Documentary filmmaker Chris Temple is partnering with Julio, an undocumented minor from a rural village in Guatemala, and the Bayview Hunters Point Center for Arts & Technology (BAYCAT) to create a short documentary film about Julio’s life story.
Through previous documentaries on immigration, Temple met Julio and his brother Luis, observing over the course of a decade and several projects, Julio’s growing interest in filmmaking. In this collaboration, Temple will work alongside Julio as a co-director while Julio tells his story on film and simultaneously learns the technical side of filmmaking as an intern at BAYCAT.
Chris Temple is co-founder of the film production company Optimist with Zach Ingrasci, who will partner with him on this project. Also collaborating is Brenda Avila Hanna, who is serving as lead creative producer. Chris Temple’s award-winning documentaries include prior works addressing such topics as undocumented minors, the Syrian refugee crisis, the immigration legal system, and indigenous women’s education.
The collaborating organization BAYCAT supports diverse young storytellers in the Bay Area, helping them to create quality authentic media through education and employment, and, thereby, working to diversify the creative industry.
Photo credit: Optimist