Emmy Award-winning director/producer Eric Drath is known for capturing stories about the entertaining sport of boxing. His 2010 film Assault In The Ring captured an Emmy for Outstanding Sports Documentary.

Drath has since produced other acclaimed films, including No Mas, which revolved around the controversial ending of the 1980 rematch between boxing greats Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán.
Showtime will air Drath’s newest project, Macho: The Hector Camacho Story, exclusively on Dec. 4. It speaks on one of boxing’s all-time greatest fighters and showmen.

Camacho ended his career in 2010 with a record of 79 wins, six losses, and three draws. No one ever stopped him during his 30-year career.
Camacho was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016. He shone brightly inside the ring, but he had dark moments outside it, ending with his tragic shooting death in November 2012.
Drath captures the ups and downs of the Puerto Rican boxing superstar in this highly anticipated documentary.
Percy Crawford interviewed Eric Drath for Zenger News.

Zenger: You have done a remarkable job with all of your documentaries, but your boxing ones have been really special. What made Hector “Macho” Camacho a subject for you, and someone who you wanted to dig deeper into his story?
Drath: Thank you! Well, Hector was one of those bigger-than-life characters from when I was a fan watching sports as a kid. I also had a great affinity towards him because he was a New Yorker, from East Harlem. He was just one of those guys that—there was a moment in boxing where he owned the sport! After Leonard and before Tyson, it was Hector Camacho. It was “Macho Time!” I just felt like nobody had done this story. And when he was killed and there were so many questions about his murder and the fact that it was unsolved, I just knew I had to.

Zenger: With “Assault In The Ring” you captured the good, bad, and the ugly of boxing. A “No Mas” hit on the controversial side of the sport. This one captures one of the greatest showmen in boxing history, and all his tragedy. What do you feel like viewers will take away from your documentary?
Drath: Just on what you said, he took what [Muhammad ] Ali started and quadrupled it. If there was a showman, I agree with you, it was Camacho. What do I think fans or viewers will take away from this? I’m not exactly sure, but I hope that they go on a ride, the Hector Camacho ride—from the humble beginnings in the Barrio to the top of the boxing world. And that they see that this man, as bright as he was, also had a dark side. Unfortunately, that dark side caught up with the light. It put the light out. What started as one of the brightest lights in boxing was darkened by his inner demons, which he could never fully run from.

 

Zenger: Boxing to a degree is a very dark sport, and secretive at times. You have been able to capture some great content in your previous two boxing documentaries, and I’m sure you did the same with “Macho.” The people that you reach out to, are they willing to talk and be open about these fighters and situations?
Drath: Oh certainly! You’d be amazed at how truthful people become when the cameras start rolling. The people that loved him, while they want to protect his legacy and his reputation, they also are true. What you find with Hector Camacho is, even though it was widely known that he had this dark side and this party life, it didn’t stop you from loving him. He never was not a sympathetic character. In his darkest moments, he was still a sympathetic character. And I think that’s why people kind of accepted—that’s who he was. So people were ready to talk about it because people want to celebrate it. It’s part cautionary tale and it’s part tragedy. And it’s also an inspirational story of someone who against all odds made it.
Zenger: In your research and your findings, did you learn anything new about Camacho?

Drath: Oh yeah! A lot of fun facts along the way. His biggest influence, believe it or not, is Bruce Lee. He loved Bruce Lee. That was something I learned. I learned a lot about his style and his early days of fighting and where he fought. One of the many things I actually set out to learn is about the circumstances of his murder. That was something that I felt was this open wound for the family, and we’re still living with it today. And it was that charge that kind of made me say, “I gotta find out more information here.”
Zenger: To have a Puerto Rican icon murdered in Puerto Rico, where he is or should be revered—and yet they seem no closer to solving the murder of Hector Camacho. Unbelievable to me.

Drath: Well, I did dig into that. And the sad truth is, if Puerto Rico can’t solve the murder of their hero of the streets, then whose murder can they solve? You’re right: If they can’t solve his murder, then what kind of luck are you are you going to have? Only about a third of murders get solved there. And they have the second-largest police force in all of the United States and its territories. They are second only to New York City. So they have this massive police force and they still can’t solve these crimes. and this crime.
Zenger: This documentary definitely appears to capture the highs, middle ground and lows of Hector Camacho. Did you sense that most of his problems came once his career was over, or do you feel like when he was at his highest point, things came too easily for him and his problems stemmed from there?
Drath: I honestly feel like you can’t pinpoint it. I even feel like in the beginning there was foreshadowing of what was to come. Even at the height of his career, there were moments where it was like, “Oh s**t, is he going to show up for the fight?” He had the networks scared. When he was on, there was nobody better. He was an unknown commodity at times. Which Camacho is going to show up?
Zenger: Showtime has this documentary exclusively. How did that come together?
Drath: I pitched it around and I talked to Showtime, and after one phone call, it was right away done. I gotta tell you, I could not be happier working with any other network. Showtime is a network that really cares about both the Latino community and about their fans and most importantly about boxing. They have just been a great network to work with. Stephen Espinoza, who is the president of Showtime Sports, is a remarkable executive who helped us in the making—in the sense of getting us great feedback and great ideas and notes. And also Vinnie Malhotra, who is out in L.A. They were just terrific. And I’m not just saying that because they funded it. They were truly great to work with.
Zenger: It premieres on Showtime on Dec. 4. What happens between now and Dec. 4 in terms of what’s going on with the film?

