Harvey Weinstein Makes His Case for Cesar Chavez Biopic on Huffington Post

Diego Luna’s César Chávez Should Be Required Viewing for All Americans

Film Producer

In my home growing up, there were four heroes — John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and César Chávez. Chávez was a hero to the Kennedys, so naturally was a hero to us. He fought the odds for what he believed was right and that resilience and courage deserved respect. Those real-life stories like Chávez’s were often what inspired my brother and me early on in our careers to choose films that we knew needed to be seen, even if they weren’t guaranteed safe box office successes. Diego Luna’s new film César Chávez is one of those films.

For decades, many directors and studios have wanted to create a film about Chávez, but it was Diego Luna, an actor who I’ve admired since Y Tu Mama Tambien came out well over a decade ago, who finally got a “yes” from the Chávez family. His production company Canana was behind another amazing film that I saw and loved at Cannes in 2011 called Miss Bala. Looking at the extreme violence taking place in Mexico’s ongoing drug war, that movie had scathing visuals and even more cutting subject matter, and proved that Luna was the right man to be behind the camera of another socially-conscious film. This film has been in the works for more than four years, but we’re finally able to see the fruits of Luna’s painstaking efforts. He does a standout job as director, and has the support of cast that deserves applause as well. Any actor will tell you that the portrayal of a historical figure is one of the most difficult roles to play simply because of the weighty responsibility. Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, and John Malkovich rise to challenge.