councilwoman castillo

This is the beginning of an ongoing blog about making Councilwoman Castillo – The Film. Why make this film in the first place? It’s not just that Carmen Castillo is an inspiration to me. Of course she is. She is the salt of the earth. Committed beyond 100% to her community and her family. She can’t be bought off. It’s not unheard of to find a politician like that, but pretty rare.

So, you are thinking, this filmmaker is biased. Yes, it is a film with a point of view. But am I right? Is this the story we are telling? The film is about the unknown. We are following Castillo’s first term in office. Your guess is as good as mine as to how this story ends. Like the film on Facebook!

There are huge challenges for anyone elected to office, and I believe the challenges are greater for someone whose job requires they punch in and out for a regular shift each and every working day. It is hard to juggle meetings with constituents while cleaning 16 hotel rooms. This story will give us a behind the scenes perspective of what it takes to succeed. What does our democracy really look like on the inside? Why aren’t there more low-wage workers in public office? Watch the trailer on Kickstarter!

Social change is never about one person. The film will follow the collective efforts to bring change that take place in Carmen’s community during her first term in office. What will the issues be? What are the forces that will come together to make an impact? Does it help community activists to focus on politics, or is it a waste of time?

This is also a film about cleaning hotel rooms. We never hear from those who do the hardest work, but in this film we will! And when there are hotel workers in Providence fighting for better working conditions, we’ll follow that too.

Documentary serves many purposes. One is to save a record of current struggles for generations to come. If we don’t document what we believe is important, then our stories will get left out of the history books of the future. I think this story should be included.

I hope this film will start a national conversation. We all complain that we get more of the same out of our politicians, and most of us are not happy about it. How would public policy change if more low-wage workers were elected to office?

Kickstart the film! I’ll be blogging about production in the months ahead.

“In a day and age when most politicians are lawyers or businessmen, Councilwoman Carmen Castillo made history when she became the first hotel housekeeper to hold public office,” writes independent filmmaker Margo Guerney, who is making a documentary about the groundbreaking Providence city councilor.

Castillo, who was elected in 2012, has worked as a room attendant at the Westin Hotel for 17 years. She moved to Providence 20 years ago with her three daughters from the Dominican Republic. Her Facebook page has more links to food drives than fundraisers. She certainly a stereotypical politicians.

That’s why Guerney, a veteran documentary filmmaker, will spend the next three years making a feature length movie about Castillo and her pioneering efforts in elected politics.

Guerney writes:

How does Castillo’s role as a room attendant who is also a lawmaker push our understanding of who should set policy? Can local communities successfully fight for good jobs and resources? What is it like behind the scenes at City Hall?

Castillo is one of many fighting for justice in her community. The film will introduce others who are part of efforts to bring justice and good jobs to the neighborhood, and will explore the challenges and issues they all face. Above all else, this is a film about our democracy: who gets to participate and on what terms.

You can – and should – support this effort on Kickstarter here. We definitely want the world to know these efforts are happening in Providence, Rhode Island. And even more importantly, why such efforts matter.

“Can you imagine how public policy would change if more elected officials were low wage workers?” Guerney asks in the video below. “That’s what this film is about. Who can participate in our democracy and are their limitations. Is Carmen pushing those limits? “We talk a lot about voting rights. But what about the ability to run for office? Who really has that ability?”

Tag: councilwoman castillo

Telling a story about Councilwoman Castillo

PVD Councilwoman Carmen Castillo: the movie