CHULAS FRONTERAS, considered by Prof. Juan Rodriguez (and many others) as "absolutely the best Chicano documentary I have ever seen," provides a magnificent introduction to the most exciting Norte-o musicians working today: Los Alegres de Teran, Lydia Mendoza, Flaco Jimenez and others. The music and spirit of the people is seen embodied in their strong family life and sheer enjoyment of domestic rituals. At the same time Blank does not overlook the hardships, in particular the Chicano experience of migrating from state to state with the seasons for work in the fields. He makes clear the role the music has in redeeming their lives by giving utterance to collective pain.

PLUS:

DEL MERO CORAZON

Stars: Leon Garza, Chavela Ortiz, Brown Express, Little Joe and La Familia and more.

DEL MERO CORAZON is a lyrical journey through the heart of Chicano culture, as reflected in the love songs of the Tex-Mex Norte-o music tradition. Love songs are the poetry of daily life - a poetry of passion and death, hurt and humor, pleasures and torn dreams of desire. In the film, these songs travel from intimate family gatherings to community dance halls, from the borderlands to wherever La Raza works, lives, settles down. They are passed along, changed, and turned into new songs - always sung from the heart.