“It’s the type of factor that I hope will make a distinction in the way in which that we’re seen and the way in which that individuals relate to us,” Carolina Saavedra tells POPSUGAR about her new present “Leguizamo Does America.” The six-part sequence premieres Sunday, Apr. 16, on MSNBC and follows actor, comic, and movie producer John Leguizamo as he travels throughout America and celebrates Latinx excellence.
“As a Latina on this nation, I believe all of us revere John Leguizamo and really feel as if he speaks — and has been talking — on our behalf and for us for thus lengthy,” Saavedra says. “And the concept of having the ability to work with him to have a good time our tales was a dream come true.”
Saavedra served as showrunner on the sequence, taking it from a four- or five-page pitch deck with Leguizamo to the wealthy docuseries about to air. As she tells it, Saavedra’s involvement started with a chilly name. An nameless good friend handed alongside her résumé to the appropriate particular person. She was excited, and upon getting the position, she obtained proper to work. As the showrunner, Saavedra took that deck and constructed out template scripts, deciding on the six cities to be featured.
Her subsequent activity was hiring and she or he made positive to gather a various staff who might every deliver their very own views to the present. After all, the Latinx group within the US is 60 million sturdy and spans individuals of all races, genders, ages, generations, sexualities, and many others.
“I’m an individual who in my each day life, I champion range and I champion publicity to all types of colleges of ideas and cultures,” she shares. “Specifically, I wished to ensure to rent girls and ladies from completely different cultures of our Latin expertise. And then after we had been speaking about who we might characteristic, we completely [were] ensuring that the individuals featured had been numerous from completely different communities. I wished to be sure that the Afro-Latino story was advised.”
Saavedra shares that certainly one of her major standards for hiring individuals for the present was ensuring that everybody was capable of deliver their very own perspective.
“Everyone introduced their information and their curiosities and their loves into the present . . . This has been, by far essentially the most particular expertise in manufacturing that I’ve ever had,” she says.
The result’s a fancy present that spans Leguizamo’s historical past and affinities (for old-school New York hip hop for instance) whereas reaching for a bigger definition of Latinidad. Fans of los angeles cultura, will acknowledge acquainted faces like Aida Rodriguez whereas additionally studying about new people, whether or not they’re cooks, activists, or vogue designers.
For her half, Saavedra is a Chilean-American who escaped the nation’s dictatorship together with her household.
“My existence on this nation has all the time been one the place I’ve been very conscious of how overseas coverage impacts all Latin international locations, particularly, US overseas coverage,” she says. Saavedra additionally shared how she’s an avid reader of historical past and sociology.
“All of that information, the entire years that I spent studying concerning the varied revolutions all through our historical past — I used to be capable of deliver that historic standpoint and context to our present,” she says.
One of Saavedra’s missions has been to to interrupt down the myths about what it’s to be Latinx within the US at this time whereas additionally asking deeper questions: “It’s not simply Mexican individuals, right here, working the fields [but] what is the story behind that? What is the actual story behind that? Why do immigrants come right here? Why do individuals from El Salvador find yourself right here, or why do individuals from Cuba find yourself right here? I all the time wished to use context to all the pieces that we did and each story that we advised,” she shares.
With these questions ruminating in her writers’ room, Saavedra collaboratively put collectively scripts for “Leguizamo Does America’s” six episodes, however she did not cease there. As is true of all reveals however maybe notably documentaries, what occurs on set — the surprises, the true landings, the glad accidents — can inform the ultimate product. So, Saavedra went out into the sector together with her crew. She wished to ensure the footage “coated themes of what it means to be a Latino on this nation — the trials, tribulations, the context of historical past, all of that.”
After her six-city tour, she led the post-production — in spite of everything, enhancing is the ultimate alternative to form a challenge.
“I be sure that thematically and when it comes to the format, when it comes to the pacing, after we’re enhancing, all of that’s matching and talking in a single voice,” she shares of her position in that final stage.”
Having completed supervising all of the issues, she’s begun selling the sequence, first at South by Southwest and now to a wider viewers. Saavedra hopes the present is transformational — for Latinx and non-Latinx individuals alike.
“If the non-Latino group can stroll away from this seeing us and seeing our humanity, that will be so cool,” she says. “I would like this to humanize us, to place faces to our expertise.”
Saavedra shares that Leguizamo himself talks so much throught the sequence about specificity being the factor that bonds us all. When tales are hyper-specific, they change into common.
Yes, we’re completely different. We have completely different cultures, music, meals, and many others. But essentially, at our core, we’re all simply individuals attempting to make it via and to contribute to the world.”
“Yes, we’re completely different. We have completely different cultures, music, meals, and many others. But essentially, at our core, we’re all simply individuals attempting to make it via and to contribute to the world,” she provides. So by revealing what it’s to be Latinx in New York for instance, “Leguizamo Does America” makes use of the small print of that have to point out our bigger, shared humanity.
Of course, Latinxs usually do not must be reminded that we’re human and that is not the extent of Saavedra’s ambition.
“I would like the Latin group to come back out of this understanding their self-worth, understanding the contributions that we have made to this nation, and the way with out us, this nation would not be what it’s politically, economically, and/or culturally,” she says. “Unfortunately, as it’s with the Black group on this nation, it has been ingrained in us that we’re lower than, and that we settle for lower than, regardless of how proud we’re after we are in areas that aren’t our personal. We do are inclined to take take the backseat as a result of it is simply been what we have all the time executed.”
With Saavedra on the helm, “Leguizamo Does America” is working to vary that. It’s educating Latinxs to anticipate and demand respect by telling the wealthy story of our US-based communities. It’s demanding that its viewers, no matter ethnicity, see Latinx individuals as artistic, flawed, sturdy, and insightful but in addition able to take up the area that’s ours.