''Cesar's Last Fast'' is a 2014 American documentary film co-directed and produced by Richard Ray Perez and Lorena Parlee. The film premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the

2014 Sundance Film Festival The 2014 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16, 2014 until January 26, 2014 in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Salt Lake City, Ogden, Utah, Ogden, and Sundance Resort in Utah. The festival opene ...

on January 19, 2014. Before the premiere of the film at

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

Pivot Pivot may refer to: *Pivot, the point of rotation in a lever system *More generally, the center point of any rotational system *Pivot joint, a kind of joint between bones in the body *Pivot turn, a dance move Companies *Incitec Pivot, an Austra ...

and Univision News acquired the TV rights to the film. The film will premiere simultaneously in English on Pivot and in Spanish on the Univision Network.

Plot

The film narrates the events of 1988, when

Cesar Chavez Cesario Estrada Chavez (; ; March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was an American labor leader and civil rights activist. Along with Dolores Huerta and lesser known Gilbert Padilla, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), ...

began his "Fast for Life," a 36-day water-only hunger strike, to draw attention to the horrific effects of unfettered pesticide use on farm workers, their families, and their communities.

Reception

The film received mixed to positive response from critics. Dennis Harvey in his review for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' said that "While not necessarily the definitive cinematic account of Chavez's life or the UFW movement, ''Cesar's Last Fast'' provides a well-crafted, sometimes stirring encapsulation." Justin Lowe of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' gave the film positive review and said that "A reverential perspective on America's renowned union founder and leader." Carlos Aguilar from Indiewire in his review said that "Touching, insightful, and extremely well crafted, Richard Ray Perez's work shows above all an admiration for a man whose life wasn't entirely his but of his people."

References

External links

Official website
* * 2014 films American documentary films 2014 documentary films Documentary films about labor relations in the United States Hunger strikes in the United States Toxic effects of pesticides United Farm Workers Films about activists Cesar Chavez 2010s English-language films 2010s American films English-language documentary films {{2010s-documentary-film-stub