91短视频

Date: Thursday, Dec. 18
Time: Screening starts at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Court Square Theater, 41-F Court Square, Harrisonburg
Cost: Tickets are pay-what-you-will
Online: Reserve tickets at

A short documentary about the owners of Harrisonburg鈥檚 , co-directed by peacebuilding grad Mariana Martinez 鈥�21, will premiere next week at Court Square Theater.聽

The 20-minute film, titled 隆Hola, Paisano!, follows the owners, Hugo Hern谩ndez and Berenice Rodriguez, two immigrants from Mexico, as they build a life, family, and a business through baking. It traces their beginnings, introduces their family, and places their experiences within the broader context of today鈥檚 national conversations about immigration.

鈥淚n short, it鈥檚 a slice of life,鈥� said Martinez. 鈥淚t touches on themes of family, the immigrant experience, the American dream, and what it means to run a bakery in Downtown Harrisonburg. It feels like a niche environment to document in, but it truly is a channel where you can see the life of Hugo and Berenice, their story, and their life.鈥�

Martinez is originally from Honduras and moved to Harrisonburg with her family when her father, Luis Martinez SEM 鈥�15, began attending Eastern Mennonite Seminary to earn a master of divinity. She graduated from Eastern Mennonite School and attended Hesston College for two years before transferring to 91短视频. 

Along with Jess Daddio, co-director and director of photography for 隆Hola, Paisano!, and Sarah Golibart Gorman, producer, the filmmaking trio met for the first time and began hashing out the idea in March 2024. Gorman, a writer for Edible Blue Ridge who runs the popular Instagram account, had written a about Latino restaurants in Harrisonburg and had interviewed the owners of El Paisano.

鈥淪he had a connection there, which helped create a rapport with them and allowed them to tell their story,鈥� Martinez said.

隆Hola, Paisano!聽 will screen with English and Spanish subtitles and will be shown at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the screening are pay-what-you-will and can be reserved online at .

A panel discussion with the documentary team and bakery owners will be held after the film, followed by cake to celebrate the bakery鈥檚 seven years in business. Afterward, attendees can continue the celebration at Broad Porch Coffee鈥檚 Latin Dance Night, which lasts until 11 p.m.