Filmmaker is named one of the ‘best of the best.’ And he’s from Merced
Many who grow up in Merced feel the need to go elsewhere, especially if they want to create art. But filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes says his experience in the Valley gave him a unique gift: a special vision.
Since graduating from Merced High in 2001, Reyes has seen his films win acclaim at festivals around the world. On Friday, he was awarded a coveted fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to help support his continued work in film.
“It’s really a huge surprise to be part of that cohort of artists,” Reyes said Friday by phone, speaking from Durham, N.C., where he is attending the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival . “For me, (it) encourages my work and the voice of the stories that I’m telling that are based in the Valley about communities that are often ignored.”
Reyes was born in Mexico City but was 6 when he moved to Merced with his family.
I would hope that the award is seen as an encouragement for all the young people in our community who think they want to do art, they want to write, maybe they want to make films. It’s possible.
Director Rodrigo Reyes on getting a fellowship
Reyes, whose father was a history professor in Mexico, graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in international studies. In addition to making films, he works as a Spanish interpreter for the Merced County Superior Court.
“There’s this narrative that Merced is this place you escape,” he told the Sun-Star. “And, even if you do move away, there’s something that you have from this place that is really unique: a very different perspective of the world. And, you should embrace that, especially if you are an artist.”
The 33-year-old’s latest film, “Lupe Under the Sun,” premiered about a year ago at the Los Angeles Film Festival and has been screened at several festivals.
“Lupe,” which was filmed entirely in Merced County, tells the story of farmworker who has been separated from his family in Mexico for many years.
Reyes gained attention for “Purgatorio,” which played in about 40 film festivals around the world. That film asked viewers to imagine the world before it was carved up into arbitrary borders that make up the world’s countries while spotlighting the line separating Mexico and the United States.
Reyes was made a fellow alongside 172 other scholars, who each receive an undisclosed stipend. Funding from the fellowship will give Reyes more time for making films, he said.
For me (it) encourages my work and the voice of the stories that I’m telling that are based in the Valley about communities that are often ignored.
Director Rodrigo Reyes on getting a fellowship
The director is working now on a documentary called “Sansón and Me” which “examines the intersection between immigration, class and opportunity with the criminal justice system,” according to the foundation.
The fellowship is made up of the “best of the best” writers, scholars, scientists and artists, according to Edward Hirsch, president of the foundation.
“Each year since 1925, the Guggenheim Foundation has bet everything on the individual,” he said in a statement, “and we’re thrilled to continue to do so with this wonderfully talented and diverse group.”
The fellowship is awarded “on the basis of prior achievement and exceptional promise,” according to the foundation.
Reyes said he hopes young artists take note.
“I would hope that the award is seen as an encouragement for all the young people in our community who think they want to do art, they want to write, maybe they want to make films,” Reyes said. “It’s possible, and there are stories to tell that are really valuable.”
Thaddeus Miller: 209-385-2453, @thaddeusmiller
This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Filmmaker is named one of the ‘best of the best.’ And he’s from Merced."