Celebrating our Latinidad: Filmmaker Merced Elizondo, “Unidos Somos Más”

This month we’re celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with a filmmaker whose entire body of work is proof of what happens when you stop waiting for permission (a lo latino ;) In this episode, Anna sits down with director and writer Merced Elizondo (Manos de Oro, And Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out) to talk about growing up in Dallas, Texas with a house full of borrowed VHS tapes, learning to direct through trial by fire, and why he believes some of the best scenes are the ones that break away from the script. Merced opens up about collaboration on set, writing from a place that’s deeply personal, and what it actually takes to survive the festival circuit as a first-generation filmmaker. It’s an honest, generous conversation about craft, identity, and why he’d rather make one good movie than chase the trend.New episode of The Hollywood Makers is live now!Subscribe for free to receive new posts! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rossyeeguigure.substack.com