BPS 271: Sundance - La Guerra Civil with Eva Longoria

Today we have the award-winning actress, director, producer,
entrepreneur, and activist by the name of Eva Longoria.
Eva Longoria has long established herself as one of Hollywood's
most sought-after television directors. Named by Variety as one of
their most anticipated directors of 2021, Longoria continues to
hone her craft, seek new projects, and expand opportunities for
others by paving the way for future women and minority producers,
directors, and industry leaders in Hollywood and beyond.Her strong
work ethic, coupled with her passion for storytelling, has led to a
pivotal moment as she prepares for the release of her feature film
directorial debut with Flamin’ Hot. She recently wrapped production
for the highly anticipated Searchlight biopic about the story of
Richard Montañez and the spicy Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snack, for
which she beat out multiple high-profile film directors vying for
the job.




Eva became well known worldwide thanks to Desperate Housewives,
where she played the main character, Gabrielle Solis.

In my journeys as a colorist, VFX, and post-production supervisor,
I had the pleasure of working on a film Eva starred in and produced
Without Men years ago. I had a ball working on it.The women of a
remote Latin American town are forced to pick up the pieces and
remake their world when communist guerrillas forcibly recruit all
the town's men. The only men left in town for years are the priest
and Julio, who was disguised as a woman.

As a trailblazing actress, director, producer, entrepreneur, and
activist, Eva Longoria has become one the most significant
trailblazers behind the camera. For over a decade, she has been
directing and choosing projects that have a purpose and are focused
on elevating the stories of the Latinx and other underrepresented
communities.Eva past television directing credits include the ESPN
30 for 30 documentary Versus, as well as episodes of Ashley Garcia:
Genius In Love, Grand Hotel, Black-ish, The Mick, LA to Vegas, Jane
the Virgin, Telenovela, Devious Maids, Latinos Living the Dream,
and the short films Out of the Blue and A Proper Send-Off.

She was also nominated for a 2021 Daytime Emmy for her directing
work on Ashley Garcia: Genius In Love.As a Global Brand Ambassador
for L’Oreal Paris for over 15 years, Longoria has become a frequent
director of the brand’s commercials, she recently upped the ante by
self-directing the first ever hair color TV commercial created at
home on a smartphone at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Eva has
also contributed writing to publications on the subject of
education. She also has a contract with L'Oreal and has been named
one of the most beautiful people. Her latest documentary La Guerra
Civil, is in this year's Sundance Film Festival.

This feature-length documentary follows the epic rivalry between
iconic boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez in the 1990s
sparked a cultural divide between Mexican nationals and Mexican
Americans. A chronicle of a battle that was more than a boxing
rivalry and examines a fascinating slice of the Latino experience
in the process.Here are some of why Eva took on this film:“In the
Mexican and Mexican-American communities, boxing is so much more
than a sport.

It is a cultural expression of who we are. The 1996 “Ultimate
Glory” fight between Julio César Chávez and Oscar De La Hoya will
forever be an iconic memory in our lifetimes. At the time, Chávez
was a Mexican national hero entering the 100th professional fight
of his career and De La Hoya was a Mexican-American boxer about to
enter his prime.Given the distinct differences between these two
men and their respective fandoms, nowhere has a rivalry been more
intense while also transcending borders to bring everybody together
to root for the art of boxing.

Many of these same issues of cultural identity dramatically
parallel what we are dealing with in our world 25 years later.This
is why I wanted to tell this story: to remind people that we can
find commonalities amid our differences to bring us back
together.”

Eva and I discuss her struggles coming up as an actress,
transitioning into directing and producing and her new film La
Guerra Civil.

Enjoy my conversation with Eva Longoria Bastón.

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