This is a short documentary film that I co-directed with Damian Rodriguez as a Radio-Television-Film student at The University of Texas at Austin about the life and work of legendary Chicano poet Raúl R. Salinas (raúlrsalinas).
According to the Poetry Foundation:
Raúl R. Salinas was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised in Austin, Texas. From 1959 to 1971, Salinas was incarcerated on drug related charges. During this time, he became known for his prison poetry and work with other inmates regarding literature and art. He is best known for his role in the prisoner-rights movement and other various political movements, and for his contributions to Chicano literature, including the seminal Chicano experience poem, “Un Trip Through the Mind Jail.”
We followed Raul around Austin during 1998 – 1999, filming his life and some of his performances as well as interviewing a few people in his life that knew him best. One highlight was filming Raúl walking through the old Travis Country jail in downtown Austin, which we had to get permission for from the Austin City Counsel. It was a harrowing and enlightening experience as you can see in the film.
I wish I had a better resolution copy of this film. This is the only one that survived and I’m happy to share it with anyone who is interested.
Raúl was charming, funny, and gifted. He was a sage that taught me so much about my Chicano roots. I’ll always cherish the time I got to spend with him.
RIP Raúl Salines. Descanse en paz mi maestro raúlrsalinas.
Watch There Will Be Poets below: