Culture Clash

Richard Montoya, Herbert Siguenza and Ric Salinas are theater artists who form the Latino comedy troupe called Culture Clash.  Their style resembles the best vaudevillians of this country and Latin America. This story explores the development of their theater piece Bordertown, commissioned by the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Utilizing behind the scenes footage and interviews with Montoya, Siguenza, and Salinas, we examine how they shape Bordertown and offer their own interpretation of the region. They interviewed more than 100 people in San Diego and Tijuana and developed multiple characters whose lives are represented on the stage.  Some of these characters are unusual choices, like Shamu, Sea World’s killer whale and a married couple representing the U.S. and Mexico.

Directed, Written and Produced by Paul Espinosa 
Editor – Michael Bovee
Director of Photography – Michael Dean
Associate Producer – Victor Payan
A production of Espinosa Productions and KPBS-TV

Awards

National PBS broadcast; Corporation for Public Broadcasting Production Grant; Best Documentary, Society of Professional Journalists Award; First Place, Community Service Award, San Diego Press Club; Emmy Nominee, San Diego, Best Documentary; Screened at CineSol Film Festival; Selected for screening at INPUT-2000, Panama; Screened at New York Latino Film & Video Festival; Screened at “Borders: An Investigative Eye”, Brazil