Yvan Iturriaga collaborated with Movement Generation to develop and present the second, eight-episode season of the comedic Web series and cultural organizing project, The North Pole: Loyal to the Soil. The North Pole is a political comedy that amplifies the voices of working-class residents and communities of color in Oakland that are facing urban displacement and environmental injustice. All episodes premiered at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater, were followed by a screening tour with the cast to college campuses, and are available for streaming — having reached 250,000 viewers by 2021.
Lead artist Yvan Iturriaga is a director, producer, and cultural organizer, who has co-produced several award-winning PBS documentaries. He has collaborated with Movement Generation since 2013, directing popular environmental justice and online shorts. The project’s creative team includes producer Darren Colston and creative consultant Adam Mansbach, and stars Reyna Amaya, Donte Clark, Santiago Rosas, and Eli Marienthal along with such special guests as W. Kamau Bell and Boots Riley.
Movement Generation is a nonprofit organization whose innovative climate and racial justice programs work to reduce pollution and inequality. It contributes script research and writing feedback, political education, and context to this project, as well as fundraising assistance and grassroots distribution of the series. Collaborators plan to launch the new series by May 2019, with screenings and related activities continuing throughout 2019 and 2020.
Photo credit: Brooke Anderson