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DIEGO ROBLES CIENFUEGOS

Documentary Cinema

Untitled Documentary-Liza Ley (2024)

Fleeting moments, music, singing, song writing, intimate movements, masks, make-up, fashion, costume making, and dances were all aspects that video art could capture. With characteristics often attributed to 'Outsider Artists', former community based Artist and Educator, Liza Ley, was someone who utilized all those elements to create a vast collection of uniquely personal short videos and music cassettes made for a very small audience. Liza Ley fully utilized the medium of video and analog audio cassettes to record, produce, and store hundreds of experimental works. She was determined to win the Guinness World Records for having created the most amount of original songs. Despite her vast collection of original music, she never officially submitted her work to the Guinness World Records. This documentary sheds a spotlight on Liza Ley as an artist who never had the opportunity to reach large audiences. Experimentation, intimacy, storytelling, and the life of a local artist as seen from her own videos from the mid 1980's, as well as from documentary footage shot by Diego Robles in 2003 - open her work for further interpretation.

GUMARO (with english subtitles)

Gumaro Oviendo Flores, one of the residents in the Wyvernwood neighborhood, works as a photographer for events such as weddings and special events. This film focuses on his everyday life, on the craft of being an event photographer, on his role as parental guardian and husband, as well as the ritual and community-oriented event the quinceañera itself is. Gumaro (2021) takes an intimate look into witnessing life as a working professional and what it’s like to engage within the local community.

WYVERNWOOD, THE GARDEN CITY

Wyvernwood The Garden City (2017) takes an observational look into its local community and the residents that reside within it. This film discreetly frames the way the built environment shapes the majority of the residents’ relationships, and reveals the struggles and intimate turmoils its community faces. Within Wyvernwood, solidarity is reflected through F.A.C.E (Frente De Apoyo al Comité de la Esperanza) and the Committee of Hope.

Charla de Familia/Family Talk

A family holds an intimate discussion around a dining room table. Each family member discusses personal topics ranging from past experiences growing up between both the United States and Mexico to career or educational opportunities, and stories. This mini documentary also delves deeper into the retelling of past vivid dreams from one of the family members. Short cuts created from local San Diego Artist, Liza Lay, is additionally seen sprinkled here and there.

Los Angeles Theater Center Summer Conservatory

The Los Angeles Theater Center Conservatory features many nurturing teachers that advocate for their students to continue to grow and think more imaginatively. This conservatory is focused on teaching the arts, more specifically, theater arts. In this short documentary, we are given a glimpse into a few instructors individually talk about what they teach at the conservatory and why it is important for their students to learn more overlooked areas when beginning their journey within theater and film overall.

We, American Students

We, American Students showcases a glimpse into an average young adult’s life living in the United States. Smoking, drinking, and wandering amongst the streets at night is witnessed through this short film. By wandering the streets and experiencing the night life, viewers can feel as if they are alongside meandering with the fellow protagonist students. This short film is part of an exercise titled – 186 Exercise 1: The Sketch.

Fairy Tales And Happy Endings

Fairytales and Happy Endings is about an up-close and personal interview with student actor, Andy Lobo. Lobo talks about his breakup with a fellow actor and how romances can occur in the theater. Lobo also laments on his personal feelings towards love and relationships, religion, and acting.

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