Amy Serrano

Amy Serrano
Amy Serrano, New Orleans, 2012
Born (1966-11-08) November 8, 1966
Havana, Cuba
Citizenship United States
Education Bachelor of Arts, Sociology and Anthropology
Occupation Filmmaker, author, humanitarian
Known for Documentaries

Amy Serrano (born November 8, 1966, Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban-American film maker, author and humanitarian. She is most well known for her award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary, “The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers on the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic”. Serrano has also produced and directed several documentaries for PBS. She is one of the most respected female filmmakers to come from Cuba and women and children's rights activist.

Early life

Born in a post-revolutionary Cuba, and into a life of poverty and oppression, after being forced to separate from her family and home,[1] she was relocated to Miami as a political refugee. Because of her background, Serrano began volunteering in her community from the age of twelve, developing an early sense of activism that would involve helping other refugees, migrants, orphans, women, children, the mentally-disabled, land mine survivors, and other marginalized or at-risk populations.

Filmmaking

Adios Patria? The Cuban Exodus

Serrano's first known work was as a producer for the PBS award-winning documentary Adios Patria? The Cuban Exodus". The film recalls the dramatic stories of Cubans fleeing their homeland, unfolding onto the shores of South Florida. The film features a wide range of interviews, from liberals to the conservative, and includes the "horror" stories of the journey of several Cubans.[2] The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Andy Garcia.[3]

Cafe Con Leche: Voices of Exiles Children

Serrano executive produced the PBS broadcast and Emmy-Award nominated "Cafe con Leche: Voices of Exiles' Children". The film is an introspective look at the first wave of Cuban Exiles that came to the United States, who are now young adults. As the first wave of many immigrants to settle in Florida, "second and third generation Cuban-Americans are now clinging on to a cultural identity and awareness which survived time and assimilation". This film focuses on a group of young Cubans called "Generation ners", who discuss their bi-cultural lives as Cuban-Americans.[4][5]

Move!

Serrano also wrote, produced and directed the U.S. co-production for the feature-length film MOVE! Produced in Rome, Italy and distributed throughout Film Festivals and television in Europe, MOVE! is a fictional film composed of short films by 11 filmmakers in 6 continents exploring the dispassionate state of humanity through varied human emotions.[6]

The Sugar Babies

Serrano shot, produced, wrote and directed the feature-length and critically acclaimed documentary, "The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers on the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic". Narrated by award-winning Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat and composed of field recordings coupled with outside testimony, the film explores the lives of the descendants of the first Africans delivered to the island of Hispaniola for the bittersweet commodity that once ruled the world. These very same people continue to be trafficked from Haiti to the Dominican Republic to work on sugar plantations under circumstances that can only be considered modern day slavery. The film was scored by Bill Cruz and features music by Bola de Nieve, Solomon Burke and the Blind Boys of Alabama, Kenny Rankin, Alberto Beltran and original musical field recordings sung by the children in film. Exposing Big Sugar through the release of this film led to Serrano being persecuted by those paid by Big Sugar and the Government of the Dominican Republic. Persecution included attempts to sabotage film screenings, stalking Serrano, and death threats.[7]

Other film work

Serrano's other known body of work include directing and producing the PBS broadcast "A Woman's Place: Voices of Contemporary Hispanic-American Women" featuring Isabel Allende, Dr. Antonia Novello, Bianca Jagger,Dr. Patricia Allen Carbonell, Maria Hinojosa, Esmeralda Santiago, Marjorie Agosin and other barrier breaking Hispanic-American Women. The film featured music by Lissette, and 2 songs about female empowerment by Tori Amos. She produced and directed a short film, "Of Hope, Courage and Justice: A Global Mosaic of Women in Human Rights," and associate produced the Emmy-Award nominated "Havana: Portrait of Yesteryear" narrated by Gloria Estefan for PBS.[8]

Filmography

  • Adios Patria? The Cuban Exodus[USA](producer)(1996)
  • Cafe Con Leche: Voices of Exiles Children [USA](executive producer)(1997)
  • Havana: Portrait of Yesteryear [USA] (associate producer)(1999)
  • A Woman's Place? [USA] (director, producer)(2001)
  • Of Hope, Courage and Justice: A Global Mosaic of Women in Human Rights [USA](director, producer)(2003)
  • Move!Where Are You Going? [Italy, Spain] (associate director on film; writer, director, cinematographer of USA segment)[USA](2004)
  • The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers on the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic [USA] (director, producer, writer, cinematographer)(2007)
  • AIRMAN: The Extraordinary Life of Calvin G. Moret [USA] (director, producer, writer, cinematographer)in production (TBA)

Awards and recognitions

Serrano has received honors by the City of Miami with a proclamation making October 27 "Amy Serrano Day". [9] Twice, she has been named a "Woman of Today" in Glamour Magazine. Glamour Magazine also named Ms. Serrano a "Woman of the Year." During Women's History Month, she was presented a Mentor Award by the Public School System and named a Distinguished Female Role Model by the Public Library System. She was also one of 8 women selected and profiled in "Evolution of Woman" a women's empowerment installation commissioned by the Lauder Family for Clinique Cosmetics. This national exhibit involved 8 women selected by Clinique Cosmetics and photographed by Sandi Fellman, an award-winning, internationally acclaimed fine art photographer and was first unveiled at New York City's Metropolitan Pavilion before traveling the country.[10]

She is a recipient of the Tesoro Award in Art and Culture. She was also awarded a prestigious Fellowship with the National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI) which has involved Leadership Studies and Certifications from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the Center for Creative Leadership, Gallup University, Capitol Hill, and spending time learning from recognized leaders in social and civic change.[11]

She has been named a “Latina of Excellence” in Hispanic Magazine's Top Latinas Roster, and was one of fifteen Hispanic Leaders in the United States selected by the Spanish Embassy in Washington DC and Spain's Foreign Ministry to participate in a Diplomatic Exchange in Spain with their top leaders in the social, political, economic and cultural arenas. Serrano was selected and profiled in a book on Hispanic-American leaders in the United States published by the Spain-U.S. Council.[12]

Serrano has also been profiled in the Florida Hispanic Yearbook, and MEGA TV named her "one of the “most influential and recognized Hispanics in the United States.”" She was photographed and written about as a “Mujer Vanidades” in Vanidades Magazine.[13]

She was recently chosen as a subject of an upcoming documentary on female leadership in the U.S.

Education

Serrano attended Florida International University and graduated with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology, a Minor in International Relations, and a certificate in Cuban and Cuban American Studies. She also has certificates in Leadership Studies from Harvard University - the John F. Kennedy School of Government, the Universidad Menendez Pelayo in Spain, Gallup University in D.C, the Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina, and the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington D.C.

Present

Serrano has been working on a film titled, "Airman: The Extraordinary Life of Calvin G. Moret" which is based on the inspiring life and legacy of Louisiana’s last known Tuskegee Airman. This is the story of one man’s love of country and humanity, even during unconscionable times. The film follows Dr. Moret during the last 3 years of his life and is based on a series of documented, exclusive interviews that took place at his home where from early 2013 to late 2015, they intimately discussed private and public aspects of Dr. Moret’s inspiring life. During this time, Serrano also obtained exclusive footage from following Dr. Moret on the road as he gave talks on what it meant to be a Tuskegee Airman, their legacy, and present day implications. During these 32 months, they also attended and documented Dr. Moret at events related to this experience including a groundbreaking event with other surviving Tuskegee Airmen to commemorate the opening of a new exhibit at the now famous Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, the historic site of the Tuskegee Airmen experience. The second part of documenting the film involves interviews that take place after the passing of Dr. Moret and in reflection of the meaning of his life, the role he and the Airmen played in history-making social change, and using Dr. Moret’s extraordinary life as an example of a legacy that survives his time on earth. "Airman" is a work in progress.

Early 2018, she began writing a manuscript for a book, "Mr. Moret and I: The Story and Legacy of My Unexpected Friendship with New Orleans' Last Known Tuskegee Airman." The book is one part memoir (Serrano's) and one-part biography (Moret’s). It reveals Mr. Moret’s first hand, contemplative recounting of history and race in America, while dually functioning as Serrano's retrospective reflection of the very meaningful friendship that emerged as a consequence of the great blocks of time spent at home, on the road, and up in the air to document his life for the film, "Airman: The Extraordinary Life of Calvin G. Moret." The book memorializes and bears witness to an inter-generational, inter-gender, inter-cultural, inter-ethnic, and inter-racial, behind-the-scenes story told through the lens of two people, one living, and one now departed. And despite the passing of one of the voices in this story, Serrano hopes that what remains inspires a deeper, philosophical framework, for rising above the challenges of the openly divisive nature of impermissible sociopolitical events facing our country today.

