S1: You are listening to Port of Entry. If you tuned in to our last episode , we spoke to three young and rising female filmmakers from the borderlands whose work debuted in the Cannes Film Festival last year and touched on the challenges about being a woman filmmaker in this region of the world.
S2: Today's episode is in that vein.
S3: On the panel.
S2: That is Paulina Castro , known artistically as Paulina Kazmir , a 17 time Emmy Award winning TV producer and creative director from Tijuana.
S1: An old friend and mentor of our producer Julio.
S2: Julio Sensei. In a sense.
S1: Julio and Alan met with her that day , and Julio couldn't help but to put Alan on the spot because Alan made a rare stage appearance for that morning's field taping.
S2: Hey , man , I need my beauty sleep. Just kidding. You guys know I work in the mornings long workday , and you lucked out that I started my day at one in San Diego that day.
S4: Porque aqui. Alum. Paulina. Rosas.
S2: After introducing myself to Paulina. And vice versa , Paulina escorted us into her mother's home where she was visiting.
S1: Paulina Works and lives in Denver , where she leads the creative department of a Spanish language TV station. Her professional career has primarily revolved around the Newsbeat.
S5: Most important and most important , Las encuentra aqui en noticias Telemundo , Corona.
S6: Es for Bolero , oh no es for Bolero , El Chapo live in Colorado for Bolero.
S2: And she's also a seasoned documentary filmmaker currently looking to break into the fiction market.
S4: Of Encontrar , a Christian de Jesus Lopez. De la venta.
S7: Del Rio Tijuana y tiene un atras muy importante también por el.
S2: Her perspective on filmmaking has brought a unique lens into news production , and it's paid off. She's won 17 Emmys in the news production field.
S8: And the Emmy goes to photographer. News. Armadillos. Busqueda part uno Paulina Castro , KB. Ante la casa. Whaley , Paulina Castro , K BND , Brownback Coalition , Paulina Castro.
S9: Univision , San Diego Paulina Castro , KB.
S10: N't that I'm not giving you grandkids , but I'm giving you Emmys.
S1:
S2: Her 17 Emmy Awards are a testament to that.
S1: She was in town visiting friends and family , and we couldn't let the opportunity pass to sit down and talk to one of the region's most decorated TV producers.
S2: In today's episode , we sit down with Paulina as she reflects on 20 years of producing TV and documentaries. We talk about making it as a woman in borderland in this competitive field , as well as the challenges of covering border stories.
S1: And creating a category for border issues in the Emmys.
S2: If this is your first time tuning in , we're speaking with shapers and visionaries of the borderlands.
S1: You are listening to From Teresa's Behind the Camera. Stay tuned.
S2: From KPBS. This is Port of Entry.
S1: Where we tell cross-border stories that connect us.
S2: I'm Alan Lilienthal.
S1: And I'm Natalia Gonzalez. You are listening to Port of Entry.
S2: As we enter entered Paulina's mother's house , the place where Paulina grew up , we were welcomed by a stunning view from its location in the hills of the Gavilan community , overlooking the city of Tijuana.
S1: Her mother greeted Julio at the entrance.
S4: Senora ? Como esta.
S11: Es asi ? Como qué no. Pero pero. Si.
S4: Si.
S1: The interior of the house had warm blue gray colors , typical of a modern household , with a beautiful living room and dining area adorned by perfectly framed art posters.
S2: These artworks were complemented by vibrant depictions of Mexican culture , including colorful alebrijes , among other Mexican art pieces , adding a touch of traditional Mexican charm.
S10: But there was.
S4: No monkeys.
S2: Paulina surprised Julio with a picture from a newspaper page from their early college days. Julio was featured as one of 20 students who received a college wide recognition. He was sporting the distinguished Kelso Bob.
S12: That's all.
S11: I know.
S12: Oh , yeah. Yeah yeah yeah.
S1: I see. Student of distinction.
S13: What can I say ? I was a student of difference.
S14: Not much to show for it these days.
S1: And anyway , Paulina pulled out some old memorabilia , like flyers from some of her screenings , along with old newspaper cutouts of reviews of her documentaries. One of them was for a project where she documented the lives of circus artists.
S15: Documental de Como viva artistas en el circo y buscando cosas de encontrar esto quiera entrevista.
S2: Another piece of memorabilia was of a documentary that Paulina and Julio put together for a 100 hour rally competition around 12 years ago.
S15: Este es la del documental qui se Entonces esto fueron documental hicimos Encino horas. Julio y yo y Como cancion horas Y ahora.
S4: Menos dias.
S2: Paulina shared that for the competition , each team was tasked with recording in the field and then post producing from a dingy motel room where the rally staff was supervising to make sure they weren't getting any outside help. This all had to be done under 100 hours.
S13: We actually took first place and the competition was fierce. That's the project that made me fall in love with storytelling.
S1: And the project that tested Paulina's patience.
S2: Paulina understands. Us.
S12: Us.
S15: Esta en la parte de yo. No.
S12: It's a it's a trait. Mhm.
S2: Mhm. Our attention was then drawn to a little Emmy statute over a piano surrounded by family pictures. We.
S12: We. Economica.
S15: Economica. Aqui esta de. Estado de la primera ceremonial. No to la.
S2: She handed us a picture of her holding her very first Emmy statue along with the statue.
S1: Alang held up the statue , savoring the glory of winning vicariously via Paulina's merit.
S2: Hey , a man can dream.
S15: Univision UN promo de noticias.
S16: Este es el. No.
S15: No. Porque papa bueno cuando antes me Colorado.
S2: Paulina has been nominated 35 times and won 17 of those nominations. She's virtually batting 500.
S1: Paulina mentioned she gifted one statue to her mother and another one to her dad before moving to Colorado.
S2: That one at her mother's house. Red Pacific Southwest chapter of Emmys outstanding news promo. She won it for a promo campaign she put together when she was working for a local Spanish speaking TV station in San Diego. Colorado.
S15: Colorado. See also. Voy a la me voy. No.
S12: No. I am not for that.
S1: Curiously enough , she was scheduled to fly back to her home in Denver.
S2: The day after we interviewed.
S1: Her to make the 2025 Emmy ceremony for the Pacific Mountain Chapter.
S2: The Emmy region she now belongs to. As Paulina was entertaining us. Paulina's mother was behind the kitchen counter preparing a delightful Mexican breakfast spread , which silently thrilled our producer , Julio , though he tried to maintain his composure.
S1: As you may expect , he loved his warm reception.
S13: Sure did.
S1:
S13: I mean , her mom got some of that chicharron pork belly. She going viral ? You know , the one that looks like a baby arm that people sticking to a cup of guacamole.
S1:
S13: Some of that chardonnay , paleta salad , refried recoletos , and some fresh tortillas , all with three different types of salsas green matcha and habanero. Yes.
S1: Yes.
S13:
S2: So after a bit of coffee , we jumped right into the interview. Hey , welcome.
S17: To Port of Entry. Welcome to the show , Paulina.
S18: Thank you for having me. Good morning.
S2: Good morning. Coffee's great.
S14: Vibes are good. Vibes are high. July looks good.
S18: Cloudy day in Tijuana.
S2: Tijuana ? Okay.
S14: You ready to start ? Yeah.
S18: Cool.
S14: Cool.
S18: Let's do it.
S14: Well , tell us a little bit about your upbringing.
S18: Raised in Tijuana. Uh , we are in the neighbor neighborhood where I grew up. And I went to the community college in Chula Vista. So I was crossing the border every day to go to school. And then eventually I transferred to UC Santa Cruz. But the border has been part of my life. And. Yeah.
S14: So you've been crossing the border since you were pretty much born ? Since.
S18: Yeah , since I was born. And every day when I went to college or community college , and it's been part of even like after when I was working , that was one of the reasons why I decided to move , because crossing the border for me was like a lot after the pandemic. After.
S14: After.
S18: It was a lot.
S14: So yeah , yeah , yeah , it can be. It can be very draining sometimes. Yeah.
S18: Yeah. You know how hard it is to live in San Diego if you don't have like the best income. So Tijuana is always the first option. Mhm.
S14: Do you have any early memories of crossing the border that stick out.
S18: Yeah I remember trying to be a rebel and fighting the border patrols all the time , not wanting to put my , you know , my school bag in the machines they had. And if they were mean to someone I would be like defending them because I was like , yeah , I'm a U.S. citizen.
S14:
S18: That's what I thought. Of course they will be pissed at me and be like , go to secondary inspection , you know ? And I'm like , whatever. So , yeah. And even later when I had the sentry , if they were rude , I would be like , no , I don't think you're right. And he's like , I'm gonna send you to secondary inspection.
S14:
S18: Now that I'm working in a bigger corporation , I feel like it's really hard for me because in my nature is fighting against things that I don't think are fair.
