THE DIRECTOR:

I’m a filmmaker and storyteller drawn to the weight of memory, history, and forgotten places. I’ve always believed that stories—especially the ones we’re in danger of losing—deserve to be heard and seen with care. For me, this is part of a more profound commitment to historical justice: acknowledging the lives and voices that have been overlooked and creating space for them to be remembered with dignity and respect.

As a Latino and someone with dyslexia, I’ve had to navigate filmmaking and research on my own terms. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s taught me how to listen differently—more slowly, more carefully, more fully. That sensitivity shapes how I tell stories: grounded in empathy, rich in texture, and honest about what has been lost.

RUSTED is my thesis film, but it’s also my way of contributing to the preservation of working-class memory and to a more profound reckoning with the costs of industrial decline. This is a labor of love, built from the ground up—and I’ll keep going, step by step until it’s done.