Recapping the Columbia Heights Encore of NUESTRO NORTE
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
The energy inside the theater in the evening was a palpable assembly of intention, where our stories met the collective power of our people. Following our sold-out festival debut, community members, leaders, and allies gathered at the beautiful Heights Theater in Columbia Heights for a special community screening and celebration of Nuestro Norte. Standing as a testament to the deep hunger for authentic narratives of Latinidad, the evening proved once again that our stories deserve the dignity and communal power of the big screen.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome and Land Acknowledgement from LatinoLEAD’s own Melissa Vazquez, setting a powerful tone of shared witness and intention. We were then honored to be welcomed to the city by Columbia Heights Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula, who graciously hosted our gathering.
Deep Partnerships and Systems of Visibility
The evening underscored the weight of this film not just as a local project, but as a vital contribution to the broader cultural and cinematic landscape of Minnesota. Kevin Lindsey, CEO of the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC), took the stage to emphasize how NUESTRO NORTE perfectly reflects the mission to use the humanities to amplify community stories, deepen understanding, and help Minnesotans see themselves and one another with greater compassion and possibility.
This movement is built on a foundation of deep partnership and collective action. We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the key figures and dignitaries who joined us in solidarity, including Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega, Senator Susan Pha, and Sonia Reyes from the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs (MCLA).
We also owe immense thanks to the visionary leaders who guided this work from its very inception as part of the project task force: Sandy Vargas, Elsa Vega Perez, and Jessica Lopez Lyman. Of course, bringing this high-fidelity cinematic legacy to life would not have been possible without director Martín Blanco and the talented production team at Dual Studios, alongside the critical funding support of the Northwest Area Foundation and Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Legacy Fund.
With a final call of "Show Time!" from Kevin Lindsey, the lights dimmed, and the crowd submerged into the 30-minute cinematic portrait.
From Arrival to Agency: Voices from the Stage
NUESTRO NORTE intentionally disrupts the traditional "narrative of arrival" that historically frames our community as perpetual newcomers. Instead, it invites the audience into a landscape of rootedness, ownership, and agency. Following the screening, the theater transitioned into a profound space for dialogue as director Martín Blanco and four of the film's featured storytellers took the stage for a panel and Q&A session.
The panelists brought the full "soul" of our community's varied leadership to the stage:
Patricia Tototzintle: The former CEO of Esperanza United shared her living archive of matriarchal justice advocacy and community-rooted healing, reminding us that to lead is to plant roots so others can rise.
Tahiel Jimenez Medina: The filmmaker and founder of Mamá Papaya spoke eloquently on diasporic identity, queer storytelling, and using cinema as a tool to resist erasure and center care.
Aiyana Sol Machado: Representing Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center, Aiyana wove together land, language, and memory, exploring how Latinidad grows in ceremony and how collective healing becomes legacy.
Dr. Otto Sánchez: A Senior Scientist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Dr. Sánchez brought the emotional weight of immigrant sacrifice, scientific rigor, and his profound passion for mentoring the next generation of Latine STEM professionals.
The conversation centered heavily on narrative sovereignty—our right to tell our own stories on our own terms—and how embracing our cultural identity serves as the ultimate foundation for workforce development and systemic influence. When our professionals see themselves as the authors of the state's narrative rather than characters in someone else's script, they gain the true agency required to take up space in boardrooms, policy circles, and executive spaces.
The panelists challenged the audience to think about legacy, asking everyone to take at least one concrete action toward community power upon leaving the theater.
Our Work Continues
The evening concluded with powerful closing remarks from LatinoLEAD’s CEO Irma Márquez Trapero, followed by a community photo session that captured our community during this milestone moment.
While this specific screening has wrapped, the momentum of NUESTRO NORTE is only growing. This film is built to be a permanent leadership tool for systemic change across Minnesota. If you want to bring this message of asset-based leadership and narrative sovereignty to your local community center, university, or Employee Resource Group (ERG), please reach out to us at info@latinoleadmn.org to learn more about hosting a screening! Thank you to everyone who showed up, stood in solidarity, and chose to celebrate our roots, our rhythms, and our collective resistance.
Kindly navigate to our Flickr album for more event photos!
