PBS The Last Conquistador: controversy among people

The tallest horse sculpture work of art in the world was recently finished by John Houser.    The El Paso City Council had commissioned him to create a large-scale statue of the Spanish conquistador, Juan de Onate.  Onate may be to some degree of Basque descent.  Houser has dedicated his career to making larger than life public sculptures.  However, before even finishing this statue, he began to realize the public's reaction was turning into a community controversy.

In this film to be aired on PBS, The Last Conquistador, by filmmakers, John Valadez and Christina Ibarra, the mood and misunderstandings of the local people take main stage.  According to Valadez and Ibarra, the film is not so much abut the sculpture, but about the inabilities of people with different perspectives to listen and understand each other.

The documentary shows the chasm that is growing in the border town of El Paso, Texas between the Native American locals and other people in the town.  The Native Americans have had Juan de Onate’s story recounted numerous times through out their lives of the massacres, slavery and terror brought by the conquistador in the year 1598.  On the other hand neither Houser nor El Paso’s councilors intended harm, offense or conflict.  Valaldez and Ibarra delve deep and pose questions to the council.  Was the town council really surprised when protests emerged in the community?

To see when The Last Conquistador will air in your region please check the PBS website and also read more about this film, sculpture, community and issues.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/lastconquistador/