STORY
When I was a little kid, I was already creating new words.
For example, instead of using the English word "shoe" or the Spanish word "zapato," I combined the two words and called them" "shoe-patos." People were generally amused or had no clue what I was saying, a reaction throughout my life that has propelled me to grow into the person I am today: a cheerful proponent of fearless self-expression, a bridge between cultures, and an inner explorer.
The fusion of language and culture has been the greatest blessing in finding my purpose in life. I was born into it: I am the daughter of a hippie Mom from San Francisco, California, and my father is from Venice, Italy, but we lived in Caracas, Venezuela, where I call home. Having these three languages and three continents in my DNA, I have struggled at times with what legendary salsa singer Hector Lavoe coined as "cultural schizophrenia." And yet, since I don't quite belong anywhere, I have had the opportunity to develop an innate sense of empathy and open-mindedness towards others that has turned me into a passionate storyteller, especially for those whose voices are unheard.
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Telling my story repeatedly to all types of people helped my find my voice.
Depending on my audience, I had to come from different angles and find clever ways to be succinct, entertaining, and approachable. Otherwise, I would see people's eyes glaze over: "Mom from San Francisco… Venice…Caracas…right." Then there's the melting pot, NYC, where I've lived most of my adult life. A happy choice since I found my tribe of international misfits and half-breeds. And we polish each other, sharing our uniqueness with the world in creative ways.
Luis Agujeta and I in Seville in 1999
My constant search for identity set the stage for the projects that came into my life.
The first milestone was being granted a Fulbright scholarship to Spain for my project "Flamenco's Duende and Deep Song." Duende is the fiery spirit that drives flamenco…its soul. There is an unparalleled level of authenticity needed in flamenco to convey such a richness of emotion---it gives you goosebumps. I wanted to know if the personal stories told through the lyrics could trigger duende. And much of what gypsies in flamenco sing about is their fragmented place in the world---a theme that resonated deeply with my own search for identity. Duende became the underlying theme of my first documentary, I'm the Tourist, in which I followed gypsy singer Luis Agujeta, who lived in a modern-day caravan, to see if I could catch some sparks of duende along the way. I spent many sleepless nights observing him battle mano a mano with his duende throughout Andalusia. The poet Federico Garcia Lorca described getting into those states as "awakening the duende in the remotest mansions of the blood." This taught me to see wrestling with my inner duende as an opportunity to discover who I was. And it inspired me to tell stories using duende as a reference for a level of authenticity.
I wanted to create spaces where others could unapologetically express being “other.”
The HBO documentary series I produced, Habla, provided a safe place for Latinx people to talk. With over a decade of work, Habla contributed to a better understanding of the U.S. Latinx experience through dozens of testimonials with celebrities and real people. My job was to find thought-provoking stories about belonging to two different cultures simultaneously. Habla is serious and playful, much like Latinos who live and breathe the struggle of being uprooted but also know how to live the day-to-day with a festive spirit and joyful appreciation. I learned to identify this diverse population's accents and world views, taking whatever idioms and traditions I liked from each country and making them my own. This added new, delectable possibilities to my already multicultural existence.
Legendary journalist Jorge Ramos and I on set of HBO Latino Habla y Vota
I also attracted works furthering the self-realization and empowerment of Latina women.
Given the times, I was thrilled at the opportunity to tap into what inspires and motivates today's multifaceted Latina. The multiple and ongoing programs I directed and produced for Yahoo en español contributed to shaping the U.S. Latina identity in the media. I still remember the excitement at knowing that certain things had never been said for a first-generation Latina audience before. The language and pop culture sensibility I used to engage them had to ring true with a woman still straddling the thinking from back home while working hard to assimilate into a new country. The networks and brands knew the growing numbers and the vastness of reach. The juggling of different countries and accents was not lost on them, and they trusted that I could make those nuances come to life while finding a strong, singular voice that would speak to all Latinas through their shared experience. Perhaps the biggest challenge was that I had to conduct the business of creating branded entertainment ideas with the utmost professionalism in English or "brand speak" to then switch over to copy-level writing in Spanish that would hit home with Latina viewers. I had been preparing for that challenge my whole life, and hours of content later, I was now fluent in another language that would pave the way for my next venture.
Jackie Cruz and Diane Guerrero of Orange is the New Black fame on set for Vivala
Yearning to unleash my own female empowerment gave me a new direction.
Flamenco dancer Olga Pericet and I in Madrid
Spending so much brain power figuring out what made Latinas tick by scouring the internet daily and keeping up with women trends, in general, made me realize that there was yet another underserved audience: women like me who are thirty-five and older who want to move freely and explore what the world has to offer. I saw a need to tell stories for single women, moms, wanderlusters, spirit junkies, health-conscious yoga-pant-wearing women, and everyday women who were hungry for content that spoke intimately to their desire for well-being. In my own life, I was so consumed by my daily routine that I felt spiritually disconnected. I told my girlfriends that I would leave it all behind to become a Flamenca in Spain, that I was on a mission to get my duende back. And that's when my yogini friend confessed she constantly fantasized about dropping everything to pursue her bliss in India, another to ride horses in Texas at a ranch to roam free as a Cowgirl, and another friend to experience romance through tango in Argentina. It turns out that every country and culture has its own duende. So, the idea for the Going Solo documentary series hit me— I would explore what it means to be all these things by embodying each country's unique cultural expression. Putting myself in these different shoes (and on camera!) would add a new dimension to my understanding of how people genuinely express themselves by feeling their culture.
Being a cultural explorer has given me the knowledge to tackle anything that needs to be looked at from different angles in order to get to the heart of what really matters.
My journey is about identifying the missing links and connecting the dots to the many stories rustling beneath the surface, just waiting to be brought to light. Some are about innovative products and forward-thinking ideas; others are aspirational stories about people who exemplify their positive ways of living. I believe in chasing passionately after what's essential and grabbing it. I want to tell stories that display the kinds of cultural insights that influence people so that they can think and feel differently. Displaying cultural competence is key for our global future, and I can't wait to see how we can evolve into new ways of being that will have a long-lasting impact.
My latest film, A Way to Be Together, the story of Hispanics as part of a community's tapestry, living and growing out of the shadows in the town where I live, Lambertville, New Jersey, will be released in Fall 2025. Learn more about the documentary here.