The film Dolores, centering around Dolores Huerta, aims to share the Mexican-American labor rights activist’s life and work on the big screen. The documentary is directed by Peter Bratt, who wanted for Huerta to get her proper due.
“In the copious volumes written about legendary civil rights activist Cesar Chavez and how he formed the first farm workers union in America, there is comparatively little mentioned about Dolores Huerta, his equal partner and co-founder of the union, an equally formidable labor leader and civil rights organizer who had fought (and to this day still fights) tirelessly for the liberation of workers, women, and immigrants for nearly seven decades,” Bratt said in a press release. “Why was this? What had happened? Was her story lost accidentally, or left out deliberately? Why had she been erased? It didn’t make sense. But it made for a great story.”

The film features interviews with farm workers, scholars, politicians, historians, 10 of her 11 biological children, and Huerta—sharing her own story, in her own words. In January, Latino USA interviewed Huerta at Sundance.
“That’s why they call it HIS-tory, history, right? Because the women’s movement per se has been much written out of history and we would hope that would change some day,” the 86-year-old activist told Latino USA . “Hopefully, we’ll have a better educational system where women’s contributions to history can be told… ethnic studies, labor studies and all the contributions of all the people that are kind of marginalized, will be included in our history books.”
With Dolores, Bratt is aiding in sharing a story of a person that may have otherwise been just a note at the bottom of the page in current textbooks.
“In this consolidated, never-before-seen collection of personal memories, historical documentation and compelling first-person narrative, Dolores Huerta emerges as more than just a footnote to 20th century America—she proves to be a true American hero,” Bratt added. “And like many great figures held in an equally high regard, she is also revealed to be utterly mortal, a woman whose unconventional choices and personal sacrifices expose her humanity.”
Dolores will screen on September 1 at the IFC Center in New York City and September 8 at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles. For more dates and cities, visit the official website.