S14:
S18: But I still I have them like I don't I never threw them in the trash. Mhm.
S14: So so when you were 17 is when you properly started making. Yeah.
S18: Yeah.
S14: That's when we went together.
S18: It was more formal. It was , it was after reading uh the doors biography and knowing that Jim Morrison went to film school at UCLA and that I thought , like , wow , I've been having this camera for so long , and I love making short videos because we didn't have a phone like we didn't have that. It was like authentic. Like I really liked that. And I thought like , well , maybe I can go to school for that. So that's how it started.
S14:
S18: Like the roads were full of holes. So the idea of the short film was like going with , I had a Range Rover that I was from like 1982 , and we will go like really fast on top of like the holes making points across the city. So it was just like a I don't know how you say it , but like a way to complain about how the government was like doing everything in in that subject of like roads and stuff.
S14: So , so because of your rebellion , do you think all your movies are a tool to call things out or to improve the things around you ? You said you have a very rebellious nature to to make things better around you.
S18: I feel like a later I started shifting a little bit and it was more about like the lack of a relationship or love and and my focus shift a little. But I have done a lot of , uh , like NAD packages for the newscasts , and if I can show something that is not like Fair , or then I will focus on like a social or community issue. But in my personal work it shifted a little bit. Yeah.
S14: How would you describe your your way of making documentaries ? What makes them ? Paulina.
S18: So I write a lot of poetry , and then I. And then I make videos about the poetry that I write. Um , and that's that has a lot to do with the , my main influences , which are Agnes Varda , Jonas Mekas , Chris Marker that were more experimental with the documentary stuff. And I feel like the way I produce is similar to that. Like , I really , really , um , admire them.
S14: It's more poetic. How does it sounds like the way your way of making documentaries is more poetic than than journalistic. Yeah.
S18: Yeah. Aha. Exactly. And I feel like it's a balance because when I work for the news , if I do because it's not my , like my job where I work at , it's not making I don't make news content. But sometimes I do. And when I do , it's very different from my personal work , which is like more poetic documentary , video , essay style. And and by poetic , I mean I , I'm it's like writing something and then having images that will go with the voiceover. And sometimes I have people that translate those voiceovers to like a different language , to like German or Italian. And then I have a video that has like three different languages.
S14: So it sounds like it's like because a lot of documentaries are you a picture ? You're trying to convey information about reality ? It sounds like yours are more emotional. Yeah.
S18: Yeah. Yeah. And I feel like it's a little bit more open so that you can watch it and feel whatever you want to feel. Cool.
S14: Cool.
S17: How did you.
S14:
S18: Like , my whole life , I've been wanting to have a job in LA , but for now , it was like that was my first option. So I wanted to have a paycheck. And that meant having a job in television , right ? So I started in Univision working as a creative producer , and then I moved to Telemundo , NBC , which is a duopoly doing the same. And and then I started getting more involved with the news department. So for me , that was really cool because I really I really loved documentary production and that was very similar. Like I'm working for television , but I'm doing something that I'm actually interested in.
S14:
S18: So it would be like , hey Pauline , if you want to do this project , okay ? But I feel like , you know , even if you if you have the camera and you edit , you can transform it a little bit. So yeah , I feel like at the end they look more like documentaries than journalistic pieces for a television station.
S14:
S18: Like I've been applying what I know and what I think it's good to. TV production.
S14: Just adding some more.
S18: Like cinema to them. Yeah , yeah.
S14: Just dry.
S18: And even now that I have better equipment in Colorado in terms of camera and lights , lighting equipment , everything looks more cinematic. And that's what I like , that we are starting to be different from the other television stations , because the quality is just so different and.
S14: Because you're bringing more art.
S18: Yeah , it's the way you frame things , how you tell the story , even if it's a news promo that is 30s , it has. So it can be really well shot like. And I feel like sometimes people that work in television for a long time are just used to doing things really fast , and I take care of every detail , even to my creative producers. I tell them like , this is the bootcamp of creativity. Like , we're not doing television , we're doing production that has high quality because I'm interested that our Hispanic viewers have quality in there , you know , and the things that they watch in our channel. Mhm.
S14: How is that transition been. Because Tijuana has is a very dynamic place. There's always there's a lot of drama here. Colorado seems like it's a lot more.
S18: Stable drama because of the water. Yeah.
S14: Yeah. I mean yes , but yeah. And just like Taiwan in general is like a , like a , like a , like a magnet for conflict in many ways. Mhm. There's just a lot of , there's a lot of drama here. Yeah.
