DREAMTOWN
Dreamtown, Ecuador, generally known as Juncal,
in the region of Valle de Chota (Chota Valley)
Have you seen the film Hoop Dreams about African-American basketball talent being created in the
hood, aspiring to be stars in the NBA? Well, similar dreams are occurring communities around the
world, such as Juncal in Ecuador's Valle de Chota (or Chota Valley) region where international soccer stars are made. After Ecuador's impressive
performance in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup games, tourists from around the
world, including I, wanted to visit the very town that gave Ecuador a
respectable name in international soccer. However, my motives were
somewhat different.
As a hobby, I get hands on experience developing my Spanish by traveling, primarily
to black communities. in Latin-America. Juncal, in Ecuador's Chota Valley joined my list of places to visit, and I
finally arrived in December of 2009. I saw the soccer field where these
young aspiring stars are trained and was given the full scoop on the
community and their stars by three teens who were fascinated by the
presence of an African-American wanting to learn about their community. I
left Juncal feeling exhilarated after having met and chatted with
several members of the community. Even police officers who questioned my presence in their town were flattered and pleased. I gave everyone I met a post card of my home city, Oakland, and post card of the Obama family. A gesture very much appreciated in my travels.
Augustin Delgado, all-time top scorer for the Ecuadorian National Team,
who played professionally in Ecuador, Mexico and England.
As of this writing , the dreams of soccer stardom and wealth by young men in this
town are being made into a documentary called Dreamtown--the HOOP DREAMS
of Ecuadorian Soccer.
The producer Betty Bastidas puts it this way, it is an underdog
story with a universal theme that will move and inspire every person to
keep striving for their dreams no matter the odds or the
obstacles! DreamTown is about the thrilling
victories and tragic challenges that three young athletes face to secure
their dreams as they start out playing barefoot
in their impoverished town, and eventually to wealth and stardom in international
stadiums. Betty goes on to explain how these
players' hunger and
passion about soccer, a source of Ecuador's greatest pride, and the
great sacrifices they make for themselves, their families, and their community!
Excited young boys on the very soccer field that produced
international soccer legend Augustín Delgado
It's
been estimated that only 5% of Ecuador is of African descent and the
racism is rampant and glaring from my own observation during my visits to
this country on the Pacific coast. Yet over half of Ecuador's national
team that scored impressive victories in World Cup competitions were Afro-Ecuadorians
straight out of Chota Valley. One of these
players who rose from the impoverished dirt fields of Chota Valley to
the ranks of world class stardom was Ulises De La Cruz who donated much
of his earnings to promote land development of his hometown, which had been neglected by the
Ecuadorian government. Today, his donations and promotional campaigns
has resulted in new schools, hospitals, running water, and paved roads. He is inspiring others who come behind him to do the same.
Young men who gave me the lowdown on
their community and their soccer stars.
Ecuadorian-American
filmmaker and photographer Betty Bastidas holds a Master of Arts Degree
from University of California at Berkeley's School of
Journalism, and a degree in Documentary Photography from Salt Institute of Documentary Studies in
Maine. Her work has been exhibited internationally and she herself has
been the recipient of
numerous awards including the 2010 NALIP/HBO Documentary Award for
DreamTown, 2008 NALAC Fund for the Arts, the 2006 NYFA Photography
Fellowship, among others. Betty was recently selected to
attend the 2011 NALIP Producer’s Academy with the DreamTown documentary.
The Voices of Dreamtown--Trailer