Dialogue: Q&A with director David Alvarado following the Friday, August 21, 6:00 p.m. screening.
"As much as the doc is explicitly celebratory, its existence is inherently a political statement, just like Valdez’s oeuvre." - Carlos Aguilar, Variety
"Understanding the life and work of Luis Valdez is a way to broaden one’s understanding of what it means to be American, perhaps now more than ever. Watching this enlightening and entertaining documentary is a good way to start." - Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
Opens August 21 | From migrant farmworker to revolutionary artist, Luis Valdez changed American culture. His El Teatro Campesino performed on flatbed trucks and helped mobilize California's farm workers. His Zoot Suit was the first Chicano play on Broadway. Despite critical rejection that killed the show's New York run, he persevered, creating LA BAMBA, a blockbuster that brought Mexican-American life to a global audience. AMERICAN PACHUCO is the first feature documentary about this American original narrated by Edward James Olmos reprising his legendary El Pachuco role, featuring Cheech Marin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dolores Huerta, and Linda Ronstadt. The film weaves 4K-restored archival footage, including over 80,000 feet of deteriorating 1970s celluloid rescued and digitized for the first time, with the story of a man who proved that Chicanos have always been America. Siskel Film Center exclusive.
Dialogue: Q&A with director David Alvarado following the Friday, August 21, 6:00 p.m. screening.
Presented in partnership with the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Awards & Nominations
2026 Sundance Film Festival - Official Selection
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - Official Selection
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu