Atrevidos

I wanted to create a documentary rooted in the Bronx, but my original concept about salsa in the borough was not developing into a focused story. I needed to find a character whose experience could reveal something larger about Bronx history and identity.

While covering the World Series at Fenway Park, I met Julio Pabón and learned that he had invited Fidel Castro to dinner at his Bronx restaurant in 1995. Recognizing the strength of his story, I pivoted the project, researched the historical context and developed the documentary around Julio’s firsthand account.

I set the creative direction and served as producer, director and cinematographer, shaping the film as more than a political anecdote. I used Julio’s experience to explore memory, cultural identity and the Bronx’s place in a remarkable moment of New York history.

Atrevidos was selected for 12 film festivals and screened at NBC News' Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI alongside three films that later earned Academy Award nominations, including the eventual Documentary Short Subject winner, Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl).