Raymond Telles and Yvan Iturriaga are co-directors and co-producers of American Masters — Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey. The filmmakers conducted an original interview with Pedro E. Guerrero at his home in 2010 and used that as “the spine for telling his story,” says Telles. Although they filmed on the same locations where Guerrero worked, they eventually decided to use less of that film footage in order to put Guerrero’s photographs front and center in the film.
By showing multiple images of Guerrero’s subjects, the documentary draws out the process that is hard to see in most photographers’ work, given that the public is often presented with just one image drawn from many takes. The film shows Guerrero’s process towards achieving the result he wanted.
Raymond Telles, Director and Producer
Raymond Telles’ 35-year career in film and television includes the production of numerous documentaries and segments for PBS, ABC, NBC, National Geographic, Discovery and Univision. Among the more than 30 documentaries Telles has produced and directed are Inside the Body Trade (National Geographic); The Storm That Swept Mexico (PBS); The Fight in the Fields (PBS); Children of the Night (Frontline); and episode six of the PBS series Latino Americans.
Yvan Iturriaga, Director and Producer
Yvan Iturriaga began his filmmaking career in Los Angeles as a freelance producer and cameraman. He worked for major TV networks Telemundo and Univision and has shot various independent projects including AdCorp, Inc. and Danny Roane: First Time Director. Since migrating to the Bay Area in 2007, Iturriaga has directed and produced numerous short films, documentaries, commercials and music videos. Recent projects include The Storm That Swept Mexico, a two-hour PBS documentary on the Mexican Revolution, and episode six of the PBS series Latino Americans. Iturriaga also wrote and directed the narrative shorts Sui Generis and Beep, screened in over a dozen festivals worldwide.
