South Texas Gentle Men of Steel-Los Padres will have sneak previews Oct. 28-29

"When I go back to Spain, I'm going to be a stranger in my own country," said Father Epifanio "Epi" Rodriguez, OP, in a feature documentary, South Texas Gentle Men of Steel-Los Padres, which will be shown in two sneak previews at 1 p.m. Oct. 28 and at 6 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Little Theatre at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The documentary will be released next year.

"It's going to be very painful for me to leave," Father Epi said of ending 50 years of ministry in south Texas.

Father Epi's departure in the summer of 2013 and that of his fellow Dominican friar, Father Benito Retortillo, OP, ended the Dominican order's 82-year presence in San Diego, Alice and the surrounding area of central south Texas. But their work and that of their Dominican brothers had a profound impact on the lives of many Mexican-Americans, especially when they faced the harsh realities of blatant prejudice and discrimination.

The first friars arrived in San Diego from Spain in 1931, after the brutal persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico during the Cristero War, which had prompted the return to Mexico of the Clareritians who had been serving in San Diego.

The Spanish friars of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as Dominicans, did not lead with anger, but, rather, with a gentle presence that assured their parishioners of their human dignity and integrity. "They didn't join protest marches" of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Professor Manuel Flores said in the film, but they quietly encouraged the youth and activists to continue with their struggles against discrimination and for equality. They gave legitimacy to the Chicano movement, Dr. Flores, chairman of the Theater, Arts and Communications Department at Texas A&M University Kingsville, said.

"Our documentary includes a historical context," writer-producer-director, Father Armando P. Ibanez, OP said, "in order to illustrate the true contribution these Dominican friars made, and to illustrate that Mexican­ Americans faced rampant discrimination at one time in this country."

Father Ibanez--a Dominican friar himself--teaches at Texas A&M University Kingsville. He serves as Assistant Professor of Communication/Radio-Television. He is a native of San Diego and grew up in Alice. Father Ibanez is a former newspaper reporter of the Alice Echo-News and of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

"We should never forget so that it won't happen again," he said, "and so that we also won't discriminate against anyone else either."

The documentary, produced by Pluma Pictures, Inc., a non-profit film production company, delves into the historical and cultural milieu of central south Texas, as Fathers Epi and Benito share their experiences. Also, interviews with Alfredo Cardenas, writer and researcher born and raised in San Diego; Roberto Juarez, poet and retired postmaster; and Servando Hinojosa, visual artist and retired art teacher, play pivotal roles in the film.

"A unique component of our film is poetry," Father Ibanez--who is listed in the Dictionary of Literary Biography?--said. Original poetry--written by Father Ibanez--punctuates major segments of the film. Music also plays a critical role. Joe O. Barrera, a native of San Diego, named by the Hollywood Reporter as a film music composer to watch, is the documentary's music composer and supervisor.

Co-producer and award-winning editor and animator, Todd Schmidt, will attend the premiere.