“Limón: A Life Beyond Words” Celebrates the Genius’ Life, Beliefs and Dance
LOS ANGELES, CA, February 2005 — Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), a non-profit organization funded by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, announced today that “Limón: A Life Beyond Words,” a one-hour documentary detailing the life and work of Mexican-American dance great José Limón, will premiere on public television stations nationwide in April 2005. (Check your local listings.)
“While celebrating José Limón’s work, this documentary also delves into the complexity of the man, what he was trying to express and the legacy he left the world,” said Luca Bentivoglio, executive director, Latino Public Broadcasting. “The transformation of modern dance that he set into motion makes this documentary both visually exciting and emotionally compelling.”
Inspired by his words, that “All choreography is autobiographical, whether one intends it or not,” “Limón: A Life Beyond Words,” explores how the dancer and choreographer used his art to face cultural conflicts. Mexican by birth, Limón came to the U.S. in the early 1900s fleeing the Mexican revolution. The documentary highlights the many travails that he faced including learning English, living in poverty and suffering alienation in his new homeland. His transition from immigrant to painter to dancer to choreographer is so skillfully filmed that it won the Animavision/Montage Award for “Best Film Made for Television” from the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art.
Multidimensional, Limón fearlessly tackled religion, colonialism, love, betrayal and death, creating works that are timeless as well as universal in their themes. Limón became such an icon in the U.S. that he was sent around the world by the U.S. State Department as a cultural ambassador. By interlacing interviews with family members and Limón himself, performances, archival photographs, and Limón’s recently discovered autobiography, the documentary brings to life the language of dance.
About LPB
Created in 1998 by Edward James Olmos and Marlene Dermer, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is a non-profit organization funded by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. LPB’s mission is to support the development, production, post-production, acquisition and distribution of non-commercial educational and cultural television that is representative of or addresses issues of particular interest to U.S. Latinos. These programs are produced for dissemination to public broadcasting stations and other public telecommunication entities.
About APT
For 42 years, American Public Television (APT) has been a major source of programming for the nation’s public television stations. APT is known for identifying innovative programs and developing creative distribution techniques for producers. In four decades, it has established a tradition of providing public television stations nationwide with program choices that enable them to strengthen and customize their schedules. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org.
Contacts:
Press: Latino Public Broadcasting/323-466-7110
Station Relations: Bunny Tavares at tavaresb@aol.com