 

Drath: Believe it or not, we’re still kind of putting the final touches on it right now. With the film, putting on the graphics, mixing the music. We’ve got a month to promote it and talk about it, because we want as many people as we can get to see it. This is an important film for boxing fans and also for the Puerto Rican community, because he truly was a legend and is a legend for the Puerto Rican people and the people of Spanish Harlem, New York. And now more than ever they can use a shot in the arm. Puerto Rico has had a lot of hardships in the last eight years or so. He was killed eight years ago, Nov. 20. Well, he was shot.
Zenger: What is it about boxing that provokes you to want to do these documentaries?
Drath: I always have been drawn to the underdog no matter what. I’ve always rooted for the underdog. I mean, I’m a Mets fan, for crying out loud! Fighters usually come from hard lives, or what could be hard lives. They usually come from socioeconomically depressed lower-income families, most of the time. And they fight their way out of it. There is something so primitive yet beautiful about that. I think the sport can be so engaging. When you see a great fighter, it’s so athletic. I’m drawn to the sport because of its athleticism, and I’m drawn to the stories because of the underdog nature of them.
Zenger: I think documentaries like these show a side of humility. It shows that although fighters are looked at as brute-force athletes, they also have a sensitive side as well. I love seeing the side of fighters that documentaries like yours oftentimes showcase.
Drath: Yeah! I think that’s important. These are people. When I first started working with fighters I had no idea that they were some of the nicest, kindest and most humble human beings that I have ever met. You think fighters are going to be these angry, nasty guys, but they’re really not. This is a sport. And it’s a primitive sport, it’s a brutal sport, and they are true warriors. But almost every time, they are humble warriors.
Zenger: I cannot wait until Dec. 4 to see your work and to see this light be shed on the late great Hector “Macho” Camacho. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Drath: I really hope people tune in and watch this, and really relive that moment of light that Camacho shined on everybody, and on the sport of boxing. It was a moment where boxing shined, and there aren’t many showmen like that anymore. There’s a lot of guys that can fight, and there are a lot of guys that can show, but there’s not a lot of guys that can do both as well as Hector “Macho” Camacho.
(Edited by David Matthew and Daniel Kucin Jr.)

The post Director Eric Drath Brings Story of Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho to Life appeared first on Zenger News.

The post Director Eric Drath Brings Story of Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho to Life first appeared on .

By Elia Esparza

Option C is coming to the big screen! Triumphant accomplishment for actress Lourdes Reynolds (Colon) and her producer husband, Chris LaVoy. It’s been a journey full of ups and downs. The new film is based on Reynolds life story and how she confronted a diagnosis of cancer and her determination to use her vast knowledge of how the body functions to fight the fight of her life.

Whereas Reynolds and LaVoy’s 2014 award-winning documentary, Create Option C: My Journey with Cancer chronicles her death-defying determination to beat her stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on her terms, the new movie, Option C is the story of her life before cancer, her diagnosis and then how she got to the point where she convinced her husband to the difficult task of filming her ordeal, every step of the way.

When first diagnosed, Reynolds was at the height of her career—her first big break in Hollywood—having secured a series regular role on CBS hit series, Without A Trace. She was cast as Anna Rodriguez after impressing Casting Director Fern Orenstein, who saw her audition for a CBS diversity showcase.  Her other credits include: The District, Mercer (TV Pilot), The Journeys, Encounters, and Sin Fronteras among others.

In 2010, Reynolds’ was diagnosed and learned her body was riddled with the deadly cancer and was given only two options to consider: (A) Do nothing and die or (B) Accept the traditional treatments of toxic chemotherapy, and probably still die. She declined both opting to create her own option (C) only accepting more natural, holistic treatments. This decision shook her family and friends to the core.  Reynolds firmly believed that her only chance of survival was to go with natural treatments to cure herself versus the toxic chemical-laced medical practices that not only kill cancer cells but also every other cell and organ in its path.

Option C, a Starangel Film Productions, is slated to open at the end of 2019 or early 2020. Reynolds’ shared some details of her new film adventure:

LatinHeat: Tell us about Option C?

Lourdes Reynolds: Our new film is based on the true story of my life, primarily focusing on my life before and after my diagnosis and how I dealt with my healing and survival.

LH: How does it differ from your heart-wrenching documentary Create Option C, My Journey with Cancer?