Serrano is also at work on launching, "The Saudades Project" [14]which seeks to mine—and give new meaning to—the dynamic experience and emotional complexity of saudade by richly exploring the saudade of persons, places, or time, and the intersections of these through transmedia conceptions and representations. "The Saudades Project" is being launched on October 27, 2018.[15]

Other work

Following Serrano's work on The Sugar Babies she took some time off to write and work on other media projects.

In 2009, she was commissioned by the Louisiana Division of the Arts to produce a photographic essay on a new population. After spending considerable time with the Garifuna people, Serrano wrote and produced From Punta to Chumba: Garifuna Music and Dance in New Orleans[16] which explores the role of females in the Garifuna community as cultural tradition bearers. From Punta to Chumba was first published by Louisiana's Living Traditions. Currently, artifacts, photographs, and the essay are on tour in Louisiana's State Museums. As of 2013, the exhibit is intended to circulate around the State of Louisiana for the next 5–10 years.

Late 2013, Serrano released her first book of poems, Of Fiery Places and Sacred Spaces [17]which deals with the poetics of place and space. Some of her other poems have been published in Latino Stuff Review, Ella Magazine, MiPo Gallery, Into the Woods, The Peauxdunque Writers' Alliance Annual Anthology, multiple times in Poets and Artists Magazine[18], and more.

In 2016 she was invited to write the foreword to acclaimed photographer Diego Quiros' fine art photography book, "Alchimie Photographique" [19] .

In 2017, she edited the "Into the Woods Anthology."[20] and also wrote the foreword to the book.

A published poet, writer, essayist and speaker of 4 languages, she remains a committed Senior Fellow of the Human Rights Foundation in New York; a Fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington D.C.; a Board Member of Voz de Mujer, a women’s empowerment and leadership organization based in Texas; an Advisory Council Member of the Faulkner Society’ in New Orleans; a Member of the Spanish Embassy's Young Hispanic Leader’s Association in Washington D.C. which is headed by the King of Spain; and was appointed a founding Board Member to Ambassador Armando Valladares' non-governmental organization, Human Rights for All.[21]

Currently she is working on her writing and on a film about New Orleans' last known Tuskegee Airman.[22]

Amy is the Chief Creative Officer and Director of Siren Films, and the President of Siren Creative Media.

Personal life

Amy has diverse forms of synesthesia and is a strict vegetarian. She is married and resides in Covington, Louisiana, where she is working on a film, an art project, and writing a manuscript for a book.

References

  1. ↑ "SPIRIT MEDIA NETWORK ~ Connections Radio Show ~ Amy Serrano". Spiritmedianetwork.com. Archived from the original on 2010-12-22. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  2. ↑ "nyfilmvideo.com". nyfilmvideo.com. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  3. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  4. ↑ "LRC". Flrc.unc.edu. 2007-03-30. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  5. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  6. ↑ "Google Translate". Translate.google.com. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  7. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  8. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  9. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  10. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  11. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  12. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  13. ↑ https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6d18ab_bbaf30541d164b9a8f72283d109a6405.pdf
  14. ↑ https://www.thesaudadesproject.com/
  15. ↑ https://www.thesaudadesproject.com/
  16. ↑ http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/garifuna.html
  17. ↑ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/of-fiery-places-and-sacred-spaces-amy-serrano/1114752953
  18. ↑ https://www.amazon.com/PoetsArtists-Grady-Harp/dp/1490988351/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537838343&sr=1-2
  19. ↑ http://www.blurb.com/b/6253829-alchimie-photographique
  20. ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Into-Woods-First-Annual-Anthology/dp/1540855104
  21. ↑ "From Punta to Chumba: Garifuna Music and Dance in New Orleans". Louisianafolklife.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  22. ↑ https://www.sirenfilms.us/projects
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