S18: Yeah. Colorado.
S14: Colorado. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like it's a lot more quiet.
S18: We have a lot of people living there from Chihuahua. And but like , you know , like finding your roots in a , in a midwest state , it's really hard sometimes. So like when I find Hispanics that are , you know , doing things that they are passionate about or that they are , I don't know , going through any kind of struggle. Like sometimes just the thing of being an immigrant , I think the struggle is different and the stories change. But they are. They are still meaningful. And there can be drama , right ? But like , I feel like nowadays with the actual law or the current political situation , I feel like more than making people afraid is like giving them tools or giving them hope through the stuff that we cover and , and information. Right. So that's our main focus.
S14: That's great. That sounds like you're the perfect person for the job. I mean , there's no there's enough people adding fear to the world through the media.
S18: I know.
S14: I wish more people thought like that.
S19: Have you had that situation ? That means you're like , you know that just. We're spinning it the wrong way. It just sounds like we're trying to make people afraid. Have you pushed back ? He said no. No.
S18: No. Well , the news director , I have a really good relationship with her , and they get a lot of , um , feedback on how they should produce. But we support each other , and even when we make a promo , it's for people to tune in and know what they can learn from their immigration status or whatever they need. So it's just like a constant , open conversation with our team. It's not that I decide something. It's like we have this idea and we pursue it and we work together to achieve it. Great. And that's why we are successful because we work as a team. Like I am the news department. They are the creative department. It's like we are like tangled. Yeah. Intertwined.
S14: Intertwined. Intertwined.
S18: Intertwined.
S14: I'm going to shift a little bit. You're , uh , you are a 35 time , I mean , Emmy nominee and 17 time winner. Yeah. How does that feel to hear that ? That's a lot of. That's a big. That's some big numbers.
S18: It feels crazy because it just time flew. And I don't know how everything happened so quickly. Mhm. I just I'm just very passionate about what I do and when you work like that. And I learned that when we were doing a short documentary about the the this really famous ice cream maker in Otay Mesa , and he said , you have to do your job like you're playing and then you're not going. You're not going to feel like you're working. And I never forget I never forgot , forgot that , um , so I always work and I always feel that I'm playing. Obviously , sometimes I feel stressed and sometimes I don't want to go to work or whatever like everyone else. But I feel passionate in general. So when I win , the the awards is just like , hey , thank you. It's like a validation.
S14: I'm playing really good. Yeah.
S18: Yeah.
S14:
S18: Just because that was the hardest. Um , Because the first time I tried , I didn't get it and I tried like twice and. But the , the most important has been , to be honest , one about the story about the armadillos , busqueda y rescate , which is like a group that rescue people in the border of of Tijuana , California. All of that , you know.
S14: What do you mean ? They rescue.
S18: Them ? They rescue them like their family members will , um , call and say like , hey , this is the last time this person called. He was here. This. He's wearing this , you know , kind of whatever clothes. And then this group will go and organize and go and look for the missing people in the desert.
S14: So people that have that tried to cross the border. Exactly. See , they haven't heard from them like , aha. Did you get to the US ? Yeah. Okay. Exactly.
S18: Exactly. So that was but I did propose one category which is called Port Watch , which was called border issues. And so because I was part of the board for a couple of years and I won an award in that category , which was meaningful because I was like , oh , I proposed this for everyone , for all my colleagues. And then I won , and now it doesn't exist anymore , but which I think it should. But I don't.
S14: Know the perfect time.
S18: For it. I know I don't make the rules. Okay.
S19: Okay.
S14: I want to hear more about the process of armadillos because it's something like armadillos. It's definitely not shooting in a studio. You really have to put yourself.
S18: Yeah , yeah.
S14: In , in the , in the , you know , in potential real danger.
S18: Um , so we walked for like 11 hours in the desert , and it's , uh , it was just life changing , to be honest. And then I decided to take my car , and I had the sentry in that car , and I saw the Border Patrol because I got there. It was like it was in Kakuma , which is like not far away from Takata. Right. And I got there first , and then I saw the Border Patrol , basically like going in where I was and like looping did they didn't say anything and left and I was like , ah , this was really uncomfortable. But I don't know , like I'm not doing anything that I shouldn't. And of course , like two days after shooting the first , the first , uh , package , my sentry got revoked and I had to , like , cross the border again , like when I was in college by feet , taking the trolley. Grabbing my car. Going to work for , like , five months. And I was , like , fighting them. Like , come on. Like I was doing this. I had the letter from the news director. The reason the package , like the , you know , the project , like I was working and I understand that I looked suspicious , right ? Like a mini Cooper in the middle of nowhere with sentry.
S14:
S18: It was very immediate. Two days after being there , I didn't have a sentry anymore for like five months. And then eventually they gave it back.
S14: They didn't give it back.
S18: Yeah , because I had all the reasons that I was working and I understand that , you know , they then maybe. Oh , so that they don't have to give it back , but like they did.
S14: So that's that's the good thing. We can we can talk all the shit we want. But it's good that they gave it back. Yeah I know , I know. Okay. You were doing it. You did it. But you had to put up a good fight.
S18: Yeah , I also had all the documentation and the video and so but it was interesting , interesting even that process. And I always felt that it was totally worth it. It was totally worth it because I feel I feel like living in the border and not really knowing how people are trying to , you know , to have a better life by crossing it and living in the States and then being there for like a couple of hours and then being able to go back home and take a shower and water and eat. I was like , wait , what's that ? This humbles you ? Now every time I cross the border by car , I know , I know that , you know , it's really hard and and the privilege that it is to be inside a car with AC , with your music , complaining about how long the line is. Come on.
S14: Yeah , I think about that a lot. Yeah.
S18: Yeah.
S14: You're not wanting to complain and like , but you realize like , well , I can actually cross and as soon as I cross , I can go , I can go get a burrito , I can go get a Coke. Totally.
S18: Totally.
S14: You know , it's like , it's fine. It's not that big of a deal. Haha. Just a little time.
S18: Yeah , for sure.
S14: We're about to listen to a clip from Armadillos Busca.
S20: Nosotros Como grupos.
S13: If we don't come as.
S20: A group.
S13: The deaths occurring in the desert will continue to go overlooked and unpunished , which is truly disheartening. We have left our entire lives in our home countries. We leave it all behind. Only to meet the same fate as a brother is heartbreaking. Nosotros.
S20: Nosotros.
S13: Today we visited the place where he lost his life.
S20: On a cruise.
S13: To leave a cross and offer our prayers. This is the harsh. Truth.
S20: Truth.
S13: The somber reality that young people are risking their lives in pursuit of the so-called American Dream , which for. Me.
S20: Me.
S13: Is not a dream at all.
S2: That was a.
S14: Clip from armadillos. Can you tell me a few more stories about the process of armadillos and some of the people you met during that process ? Mhm.
S18: So this group of men and women were very , um , courageous because they were doing this like without any sort of money or pay or anything. They were just like really wanting to look. They went , they wanted to look for the people in the desert. But um , I don't know. I just I think it was a lesson of unity and working in , in as a team and also achieving things like , for example , they didn't find a body when we went to the desert for the first time , but the second time they went and I couldn't go. They found this young men. He was dead. And then the third time I went with them and he was like , we just want to go there again to make sure that his body is not there anymore. And making sure of that was walking like 12 hours steep in the desert. Um , and it was like 120 degrees. It was like really hard just to make sure and to put across. So you like , like I was able to see how serious they were about just , um , helping the families feel better about losing their , you know , their loved ones , like , hey , and and and it's crazy because two , two things that I learned from that experience was that , um , was that the only smell that you find in the desert is just the smell of death , which is that animals or that , uh , people and this , this group of , of persons were able to , like , Use your nose to follow where the bodies wear. So it's just very extreme and everything is trying to attack you like the plants. The animals is like nothing very soft , you know. So that was like it was a nice it was a good experience. And and it was. Yeah. To learn about contrast and of the environment. Like we live so close to the beach and , and then this extreme reality just two hours inland. Mhm. Yeah. And the same with other stories like here in Tijuana with the pollution of the river. Um , that the , the , the people that live in the river live a very different story from all of us who are just here in the city. And the other day we were walking and.
S14: We , we all share the same air in the same. Totally.
S18: Totally. But it's a totally different life. And like , then you see how the hospital is so close and it's so far away from them , you know , because they cannot go and access health care. And so those kind of contrasts that are like key of the border of the border , you know. Okay.
S14: It sounds like the armadillos process really , uh , just tested you as a , as a , as a filmmaker. As an artist. Mhm. Yeah.
