Factual America examines America through the lens of documentary filmmaking. Guests include Academy Award, Emmy and Grammy-winning documentary filmmakers and producers, their subjects, as well as experts on the American experience. Find out more about the current and upcoming documentaries on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Sky Documentaries and other platforms directly from the creators. Whether we discuss true crime, music, burning social and political topics, history, or arts, Factual America is your #1 documentary film podcast. Factual America is produced by Alamo Pictures, a London- and Austin-based production company that makes documentaries about the US from a European perspective for international audiences.
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episode 34: Linda Ronstadt: An Hommage to Mexican Americans
The singing career of Linda Ronstadt spanned five decades. A versatile and talented artist, she has won ten Grammys, three American Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards and an Emmy. Along the way, she recorded the biggest selling foreign language album of all time.
Now retired from singing, Linda continues to give back to the community, as captured by award-winning director and producer James Keach in Linda and the Mockingbirds.
James joins us to share a side of Linda Ronstadt that few have seen. His music-filled, road trip-style film captures the essence of Mexican-American culture and the immigrant experience.
The film provides a beautiful look into the coming together of two cultures. It also portrays the hardships far too many immigrant children must go through.
“With the internet, social media, and the amount of interactions we have, we realise there are so many different human experiences to ours that we’re curious about.” – James Keach
Time Stamps:
04:11 – When and where Linda and the Mockingbirds will be released.
05:35 – What inspired James to make this film.
08:27 – Who Linda Ronstadt is.
11:18 – How Linda is involved with helping children get into singing and dance.
13:35 – James’s road trip to Mexico with Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne.
15:43 – The way the documentary evolved as James increasingly met people being marginalised.
19:12 – Jackson Browne’s song the ‘Dreamer’ and what it’s about.
21:25 – The importance of being open with children when they are in vulnerable situations.
24:34 – Our first clip of the film, showing the realities of some illegal immigrants.
26:28 – Where James grew up and the connection he had with Mexican culture at a young age.
30:45 – Why James didn’t include immigration statistics and ICE agents in the film.
32:00 – The detention policies that separate children and their families.
33:22 – What the film is really all about.
34:53 – The values that Mexican Americans hold most dear.
36:11 – How James got into filming and directing.
40:24 – The importance of music in filmmaking and how it can help tell a story.
42:16 – Why this is the golden age of documentaries.
45:11 – James’s favourite Glen Campbell song.
46:21 – The next project James is working on.
49:51 – The lasting message James wants people to take away from this film.
Linda and the Mockingbirds
Shout Studios
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice
Los Cenzontles
Alamo Pictures
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