Plot Synopsis

VOCES is a Latino arts and culture documentary series that showcases Latino artists, athletes and performers who reflect their culture while defying all expectations. In Fall 2012, in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month, Season 3 featured four documentaries, including: "Tales of Masked Men," a fascinating insider's look at the world of Mexican lucha libre, famous for its masked wrestlers; "Escaramuza: Riding From the Heart," about a gutsy team of women rodeo riders vying to represent the U.S. at the National Charro Championships in Mexico; "Unfinished Spaces," which tells the story of the Cuban Revolution through its most significant work of architecture, Cuba's National Schools of Art, and the three visionary men who designed it; and "Lemon," which follows Puerto Rican poet/performer Lemon Andersen, a three-time felon and one-time Tony Award winner, as he struggles to bring his life story to the New York stage while battling his darkest demons.

VOCES returned for a new season on Friday, April 17, 2015 on PBS. The season opener, "Children of Giant," is a new documentary that explores how the making of a classic Hollywood movie transformed the lives of the residents of Marfa, a small Texas town, where GIANT was filmed with stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean.



Season 4 of VOCES debuted on Friday, October 15, 2021 at 10pm on PBS (check local listings), as part of the network's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The two new VOCES films include:

"Letters to Eloisa" (Friday, October 15, 2021 at 10pm): Directed by Adriana Bosch. This film brings to life the story of the Cuban poet, essayist, and novelist Jose Lezama Lima, an all but forgotten figure of the Latin American literary boom that included Julio Cortazar, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavio Paz and Mario Vargas Llosa. Lezama's semi-autobiographical opus Paradiso, which included homoerotic passages, broke the silence on homosexuality in Cuba and sent shockwaves throughout the Spanish-speaking literary world. It also set its author on a collision course with the Cuban Revolutionary government. Told through letters written by Lezama to his sister in exile, the film is a haunting portrait of the writer's life, his struggle for artistic freedom, and tragic end.

"American Exile" (Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 10pm): Directed by John J. Valadez and Carleen L. Hsu. As teenagers, Valente Valenzuela and his brother Manuel volunteered and were sent to fight in Vietnam. They came home decorated, but were also physically and psychologically scarred. Now, some 50 years later, they've received notices of deportation. Shocked and confused, the brothers soon learn they are not alone and that thousands of veterans are being deported because of misdemeanor offenses after completing their service in the armed forces. Together, they decide to don their uniforms for one last fight, this time as veteran's rights activists. Filmed over the course of seven years, This installment is a deeply personal film about two unforgettable men seeking justice for themselves and the many others in their situation.
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VOCES returned for its fifth season on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 10pm on PBS (check local listings). "From Here/From There (De Aqui/De Alls)" kicks off the 2024 season of VOCES, telling the inspiring story of Luis Cortes Romero, the first undocumented attorney to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The film follows as Luis -- an immigration attorney as well as a DACA recipient -- journeys from a difficult youth to the highest court in the land as part of a powerful legal team fighting the Administration's attempt to rescind DACA. Luis grew up with his parents and three siblings in Redwood City, California, where he attended a school for gifted students. It wasn't until he was preparing for a much-anticipated class trip to Europe that he learned that, because he was born in Mexico, he was undocumented and unable to obtain a passport and therefore unable to join his classmates. When his father attempted to legalize his status he was instead picked up by ICE and deported. Luis's once close-knit family splintered. He went through a bleak period of anger and rebellion, finally emerging thanks to his mother's loving but firm encouragement and an inspiring Chicano Studies program at San Jose State followed by law school. When the Obama administration established DACA -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals -- in 2012, Luis's life was transformed. Now he could come out of the shadows, be licensed and practice law. Says Luis, "It took this weight off me that I didn't realize was so heavy until it was off of me. I remember thinking, 'I can't waste this.'" He became an immigration lawyer and began helping others like himself. In 2017, when working in his Seattle law office, Luis was asked to take on the case of a racially profiled DACA recipient, Daniel Ramirez, who was arrested and threatened with deportation. Daniel's story alarmed Luis: "I'm brown, I have DACA, and I have tattoos. That could have been me."