S18: Yeah. Plus I was , I was going through like a very challenging a era in my life. So I felt that I wanted to be part of like something that was , you know , when you are not feeling super well with your life , but then you experience these kind of stories and you're like , wait , you know , like this is this is harder than what I'm going through. And I don't know , it gives you perspective. So I feel that if we're artist , it's nice to have those perspectives and then center yourself again and star in , you know , in a way.
S14: So , so that that process really helped. You.
S18: You. Yeah , I think.
S14: The actual documentary just refocused you and your life and.
S18: I think so , yes.
S14: I think one of my favorite parts of your resume is you created a whole new category for the Emmys called Border Stories. How how border borders. That's what it was called. Border issues.
S18: Border issues. It was weird , isn't it ? Yeah. I think.
S14: You created a category around.
S19: In order.
S14: To order. Related Stories.
S18: So the Emmys that we get here in California are the Pacific Southwest. And then you get the Primetime Emmys , which is like bigger markets , like , you know , like nationwide stuff. But so the first thing I had to do was be a board of governor. And I decided to do that because I didn't feel represented by the board. And this happens even in Colorado , right. Like it's mostly Caucasian instead of Hispanics trying to. Mhm. Um , so that was the first thing. And when I was there I was thinking like , well , a lot of my peers are creating stories about the border that have have nothing to do with political issues or government stuff. It's just like very specific. And I saw that Texas had like Texas heritage or something like that. And I was like , how is this possible that we don't have something specific for the border if they are having.
S14: Texas has heritage.
S18: So why can we have border issues ? Right. Separate. Because it's very it's a niche. And so um , I proposed that for a couple of months , and it was a process of like five months because I was not like the executive board , part of the executive , where I was just part of the board , but they were able to present it to the to like a higher level of people that are more in charge of the national Emmys , and they make all of these smaller decisions like , oh , okay , we can do that , or no , we cannot do that. So it was approved. And that's how we include that in the as part of the categories for the Emmys in the Pacific Southwest chapter. But , um , I asked and like a year or two years ago , they removed it , which I think it was not the best idea because not because I proposed it , but because I honestly believe that we need that category here.
S14:
S18: Sometimes it happens when not a lot of people are submitting , and if there are not enough stories , it's just like a waste of money in a way. So they they think , well , we're going to remove this and they can go back to politics or government issues or whatever. So I think that's what happened. Mhm.
S14: Are you gonna fight to get it back.
S18: No I don't think so because I'm not here anymore. But uh , we can ask people to fight for it. Cool.
S14: Cool.
S18:
S14:
S18: So Avenida Bougainvillea was my first , uh , documentary. It was a 60 minute documentary. So barely a long , a long one. Uh , but , yeah , it wasn't. It was like a very personal process. And it took a couple of years , maybe like two years to get made because I was experimenting with , like , the letters and the voiceovers and the poetic visual stuff that I spoke before. And then I decided to interview my grandma and her sister , and it took like a , like a more complete It form , and I created the documentary , like mixing the interviews with the letters. But yeah , I don't , I don't know. I think it's , it's it's nice to watch it , but it's not easy because it's very I don't know , it's.
S21: Like a internal.
S18: Journey of love and destruction and depression. Does.
S14: Does. Is it hard to go back and watch it for you or is it.
S18: Not for me ? Maybe because if it if it's hard , it's because I'm too critical , maybe of the things that I could have done better.
S14:
S18: And it has been the only one because I shifted so much and I've been doing like smaller pieces , like video poems and stuff like that. Mhm. But for me it doesn't , it doesn't have to be long to be meaningful. Like I feel like things that are short are meaningful too.
S14: So I'm short. Ah.
S18: Ah.
S14: You're not I'm not tall. But , um. Um. But I'm. Meaningful.
S19: Meaningful. Yeah.
S18: Yeah.
S14: Now we're going to listen to a clip from Avenida Bougainvillea.
S1: Creo en el amor. I believe in love , but I have lost a bit of hope. They say it's the last thing to die. I don't know. These days I have also found myself alone , enjoying my own company. Singing to myself , touching myself , liking myself. And then I think to myself , someone is going to be very lucky. The day he finds me , the day he finds me in the middle of this journey. Sitting in a cantina. Breathing in the air at the beach while having a coffee. Reading a book in a park or at a party in a museum , or spending the afternoon by the sea.
S14: That was a clip from Paulina's first film , Avenida Bougainvillea. What inspired you ? How did that come together to be your first documentary ? I'm sure it was.
