Why I Made Rooted In Legacy
Some films begin with a script. Others begin with a place.
Rooted In Legacy: The Arboretum Journey grew out of my ongoing work with Arboretum San Antonio, but the story really began earlier when the global design firm Sasaki was responding to the Arboretum’s Request for Proposals to design and plan the future site. Sasaki brought me on, along with my frequent collaborator and assistant Sylvia Mizielińska, to photograph the landscape and surrounding environment as part of their proposal materials.
When Sasaki was unanimously selected for the project, they invited me to continue working with them as the Arboretum’s Visual Storyteller, documenting both the land itself and the process of developing the Arboretum’s Master Plan. Over the course of the following year, I photographed and filmed the site while also documenting a series of pop-up events, community input sessions, and surveys designed to help shape the vision for the Arboretum.
As the project evolved, so did the material we were gathering. Alongside photographs and footage of the landscape, I conducted interviews with Arboretum founder Henry Cisneros, board members, community leaders, historians, Indigenous leaders, and residents who shared their perspectives on what the Arboretum could become for the city. Drone footage captured by Oscar Williams added another layer to the story, revealing the site from above and situating it within the larger San Antonio landscape.
Out of that growing archive of images, conversations, and observations, the idea of creating a documentary began to take shape. The film was produced in collaboration with Andy Sell and Anna Cawrse from Sasaki, while I wrote, shot, directed, and edited the project.
The film was further brought to life through the work of several talented collaborators. The voice-over narration was performed by actor Eduardo C. Garza, whose voice helped guide the story and tone of the film. The original musical score was composed by Federico Chávez-Blanco, adding emotional depth and atmosphere throughout the documentary. The film also features the poem “Rooted In Legacy,” written by poet Anthony “The Poet”, created specifically for the project. Additional support on the production came from production assistants, Sylvia Mizielińska, Ron Garcia and Amanda Rodriguez, whose work helped bring the film to completion.
The result is Rooted In Legacy: The Arboretum Journey, a film that explores stewardship, community vision, and the long relationship between people and the land they inhabit. I’m grateful that the film has been connecting with audiences on the festival circuit, and I’m excited to share that it has been selected to screen at the Indie Doc Festival at GTV the weekend of March 27th In Austin, TX
It’s always meaningful to share a story rooted in San Antonio with different audiences in other cities, and I’m looking forward to sharing the film and celebrating the many people whose voices and work helped shape it.