Chicago, IL 60607, USA
2 reviews$500 - $750 / Day
Director/Producer: Esau Melendez studied film & video at Columbia College in Chicago and soon after began working with the Spanish Broadcast Network, Telemundo and WYCC, a Chicago PBS affiliate. Esaú has directed and produced various commercials and music videos with his production company, Clandestino Films. His passion has always been to tell stories regarding social issues that affect the community. The award-winning documentary Immigrant Nation!: The Battle for the Dream was featured on PBS nationwide and was funded by Latino Public Broadcasting in 2009. He was part of WGHB Producers academy in 2013, fellow of Kartemquin diver voices in 2015 and a classic member of New day films. He recently produced a series of short documentaries for WTTW’s project Pilsen: My Neighborhood which illustrates stories of people who lived in Pilsen and make a positive impact in the community. He is now working for Spirt Juice Media as an Editor/Producer making nation documentary productions about the history of Catholics in the United States.
The first thing Jeff and Elizabeth Maldonado did was seek refuge. They couldn’t go home to Pilsen. The emptiness of their house – filled, as it was, with their son’s clothes, his music, his smell – just the thought was unbearable.
“We didn’t have tacos. We didn’t have pan dulce,” he says. “A coffee shop was a new idea in the neighborhood. Even the idea of a cappuccino was new to the neighborhood.” Today, the neighborhood has several coffee shops, and Jumping Bean has become an anchor in the community.
Produced for Homeworthy
Produced for Oxygen Media
Miguel Perez Jr. Miguel Jr did 2 terms of duty in Afghanistan right after 9/11. At that time he decided to serve instead of applying for Citizenship. He suffered a brain injury in an explosion and came home with severe pain and PTSD. Returning he began to self-medicate and got caught in a non-violent drug conviction. After completing his sentence was placed in deportation proceedings.
Produced for Vision Arts
My absolute favorite guacamole recipe is from my mother-in-law Marie. I just love this creamy, delicious guac recipe. I always make two batches: one mild and one extra spicy, for those who like it spicy. Our family loves (and I mean loves) garlic so that's this recipe has plenty of it. This recipe calls for fresh jalapeños but you can also make it with serrano chiles for added spice. Serve it up by serving it in a molcajete (a traditional Mexican mortar made of coarsely textured stone) with your favorite tortilla chips and you're all set.
Produced for Window to the World Communications
Karen and Enrique León struggled to stay in their rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood on musicians’ salaries. The longtime Pilsen residents are mariachis, and the money they make from live performances has dipped with the closure of neighborhood clubs. Now an experiment in cooperative housing is giving them hope. See more FIRSTHAND: Segregation stories at https://www.wttw.com/segregation ---------- About FIRSTHAND: Segregation ---------- Chicago is one of the most segregated big cities in America, and it comes at a cost. The Metropolitan Planning Council found that segregation costs the region $4.4 billion in lost income, 83,000 fewer bachelor’s degrees, and about 200 lives cut short by homicides every year. In FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION, WTTW explores the impact racial divisions have on individuals, the city, and our region with a documentary series, reported stories, expert talks, and community discussions. FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION is part of the award-winning FIRSTHAND multiplatform, multi-year initiative focusing on the firsthand perspectives of people facing critical issues in Chicago. https://www.wttw.com/firsthand #FIRSTHANDwttw
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