Sí se puede, sí se pudo. With Dolores Huerta.
David Ty Reza is Carmelo, the lead actor in the short film El Paisa.
His white ranchero outfit, his boots, his hat, makes his character look impressive.
He walks the streets of East L.A., captivating the other passersby.
He witnesses the beating of a young man, grabs the aggressor by the ear, giving the impression of being in complete control of the situation.
“What’s the deal with the punches, brother?” he says to one of the attackers.
And the attackers flee.
In real life, David Ty Reza did not flee from his life or identity.
His Mexican family is from the State of Mexico; he was born in North Carolina.
“My grandfather just said one day we’re leaving. They tell me they crossed inot the U.S. on a tire, very hardworking people. I was born in North Carolina; my parents worked in the fields and in factories. It was very difficult. I’m proud of that, but it was hell,” he says
In El Paisa, a film written and directed by Daniel Eduvijes Carrera and produced by Miguel Angel Caballero, he embodies a gay Latino who exemplifies his identity and courage.
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His father worked since he was a child.
“My grandfather spent his time playing cards, my father ‘working hard,’” he says. “I learned to work hard from them.”
David Ty Reza is an award-winning American actor. David starred in the award-winning indie feature El Camino, a movie adaptation of the novel Separated by Dreams written by Elizabeth Ann Guevara. El Camino was adapted for the screen and directed by Sean Daniel Bauer. David also starred in the award-winning short film The Immigrants. David’s theatre credits include Casa0101 Theatre: Bad for the Community, Eastside Queer Stories, Unmasking Hercules, and Sideways Fences. The Robey Theatre Company: Lessons Learned. Frida Kahlo Theatre: 10-minute play Festival. LATC: Encuentro de las Americas Patas Arriba. David is currently training with Ben Guillory at The Robey Theatre Advanced Scene Study, his bio states.
In El Paisa, a film written and directed by Daniel Eduvijes Carrera and produced by Miguel Angel Caballero, he embodies a gay Latino who exemplifies his identity and courage.
“What world do you live in?” he says when I ask him why he identifies as a gay actor. “The struggle as a Latino continues; it seems like we’re going backward, not forward. We have to throw ‘punches,’ fight for our space.”
Growing up in North Carolina was not very pleasant.
“Imagine, Americans didn’t like us. Since I was a child, I knew I was gay. My brothers and sisters were very athletic. I was not. Since I was a child, I knew I wanted to be an actor. I would practice and dream in the backyard by myself. I did my interviews and my performances. I dreamed; I was always a dreamer,” he says.
Being gay in North Carolina came with some community harassment, but he also got it from his family.
“We are all at peace now; they asked me for forgiveness. But imagine, if you think North Carolina was difficult, returning to Mexico was worse. We had no identity, neither from here nor there,” he says.
His parents divorced when he was a teenager.
“My father would go to work and I would take care of my brothers and sisters. I fed them, and took care of them. I was not aware of what was happening. I just knew that I had to take care of them. I did not think of myself,” he says.
He emphasizes his love for his father’s dedication.
“’I love my dad. I’m ‘el hijo de Papá’; I understand my mom. They got married very young. They did what they had to do,” he says.
And David reflects on all the life lessons in his work. He is a provider, fighting for social justice. His character in El Paisa reflects that.
“The situation of Latinos in Hollywood is changing. We need to keep pushing. Follow our dreams,” he says.
David’s dream was very clear. In his return to Mexico as a teenager, living in Toluca, he took a bus to Mexico City and knocked on Televisa’s doors; they did not let him in. At TV Azteca, they told him he was too young.
“I wake up happy every day; just breathing and living is happiness,” he says.
We can see David walking, as he does in El Paisa. Firm, with confidence. That boy who dreamed of being an actor already exists, and that sense of justice too.
“I hope I can film in Mexico one day. I want my father to see it, to have that experience,” he says.
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