Isleños, a root of America

Louisiana, 1977. South of New Orleans, surprising news about a historic discovery is about to shake the residents of St. Bernard Parish, a quiet, rural community that has lived together since its founding in 1778, sharing a foreign language and some unusual traditions. The county historian reveals the discovery: the St. Bernard Islanders—as they call themselves—are descended from 18th-century Spanish emigrants from the Canary Islands. A missing link in the history of Spain, hidden until now, reappears. The news shocks the entire community. The dark years around the origin of this town dissipate, building a bridge to the past of two nations. This amazing adventure begins two hundred years ago, when 2,500 Canarians arrived in Louisiana to defend the territories of the Spanish Crown against the English; and continues today, where we still find the traditions, language, gastronomy and Canarian identity in this community, proud of its origins and embarked on a constant fight to prevent them from falling into oblivion.

56 min

Direction: Eduardo Cubillo Blasco Screenplay: José Amaro and Guillermo Cubillo Executive Production: Eduardo Cubillo and Jonathan Cabrera Asensio Production: Jonathan Cabrera Asensio and Óscar Cubillo Associated Production: Alejandro Cabrera and Dalay Padilla Production Manager: Chaxiraxi Leal Production Assistants: Javier Manrique de Lara and Ainhoa Lauch Production Assistants in Louisiana: Glen Meneses, Rhonda Hannan, William Hyland, Hazel Elizabeth, Adriana Lainez Art Direction: Alejandro Cabrera Photography Direction: Guillermo Paz and Tarek Serraj Camera Operators: Dalay Padilla, Guillermo Paz, Tarek Serraj, Alejandro Cabrera Edition: Eduardo Cubillo Editorial Assistant: Guillermo Cubillo Video and Sound Post-production: Iván Delgado and Eduardo Cubillo Motion Graphics: Iván Delgado Sound Technician: Eduardo Cubillo Translation and Subtitles: Chaxiraxi Leal and Guillermo Cubillo Research and Documentation: Jonathan Cabrera Asensio, José Amaro, Guillermo Cubillo, Chaxiraxi Leal, Alejandro Cabrera Interviews: Guillermo Cubillo Interview Transcript: Chaxiraxi Leal Interviewed: Lloyd Serigne, Dorothy Benge, William Hyland, Tony Fernández, Dale Phillips, Steven Stupinal, Tim Pickels, Paul Newfield, Rodney Asavedo, Kirk Serigne, Paul Serigne, Paul Lagearde, Terry Alfonso, Cinda Melerine, Bertin B. Esteves Jr., Arnold Rodrigues, Robert Núñez, John Joice, Wade Falcon, Junior Rodriguez Music: Scott Billington, Benito Cabrera, Eduardo Cubillo, Daniel Toledo, Javier Manrique de Lara, Carlos Arocha, Iván Delgado