Against the bleak backdrop of his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood, Rodolfo Valdez is a shining star for all to see. Just a baby when his mother brought him to Los Angeles from her hometown in Durango, Mexico, Rodolfo recently paid homage to his mother?s journey to freedom. In 2001, he completed a documentary titled ?los angeles,? ironically named after her mother?s home in Mexico, which shares the same name as his adopted city.
Rodolfo?s documentary had the distinction of being screened at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and Rudy is planning to produce another project entitled ?Homesick,? which chronicles the attraction and repulsion of street gang life in his neighborhood. Rudy graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Los Angeles. He was a four-year honor roll student and participated in the Student Program at the 25th Telluride Film Festival. Rudy uses the art of filmmaking to tell the stories he feels most strongly about: His mother?s journey from her Mexican homeland as well as his experiences and those of his schoolmates, living in South Central Los Angeles. He stands as a shining example of someone who turns his heartfelt experiences into art through storytelling on film.
His mother since re-married and Rudy have now three stepsiblings but he still shares a special connection with her. ?She?s my hero,? he says. ?Her tears for her homeland have made me homesick and proud of my Mexican heritage.?