S18: Um , so I created the , the the the visuals for the letters first and I had like , which in the documentary are chapters. So the documentary is like a book. It has an epilogue. How do you say that in English ? Epilogue , epilogue chapters and a prologue. And so every chapter is a letter. And in the middle of those chapters , I have the interviews with my grandma and her sister , which were the ones that my grandma was sending the letter. Okay. So my grandma got divorced in the 50s.
S14: Your grandma ? Yeah. I just thought it was. There was some random lady. No.
S18: No. So my grandma got.
S14: To say that before. Yeah.
S18: Yeah. You're right. Now , she got divorced in the 50s , and she decided to travel to Europe after that because , you know , it was it wasn't very usual that that happened in that time. So when she was there , going through all these emotions , depression and process like , you know , internal processes. She started writing letters to her sister in Tecate. So the documentary is about a selection of ten letters. And in the middle of those , or of a voiceover reading the letters and showing visuals that go with that is the interviews of them telling how was that moment in time for them as sisters like to live , you know , the separation and missing one sister and being sad that she was going through , you know , all of that and stuff like that. So it's kind of personal. I feel like people can relate because we go through that , like we all go through heartache at some point in our lives. But yeah , it's just it's just like a long , deep.
S14:
S18: Mei Mei , her sister did.
S14: The one that was receiving the letter ? Yeah.
S18:
S14:
S18: I just I had a really good connection with my grandma , and she passed away , and I literally force her to be on camera. Like I didn't ask permission. I was like , I'm gonna put the camera here while you're drinking or coffee. And I was just shooting and and every.
S14: Time I had no idea what was going.
S18: On , she knew that I was shooting because I told her , but she didn't know that I was gonna use that for , like , some , like , you know , people to look , you know , and now that it lives in YouTube or Vimeo or whatever. So , you know , people used to be more private. So I feel like that would would have been maybe too much for her. I think she would have accepted the project at the end , but she never watched it.
S14: She probably never expected her very private letters to her sisters to be to her sister. To be. True.
S18: True. Public.
S14: Public.
S18: Yeah , but it helps. It helps the generations to come.
S14: Did you have to ask anyone like her permission or your mom or anyone for.
S18: I never asked permission. I never asked for permission. Yes. Siempre is like now that I'm in Colorado. So we have red rocks there , and we were doing a promo and I just I knew that I needed permission , but I , I , I thought that it was going to be complicated and I just went and I shot and then they , you know , people got there like , what are you doing ? And they gave me permission there. So I'm like , oh , I'm sorry. Next time. Viva.
S14: Viva.
S18: Mexico will see. Wait.
S14: Can you talk to us a little bit about the scene spoiler podcast.
S18: Since spoiler is a project that I have on the side just because I'm a film fanatic , and I spent like 80% of my times at the movies in Colorado , so I thought that it would. It would be a good idea to just have like. A.
S21: A.
S18: Space for my reviews in Spanish about these weird movies that I was watching that I liked. So yeah , I.
S14: It's you by yourself talking about the movie.
S18: It's like , yeah , it's like really short. I try to keep it like under five minutes , six minutes at the most so that people can. And it's in spoilers , like no spoilers , so that people can listen to it and like , okay , I want to watch it or I don't think I'll watch it.
S14:
S18:
S14: So that's the thing because it's like post awards season or whatever.
S18: Yeah , exactly. Exactly. From like February to August. It's trash mostly. So. And it's sad because , you know , I would say we see everything that goes on in Khan , and then we have to wait months and months to get those movies in the movie theater. So at the moment , I'm taking a pause because I don't have enough movies , too. Yeah. But I , I , I started doing that just to keep myself sane , to be honest , because I just want to do films and be in the film world. And television is just so different , which I enjoy , but it's just a different world.
S14: Have you thought about going to into fiction filmmaking ? Not documentary.
S18: See , and that has been like a , like a how do you say like when something is tormenting you , it's tormenting me because I'm like , okay , I should write a script. But at the same time it's just hard. Like , I don't see it. So what I started doing right now is just writing a short , a story , a and I started this like two , two weeks ago because I had everything in my head. I'm just like , I'm just gonna start writing Wei and then if I finish , I can make that into a script and then I see what I do. But I feel like step by step , because if I just think about a , you know , a script for a feature film way , it feels like a lot.
S14: Yeah , yeah , yeah.
S18: Like I. Don't.
S14: Don't.
S18: See it's.
S14: Just like momentum. Though.
