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Aspen, CO (February 24, 2021): Aspen Film is pleased to partner with the local Roaring Fork Valley organization Voces Unidas de las Montañas to present a live panel discussion on the documentary feature film TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN which is inspired by the award-winning history and cookbook of the same name. The livestreamed panel discussion, A Truly Texas Mexican Conversation: Native American Roots of Texas Mexican Cuisine, Feminism and Cultural Resistance, will take place on Wednesday, March 3 at 6:00 p.m. MST. The price is $10 and can be purchased at AspenFilm.org.

The event will feature clips from the film TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN. This will be a guided panel discussion examining the themes highlighted in this extraordinary documentary. The evening will begin with a salsa-making demo led by Chef Adán Medrano and progress into an in-depth conversation about the role women and food play in the history, memory and culture of South Texas. A text chat will be available for viewers to ask questions of the panelists during the livestream. There will also be a live Spanish language interpreter during the event.

Panel guests include: Chef, Author & Filmmaker, Adán Medrano; Retired Associate Professor of Anthropology, Dr. Mario Montaño; Voces Unidas Co-Founder & Executive Director, Alex Sánchez; and
Voces Unidas Board Chair, Blanca Uzeta O’Leary. The event will be moderated by Voces Unidas Program Coordinator, Jasmin Ramirez.

The TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN film will be available to stream beginning on Monday, March 1 on Amazon, Apple TV and Google TV. This livestream will NOT include a full viewing of the film. Aspen Film suggests viewing the film prior to this event, but all are welcome to join the conversation even the film has not been viewed.

About the film:
Over time and during conquest, Texas Mexican food (not tex-mex) sustained Native American memory and identity. Cooking foods like nopalitos, deer, mesquite and tortillas, indigenous women led the cultural resistance against colonization.

15,000 years ago, Native American women domesticated the plants and cooked the same game and fish we eat today. This is the “comida casera,” (home cooking) of contemporary Texas Mexican American families. Comida casera was made famous in the late 1800s by indigenous businesswomen, chefs, who operated outdoor diners in downtown San Antonio. Later dubbed “Chili Queens,” these chefs were harassed and forced out of business, victims of racism.

But other women followed in their footsteps throughout the state, and they kept on cooking.  Chefs, artists and community leaders in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Brownsville and other cities share intimate food experiences that shape who they are today, facing a history of discrimination, dispossession and violence.

The road movie weaves through Texas cities, naming the racism that erased Native American history and celebrating the food that kept alive the community’s living memory and heritage.

Food narrates who we are, and indigenous Texas Mexican food questions what it means to be “American.” It offers a new type of encounter: One of understanding, building a table where ALL ARE WELCOME.

 

 

ABOUT ASPEN FILM:
Established in 1979, Aspen Film is one of Colorado’s most active film arts organizations, presenting dynamic programs and featured guest artists throughout the year. Internationally recognized, Aspen Film organizes a major film event in every season, along with an extensive education program: Aspen Filmfest, Academy Screenings, Aspen Shortsfest and FilmEducates. With a mission to enlighten, enrich, educate and entertain through film, Aspen Film stimulates thought, encourages dialogue and broadens understanding of our world and selves through the diverse spectrum of ideas presented by filmmakers worldwide. To learn more, visit aspenfilm.org.

 

ABOUT VOCES UNIDAS DE LAS MONTAÑAS:
Voces Unidas de las Montañas was founded in May 2020 by local Latino leaders from the Roaring Fork Latino Network and is the first Latino-created, Latino-led advocacy non-profit in Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties. The organization was created to elevate the voices of Latinos, create opportunities where Latinos can advocate for themselves, and increase Latino representation and participation in decision-making tables. To learn more, visit vocesunidas.org.