Premieres Monday, July 1, 2024 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS App
POV reimagines a more collaborative cinema in “Hummingbirds,” an upbeat documentary feature that centers on the lived experiences of its protagonist directors, Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía "Beba" Contreras, who grew up in the shadow of the Texas borderlands. Offering an unexpected depiction of the U.S./Mexico border, this sparky and irreverent tale of friendship and resilience explores the crossroads of immigration, gender, sexuality, mental health, and class.
“Hummingbirds,” captured during the balmy summer nights of their fleeting youth in Laredo, Texas, best friends and directors Castaños and Contreras—the former from Laredo and the latter from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico—narrate their coming-of-age journey, transforming their border-town locale into a haven of creative expression and activist mischief. Through collaborative filmmaking, their cinematic self-portrait exalts the potency of friendship and joy as tools of survival and resistance.
Between drive-thrus, friends’ couches, and the borderlands, both friends confront the stresses of survival, the future, and the imperative of community building. For them, this means protest action for legal abortion and against border militarization, in a politically divided America. But the summer heat is also a time for poetry and dreams. Their laughter and creative expression cement a sense of solidarity and belonging in togetherness.
Castaños and Contreras, aged 18 and 21 when they embarked on the film, navigated their way through uncertainty as Contreras awaited her papers, daring to envision their future amidst the limbo. Stuck in an immigration process over which deportation hangs as a constant possibility, home still seems a fragile concept. Both director/protagonists invite viewers on a journey through their misadventures: trespassing, protesting, and even 'correcting' an anti-abortion sign. Between the thresholds of childhood and adulthood, the details of their lives unfold through poignant conversations: reminiscing about childhood deportations, recounting secretive trips to San Antonio for an abortion, and Contreras's recollection of crossing the border on her mother’s shoulders.
Following in the footsteps of “Las Marthas” (2014) by El Paso-native director Cristina Ibarra, which is also set in Laredo, “Hummingbirds” contributes to the Border New Wave of Mexican-American women and gender non-conforming filmmakers from Texas. This emerging wave contrasts the sensationalist headlines depicting border chaos and disruption with nuanced and sensitive portraits of the resilience of the region's people and the complexities of bi-cultural and bi-national communities along the Rio Grande (or Río Bravo, as it’s known south of the border).
At the core of the film lies a profound sense of deep love and acceptance; the close-knit group of friends supports one another while capturing candid moments of dancing and singing. They express a desire to memorialize every experience, even the hardships. Castaños and Contreras skillfully document these fleeting yet transformative moments, akin to the Hummingbird tattoo Beba creates for Silvia, symbolically covering their scars from self-harm/cutting.
Featuring animation by local Laredoan artist Yensey Murillo, and original music by director/protagonist Contreras, “Hummingbirds” is the result of what the filmmakers refer to as a “collaborative apprenticeship model of filmmaking.” The first-time filmmakers were mentored by industry professionals, including producer/editor/co-director Jillian Schlesinger and producer/cinematographer/co-director Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, co-producer Dawn Valadez, and editor/co-producer Isidore Bethel (known for his work on “What We Leave Behind”). In this dynamic, the exchange of learning was mutual within a young team that is predominantly Mexican-American, Texan, queer, women/non-binary, and Fronterizo.
Filmmaker Quotes:
Estefanía "Beba" Contreras, Protagonist-director said: "It means a lot to have this chance to tell our story in 'Hummingbirds,' to represent Laredo and border culture, and highlight the beauty of our community in a time capsule of our friendship. We are proud to be releasing the film in the U.S. with PBS POV so that it can be available and accessible to audiences for free.”
Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, protagonist-director said: “Making ‘Hummingbirds’ was really fun and we hope people have fun watching it. It is a dream to have our art on PBS. There are so many artists out there with stories to tell, ours is just one of an infinite number. We hope that many more will have the support and opportunities to share them with the world.”
Reviews:
“Politically fueled and summer-bright.”—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
“[A] joyous indie hybrid… A film of deep honesty that’s carefully crafted.”—Jason Gorber,Roger Ebert.com
“A vibrant, infectious and surprisingly hopeful portrait of a divided America, fuelled not by idealism but dogged determination.”—Nikki Baughan, Screen International
Watch On Your Schedule: “Hummingbirds” will be available for streaming concurrently with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
Credits: “Hummingbirds” is an Extra Terrestrial Films production, in association with Cowboy Bear Ninja and Field of Vision. The protagonist/directors are Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras. The co-directors are Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughin, Diane Ng and Ana Rodríguez-Falcó. The producers are Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Leslie Benavides, Ana Rodríguez-Falcó, Diane Ng, and Rivkah Beth Medow. The co-producers are Isidore Bethel and Dawn Valadez. The executive producers are Rivkah Beth Medow, Jen Rainin, Robina Riccitiello, Gill Holland, and Erika Dilday and Chris White for American Documentary. Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is a co-sponsor.
