Discover the life and legacy of Luis Valdez, the groundbreaking playwright, filmmaker, and founder of El Teatro Campesino whose work transformed American theater and brought Mexican American stories to the stage and screen. From his roots in the farmworkers’ movement to the landmark productions of Zoot Suit and La Bamba, American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez explores how one artist used storytelling to challenge stereotypes, celebrate Chicano identity, and reshape American culture.

Presented in connection with the Autry’s exhibition Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles, this screening highlights the role of art and storytelling in shaping the city’s identity. Through his exploration of Los Angeles history, particularly the Zoot Suit Riots and the experiences of Mexican American communities, Valdez challenged whose stories are told and who gets to define the American experience.

Screening followed by a conversation with the director and film participants, led by film historian Luis Reyes

Directed by David Alvarado | Featuring Luis Valdez | Narrated by Edward James Olmos

Runtime: 92 mins

L.A. Stories on Screen brings together films from across decades and communities that reveal how the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness has been imagined, challenged, and lived in Los Angeles, extending the themes of the exhibition Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles.

Explore programs connected to Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles and other exhibitions across the museum—each offering a different point of entry into the histories, ideas, and communities that shape the American West.