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The Double Life of Ernesto Gomez Gomez
| Length: | 54 min |
| Released: | 2001 |
| Ages: |
College Adult |
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Fifteen-year-old Ernesto Gomez finds his life squeezed between two identities, two families and three nations: the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico. This moving and informative documentary follows the teenage Ernesto as he goes on a journey of self-discovery, moving from Mexico to the USA to meet his Puerto Rican birth mother in prison and learn from her the truth about his heritage, his legacy and himself.
Dylcia Pagan, a Puerto Rican patriot, was captured in 1980 in a van packed with bombs. She received a severe sentence of 55 years in jail for seditious conspiracy. Her baby boy was adopted by a loving, politically minded Mexican family and Ernesto grew up unaware of his past. When his origins were finally revealed, he decided to reconnect with his mother, imprisoned in San Francisco. The film documents his struggle for identity as he establishes a relationship with not only his mother but also her ideology. He asked the filmmakers to tell his story, as he navigates his conflicting emotions between longing for his family left in Mexico and sympathizing with his mother’s plight. Three weeks after this video had its television premiere President Clinton granted Executive Clemency to Dylcia and 12 other Puerto Rican activists. In this updated version we see Dylcia’s emotional first moments of release from prison into her son’s waiting arms.
This award-winning film gives the human story behind the impersonal headlines. It is a moving portrayal of lives torn asunder by fiercely held political convictions. It also provides a history of the movement to liberate Puerto Rico from American control.
Dylcia Pagan, a Puerto Rican patriot, was captured in 1980 in a van packed with bombs. She received a severe sentence of 55 years in jail for seditious conspiracy. Her baby boy was adopted by a loving, politically minded Mexican family and Ernesto grew up unaware of his past. When his origins were finally revealed, he decided to reconnect with his mother, imprisoned in San Francisco. The film documents his struggle for identity as he establishes a relationship with not only his mother but also her ideology. He asked the filmmakers to tell his story, as he navigates his conflicting emotions between longing for his family left in Mexico and sympathizing with his mother’s plight. Three weeks after this video had its television premiere President Clinton granted Executive Clemency to Dylcia and 12 other Puerto Rican activists. In this updated version we see Dylcia’s emotional first moments of release from prison into her son’s waiting arms.
This award-winning film gives the human story behind the impersonal headlines. It is a moving portrayal of lives torn asunder by fiercely held political convictions. It also provides a history of the movement to liberate Puerto Rico from American control.
"… a glimpse into one of the deeply personal, agonizing effects of colonialism, rarely dealt with in film."
International Documentary
"This high quality production is recommended for all collections…" Library Journal
International Documentary
"This high quality production is recommended for all collections…" Library Journal
Cine Latino, San Francisco, 2001
Award of Merit, Latin American Studies Association, 2000
Berlin International Film festival, 1999
Athens International Film & Video Festival,1999
San Antonio Cine Fest, 1999
and many others
Award of Merit, Latin American Studies Association, 2000
Berlin International Film festival, 1999
Athens International Film & Video Festival,1999
San Antonio Cine Fest, 1999
and many others