LR: It is not just a narrative telling of the documentary that we made about my cancer. Option C is far more comprehensive, and reveals the emotional journey in a way that we couldn’t in the documentary. So other than a couple of clips from the documentary, the movie is its own story.

LH: How did the movie version of your story come about? 

LR: It just made sense especially from the overwhelming number of people from around the world reaching out to me for assistance with their own cancer.

LH: They saw your documentary—

LR: Yes. My story gave them hope and with cancer and deadly decisions, sometimes the lack of hope diminishes the will to fight. Also, there are the friends and family members who were dealing with cancer. Chris [LaVoy] and I had plenty of motivation to expand and reach a wider number of people in a way that my one interaction (documentary) was not. At first we decided to write a book. But as time went on, we got clear through many conversations with people in the industry that we needed also to make this a movie.

LH: So you decided to start writing—

LR: Yes, and everything just seem to fall into place as we wrote the script. 

LH:  Can you talk about the budget?

LR: The budget at this moment looks to be around $70 million. We’ve secured a private investor.

LH: Have you cast it?

LR: We have several actors in mind that at this time we cannot mention their names until we have all contracts signed and in place.

LH: Will you play yourself?

LR: I am playing myself and have a couple of my actor friends will also play themselves as they were a part of my journey—actors/filmmakers Yeniffer Behrens and Mauricio Mendoza. 

“I’m honored to have been part of her team #createoptionc the award-winning documentary. Now I feel humbled and privileged to be invited to join a stellar cast for Option C! – Yeniffer Behrens, Actress/Filmmaker

LH: Who are the writers, director, producers, and executive producers?

LR: My husband Chris [LaVoy] and I wrote the script together. Directing the film is the amazing three-time EMMY winner, Mary Madeiras. Chris, myself and along with two other award-winning producers—Augustin (Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life) and Casper Martinez (Urban Latino TV, Mega Especialies: John Leguizamo), complete our principal team.

LH: We understand you have some news on your documentary— after an expansive and successful grassroots campaign, did your baby get distribution?

LR:   Create Option C: My Journey with Cancer got distribution! A dear friend of mine watched the documentary and he asked about distribution. I let him know that we hadn’t gotten that far with the documentary. He then proceeded to say, ‘Create Option C should be out for the world to see. Let me connect you with a friend who has that connection.’ Long story short, Indie Rights Movie, a  distribution company watched our documentary and immediately got back to me and said that they were interested in distributing it. We are so happy and it should be in theaters this Spring, maybe March.

LH: That’s great, Lourdes! Congratulations!

LR: It was a long process and it would never have happened without the incredible support we received from the community, our friends and family. Chris and I are very happy for everyone involved in helping us bring to fruition our documentary.

LH: Going through your cancer ordeal — and it was a battle not many are able to survive, how has it changed you as a woman? As an actress?

LR: Going through this big C difficult phase made things in life clearer for me. It made me see what was important, understand why I got sick and how I can/could turn this around and show others how to avoid the disease and even how to turn it around for themselves. And, what it takes to do that. No easy thing, but ultimately this experience showed me the beauty in all life. I became vegan. Though when I have traveled or have been out with friends I have cheated a little by having eggs. But I must admit I can never take more than a bite from the eggs before I want to puke [laughs].

As an actress I feel it has really put me in a space of emotions where I tend to see the life I am reading and can suddenly feel that character’s world much quicker then I used to.   

LH: Any other projects premiering soon or coming in 2019? Tell us about them.

LR: In 2019, I look forward to making the true story Option C, and I’m also looking forward to the release of our book “Our Journey to Option C.” We are in the middle of a few film projects that we plan on getting off the ground along with a TV series titled Fly. I also did a few shorts that will be touring the 2019 film festivals. One short, In Terms of Us, I had the honor of playing actor/director Roberto Sanchez’s cousin.  I loved the story and working with Roberto was honestly so great. Another film I also worked on is Broken Innocents, co-starring with Oscar Torre and Roberto Sanchez.

Also for 2019, it is my hope to work on films and play characters that are female-driven especially characters of women who have made a stance in life. I’d love to see more roles of women who stand in power and not just the wife or secretary unless she kicks butt at night while the world is sleeping!

LH: What is it that you hope people will get out of watching your film? OR what do you hope is the film’s core message?  

LR: I hope people get that there is a cure and cancer is not something to fear but instead understanding cancer and why it started in the first place is our first defense. I want them to know that we control in either turning on that gene or keeping it off. And that’s with any health issue. That fear only gets in our way of healing. 

Thank you, Lourdes Reynolds!

Follow Lourdes on Social Media:

Facebook CreateOptionC

Instagram lourdesreynold

Twitter @LourdesReynold

Hastags: #optionc #ichooseoptionc #vegan

The post Lourdes Reynold’s Death Defying Tale Gets Greenlight first appeared on .