OUR MISSION
Palomino Productions wants people of different cultures to understand and appreciate each other, and our producer/director, Eve A. Ma, often uses the arts - especially music and dance - to tell our stories. We have filmed in Peru, Spain, and the USA and mostly produce documentaries but have some experimental work and one drama.
We are also aware of current problems and events. Several of our documentaries examine aspects of the black, and the Latino, experience or highlight immigrants. Our work is mostly in English but some is in Spanish with English subtitles. Some of our work has broadcast over over national PBS and other educational television stations.
FEATURED - IN HONOR OF ASIAN-PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
NOTE: For "Events," we make the film available on-line for 7-10 days exclusively for your members
AND we provide a one-time presentation: a Q&A with the filmmaker, an activity, or a panel discussion (can
include someone from your staff). We prefer using Zoom, avoiding travel costs on your part and travel on ours,
but can also do in-person. That said --
These are our three documentaries focused on Asian-Pacific Islanders: Yang Xiong (28 min.), Of
Beauty & Deities: Music and Dance of India (1 hr.) and Pearls from the Sea: Music & Dance of Tahiti
(1 hr.). We are currently in production on a fourth, The Many Facets of Sikh, with an expected
completion date of late 2024.
Yang Xiong (from the series Roots & Branches) (28 min.). This is a fascinating interview
with Yang Xiong,
a Hmong refugee from Laos. He recounts walking for days through the jungles to escape war, and other harrowing tales.
These struggles combined with what he saw in his community in America led him to become a social worker. The host, Jeff
Schoenhard, used to work in refugee camps - perfect choice for doing the interview.
LINK to trailer for the series.
Of Beauty & Deities (57 min.) focuses on an ancient, classical southern Indian dance tradition called
bharatanatyam as performed in California by young women trained by famous dancer K.P. Kunhiraman from India
and his American wife. Since the dance is a form of sign language, we used subtitles to translate one of the solo numbers.
The beautiful solo performance and the musicians are executed by artists brought over from India.
LINK to trailer.
In Pearls from the Sea: Music & Dance of Tahiti (57 min.) we are treated to the lively dances of Tahiti
performed by young women primarily from the Phillipines! Although not Tahitian themselves, the academy's directors have
studied for many years in Tahiti. The music provides an exciting element while the interviews and host's narration ensure
that this is not simply entertainment, but an actual glimpse into a fascinating culture. A short clip from the Polynesian
Cultural Center's Tahitian group in Hawaii rounds out the documentary.
LINK to trailer.
With these three films, we learn important things about cultural traditions, traditions which are too often overlooked.