participants I found compelling. It was a very collaborative approach where I would discuss potential narrative arcs and visuals on team meetings and we’d go from there. The idea was that if a bunch of Latino filmmakers think this person is interesting, then maybe the audience will too! In addition, we were also keeping an eye on the news cycle and the polls. It was important that we weren’t giving too much oxygen to extremist positions (on either side) and were being representative of the Latino community.
Q. The film reveals fascinating statistics including that Latinos are now the second largest eligible voting age group. What do you hope that first-time Latino voters take away from this film?
A. I hope first-time Latino voters understand the incredible power they have in changing their communities and the trajectory of this country. How you vote and whether you decide to vote is a personal decision but make it an informed one!
Q. Talk about the incorporation of many young Latino activists and their advocacy work in the film.
A. To continue with the myth thread, another one is that Latinos aren’t politically engaged. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Every day, Latino activists from all sides are doing incredible work to mobilize their community. We wanted to document that.
Q. In the past, the mobilization of Latino voters has significantly impacted election results. What kind of trends are you predicting will emerge in this year’s presidential election?
A. I am just a humble filmmaker and not in the business of making election predictions, especially in an election season that has been so unpredictable!