Hidden Figuras: Private Felix Longoria

In a small town in Texas, a controversy surrounding the burial of a WWII veteran ignited the Mexican American civil rights movement.

BESE Meets: Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada

Vida, a six-part series on Starz written entirely by a group of Latinas, has become a crucial milestone in the push for Latinx representation on television. In the show, sisters Lyn and Emma, played by Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada, respectively, return to their home on the Eastside of Los Angeles to pick up the pieces after the sudden death of their mother. The show tackles queerness, gentefication, colorism and predatory loans in a subtle yet unapologetic voice.

BESE met the Vida co-stars in Prada’s backyard, where the two opened up family, queerness and the intricacies of playing complex personalities.

BESE Meets: Lilian Martinez

Lilian Martinez was the first of her siblings to be born in the United States. Growing up, she didn’t feel like she quite fit in to either culture. From this intersection of identities, her art was born. The Chicago-raised artist now takes things that resonate from her childhood and mixes them with classical elements to create idyllic worlds that celebrate brown bodies. The artist also runs BFGF, a small business where she sells woven blankets, pillows and towels that she designs digitally. Knowing that not everyone can afford expensive paintings, BFGF is her way of making more accessible art objects that people can integrate into their daily lives. On this episode of BESE Meets, we catch up with the artist at her studio in Los Angeles, CA.

Folkslore: Worry Dolls

In this episode of Folkslore, Flor Peralta shares how she used worry dolls to get through the night when her mother left to the States. But was it the mythical dolls, that are said to originate from a Mayan princess with the ability to solve any human problem, or something else that helped Flor to sleep?

Be You: Jarina de Marco

Adopting ancient Taino traditions to our modern world, Jarina de Marco shows us the importance of paying homage to our ancestors.

Folkslore: Bloody Mary

Remember the game, Bloody Mary? In this episode of Folkslore, Joyce Lopez remembers the time she was dared to play the macabre schoolgirls game.

Hidden Figuras: Juana Inés de la Cruz

In 1690, an established poet and nun stood up to a notable Bishop for publicly criticizing her intellect as a woman.

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Sea of Change: Coral Restoration Foundation

These folks are repairing the only barrier reef system in the US by farming coral underwater.

BESE Meets: Mid City Signs

Hand painting signs is an art form as old as Los Angeles itself.

Meet Javier Matias of Mid City Signs, as he traces his roots in graffiti culture to the last remaining sign graphics class in the world at LA Trade-Tech College—taught by his mentor, the legendary Ralph “Doc” Guthrie.

Folkslore: Freezer Spell

For centuries, an Afro-folk magic called Hoodoo was secretly practiced all across the America’s. Today it is still used by certain Hollywood conjurers. In our latest episode of Folkslore, actress Zoe Saldana shares the time she crafted a Hoodoo spell to stop negative energy in its tracks.

Local Noise: Aura the Band

Aura Peralta is a Miami-based soul musician following in the footsteps of the women before her.

Within Reach: D Ceramics

Denise Lopez is a Puerto Rican ceramicist who creates beautiful and minimalist designs. In our last episode of Within Reach, we talk to the owner and founder of D: Ceramics.

Enter the BESE Pilot Competition to Win Your Own Series

We teamed up with the Audience Awards for our first Pilot Competition—open to all filmmakers—for a chance to win a 6-episode series.

Hidden Figuras: Lonnie Johnson

Did you know the Super Soaker was accidentally created by an engineer at NASA?

Sea of Change: Mind and Melody

For our latest episode of Sea of Change, we meet Cristina Rodriguez, the 26-year-old president and co-founder of Mind and Melody, an organization that brings music and happiness to older adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“They’re all looking at your with these eyes, even though they can’t say anything,” says Rodriguez.

Within Reach: Compton Health Bar

Dani Solorio came to the US at 6 years old and lived most of her life undocumented. Without a college education and the odds stacked against her, she’s become an unlikely but powerful entrepreneur. She worked her way to owning a video store at the Compton swap meet and saved enough money to invest in her true passion: health and wellness. With the support of her family, Dani now owns the Compton Health Bar, a plant-based health store in Compton.