By Film and electronics major Aaron Rubin clinks a spoon in his mug of coffee, as his tired hand spills it across the paper placemats at the Denny’s on Seventh Street at 3 a.m. Thursday morning.
Rubin is in the final stages of post-production for two short films that have been the subject of his every spare moment this year, and his tired eyes reflect his dedication. His self-directed and produced pet-project, “The Beautiful Resistance,” and another short film entitled, “The Life and Times of Ziggy,” are slated to premier this Saturday in the final tier of the student documentary showcase at the William Link Theatre.
A documentary about the role of Chicano art and artists in the immigration debate, “The Beautiful Resistance” chronicles the efforts of several Arizona and California artists who have tried to affect change on immigration law.
When Rubin began filming the project in January of last year, before the media-backlash of the passing of SB-1070, he said, “I’ve always been left of center, but filming this made me realize the state of the immigration crisis.”
In eight cities over a year-and-a-half period, Rubin produced what he called “a massive amount of footage.” Deriving a story from that body of raw materials, he said, was one of the biggest challenges of the process.
“The closer I get to the end, the more driven it makes me,” Rubin said in reference to his recent late hours spent in Culver city editing the footage.
Rubin said that he hopes after viewing the film, people will feel the same sense of urgency that he felt as soon as production began. He also hopes that Chicanos will understand after viewing the film, that there are people out there fighting for them, and that, “these people aren’t Harvard grads, they’re just raza making a difference.”
In addition to “The Beautiful Resistance,” a film Rubin contributed to, “The Life and Times of Ziggy,” will be premiering the same night.
Rubin’s friend and fellow film major Todd Grilli directed the film. The subject came to Grilli as serendipitously as Rubin’s shoe-in the door of the artful resistance. While interning, Grilli met a charismatic security guard named Marcos “Ziggy” Garcia, who would make small talk with Grilli while the two worked events together. When Grilli revealed that he was looking for a subject for a documentary, Ziggy casually asked, “Why not use me?”
Grilli’s documentary documents the life of Ziggy, who is out of prison and off parole for the first time since the age of 12, and trying to win his family back after decades of addiction and gang violence.
The documentary showcase will take place on Saturday, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the William Link theatre on upper campus at CSULB.
