Las Poderosas Mini-Doc Screening & Publication Launch: 4-5pm
Join us at The Frida for a special screening of Las PODEROSAS, a mini-documentary directed by Cecilia Ortiz Fernández and edited by Benny Gomez, which amplifies the voices of Las Promotoras de Latino Health Access—community health advocates who fought for their neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Created by Alicia Rojas, Las PODEROSAS is more than a documentary; it is a powerful public art project that preserves the stories of 63 remarkable women through oral histories, a digital archive, a monument, and a newly released publication. This project asserts Las Promotoras as heroes in American history, showcasing their resilience in one of California’s most rapidly gentrifying cities.
The publication features striking photo portraits, each linked to oral histories via QR codes, and includes contributions from LA Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano, curator Erika Hirugami, and Alicia Rojas. Recognized as part of the American Heroes of the Pandemic collection, this work will be housed at the Library of Congress and The Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History at CSUF.
This project is made possible through funding from 18th Street Arts Center-Creative Corps, the California Arts Council, the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC), Grand Central Art Center (GCAC), Latino Health Access (LHA), the Office of Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, Second District, and the City of Santa Ana.