S18: Though. Yeah , yeah , yeah. So I prefer to write five good pieces of paper then , like trying to write something that is just chaotic in my , in my brain at least. Mhm.
S14: What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned in storytelling or filmmaking throughout the last almost 20 years now that you've been making films ? Hmm.
S18: I feel like you definitely have to feel connected to what you're doing. Otherwise it loses the meaning. And I don't know if I have I don't think I have a specific answer for that. I feel like throughout the years I've been perfecting my the way I do things and I , I , I'm better at. At like the production part of it. And for me , it comes very naturally , like just talking to people and finding stories like , I can talk to anyone and , and find a story in that person. And I feel like that's what I do now. Like it's just very intuitive. And maybe , maybe that's what what has happened through through the years that because I've , I've learned how to listen. Now I find stories quickly and it's very easy for me to find the value. And if I can do it , I let let's say right now we are going to start working on Hispanic heritage , uh , news packages and promotions and stuff like that. And I already found a kid that plays a saxophone from Venezuela in this restaurant , and he's like 13. Yeah. So like that. I feel like it's not that I have like a comedy , like UN Consejo.
S14: No , I was. I mean , that was my next question , which was the lessons you've learned for yourself.
S18: The only advice I always give is like , start with whatever you have. You don't need the iPad or this exact this great camera or whatever. Just do it in any way that you can. Because starting. I know it sounds like a cliche , but it is. It's true. And like I was saying before , like if it's if it feels overwhelming , then reduce it and start with like one piece of paper. Don't try to write 20 like it's better to start and make it better later than just keep , keep , keep it in your in your head , you know. So that will be the first thing. And like the only thing , if you really want to do it , do it with whatever you have.
S14: Yeah , I think that that applies to any art form. I so many times I've been slowed down by the overwhelming , it's just like , yeah , just start just one little thing.
S18: Just one thing. Just one minute. If you want to do a podcast , do one minute where you have you.
S14: This is another question , but something that I think about , the more that I'm like in the world of storytelling is how like the stories we tell , even to ourselves , like , shape reality. So how do you think about that ? Like has has been involved in storytelling change the way that you relate to your own life ? Yeah.
S18: And I feel like I see my life through a different lens , and it's a lens that it keeps evolving because you're aware of what you're going through. You do not live in automatic , or you're aware of the people you meet , of the stories you find , of how even like the bird that just flew by is He's like , oh , that looks nice. Maybe. And then you start thinking more. Maybe this will go nice with the this and that.
S14: So everything's a story exacto esque.
S18: Everything can can be a story or just make your life more poetic. No. And I feel like that's another art I once read that is not taking serious like the art of just looking. Mhm.
S14: Mhm.
S18: And even like the art of listening. Like people just want to talk all the time.
S14: Thank you so much , Paulina , for , for your time and your words and all the great stories you've told over the years. I'm excited to see what stories come next.
S18: Thank you for having me. And thank you everyone for listening. Check out some spoilers podcast in Spotify.
S14: And your future movie that has only begun to be. Written.
S2: Written. Exactly.
S22: Exactly.
S1: Paulina's story highlights the possibilities for women aiming to make an impact in the TV and film industry , even if the path isn't an easy one. Like Marlon , Marina and Nicolas from part one of this special , Paulina encountered challenges inherent to being a woman in filmmaker from Taiwan , but nonetheless , they are all making significant strides in an industry where women still direct only a small percentage of films in Hollywood and Mexico , as evidenced by stagnant statistics in 2024. Despite these challenges , these talented filmmakers have successfully established their unique voices and stories in a male dominated field. And in Paulina's case , despite being targeted by the Department of Homeland Security , their determination stands as a testament to the power of self-belief and pursuing a worthy cause. When you have purpose , there's no need to feel afraid or hold back. Instead , let your resilience shine. That's the message I wanted to share with you with these two episodes , what I felt over the last 30 years of my life , both as a frontiersman and as a woman in the arts. These successful women are proving that impactful filmmaking can transcend geographical and gender boundaries , blazing the trail for future generations of girls who dream of making it big on the big screen. This episode of Port of Entry was written and produced by Julio Cesar Ortiz Franco.
S2: Adriana Villalobos technical producer and sound designer. This episode was edited by Julio Cesar Ortiz Franco.
S1: Liza Jane Morissette is director of audio programming and operations.
S2: This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting , a private corporation funded by the American people.
S1: So yo soy Natalie Gonzalez. Nos vemos. Pronto.
S23: Pronto.
