Happy 71st Birthday, Gregory Nava! Born today in 1949 as Gregory James Nava, this American screenwriter, producer and film director is best known for his 1983 British-American independent drama film 'El Norte' ('The North').
When a group of Mayan Indians decides to organize a labor union to improve conditions in their village, their community is violently destroyed by the Guatemalan army.
Two indigenous teenage siblings, Rosa Xuncax (Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez) and Enrique (David Villalpando), manage to escape the Guatemalan massacre and decide to start a new life in El Norte -- the United States of America.
The two then trek through Mexico, meeting a variety of characters and facing trials and tribulations on their journey toward lives as illegal immigrants in Los Angeles, California, after an arduous journey.
The film's story had been conceived by Nava, who also co-wrote and directed for the screen. 'El Norte' first presented at the 9th Telluride Film Festival in 1983 in Telluride, Colorado. The following year, the film had a wide release was on January 11, 1984.
The film's story had been conceived by Nava, who also co-wrote and directed for the screen. 'El Norte' first presented at the 9th Telluride Film Festival in 1983 in Telluride, Colorado. The following year, the film had a wide release was on January 11, 1984.
Later that year, 'El Norte' was screened in the un certain regard section at the 37th Cannes Film Festival in May 1984.
The following year, it received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. This was the first time for American independent film to be so honored. This occurred at the 57th Academy Awards in late March 1985.
The picture was partly funded by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), a non-profit public broadcasting television service in the United States.
In his review, American film critic, historian, journalist, screenwriter and author Roger Ebert was pleased with Nava and German screenwriter, film producer and vegetarian cookbook writer Anna Thomas's work for co-writing and producing the film.
Ebert likened 'El Norte' to a classic film of yesteryear, writing: "El Norte (1983) tells their story with astonishing visual beauty, with unashamed melodrama, with anger leavened by hope. It is a Grapes of Wrath for our time".
In 1995, 'El Norte' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Nava is also known for writing and directing the 1997 American biographical musical drama film 'Selena', starring Jennifer Lopez.
Nava had married Anna Thomas in 1975. However, they were divorced in 2006. Nava didn't remarry again until 2013. He has two children.
Nava has been active from 1972–present.
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