| THE BRICK PEOPLE |
| A Documentary By Brick People Productions |
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Alessandra |
Michael Kirsch |
Art Kirsch |
Alejandro Morales |
| THE BRICK PEOPLE traces the growth of California from the 19th to the 20th century through the founding and success of the Simons Brick Factory. This is also the story of Mexican immigrants who were the talented workers who had the opportunity to have good jobs in the United States as well as be on the receiving end of exploitation by this paternalistic employer. You might never have heard of the Simons Brick Factory, but if you live in Southern California or San Francisco you have without a doubt walked by or been inside a building constructed with their bricks. ALESSANDRA MORALES-GUNZ is writing the screenplay and will direct. She was a film studies major at Columbia University and teaches Junior High School English in Orange County, California. Alessandra has intimate knowledge of the material as it is based upon her family history, captured in the book by Alejandro Morales, "The Brick People." Alessandra has several other screenplays in the works, including a powerful portrayal of photographer and revolutionary Tina Modotti, based upon the novel "Tinisima" by Elena Poniatowska. MICHAEL KIRSCH is the director of photography and heads the filmmaking team. Since graduating from Chapman University's film school, Mike has been a working professional, with credits including his editing work for the Academy Award nominated IMAX documentary“Dolphins” and camera related credits for a half dozen other IMAX documentaries. Mike has worked on many projects big and small, most recently shooting special effects for the upcoming Marc Forster directed thriller “Stay” and was a part of the crew that late last year shot a documentary on the headwaters of the Nile River in Ethiopia for an IMAX production company in Spain. ALEJANDRO MORALES is regarded as one of the leading Chicano novelists because of his skill as a writer and his understanding of culture. He was born in Montebello, California, in the barrio of Simons, home to one of several brickyards owned by the Simons brothers. Morales grew up in East Los Angeles where he attended elementary and secondary schools. He earned a B.A. from California State University at Los Angeles and an M.A. (1973) and Ph.D. (1975) from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Alejandro is presently a full professor in the Spanish and Portuguese Department at the University of California, Irvine.
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