New Documentary Illuminates Life and Career of Rita Moreno
WDCB’s Gary Zidek catches up with filmmaker Mariem Perez Riera to talk about her new documentary, RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT.
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“It’s not until she makes WEST SIDE STORY that she realizes that the character that she was playing, Anita, was someone that she could look up to, so she started thinking of that character as someone she wanted to become,” - Mariem Perez Riera talking about the lack of representation in Hollywood in the early 1960s when Rita Moreno stars in WEST SIDE STORY.
Director Mariem Perez Riera
A new documentary sheds some much needed light on the life and career of actor Rita Moreno. Despite achieving acclaim for her star-making turn as Anita in the film version of WEST SIDE STORY, casual observers may not realize that Moreno is one of only 16 competitive EGOT winners in history. An EGOT means you’ve won at least one EMMY. GRAMMY, OSCAR and Tony Award. The new documentary, RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT, paints an intimate portrait of a true pioneer, who refused to give up on her dreams despite several hurdles that were constantly put in front of her. Moreno was born in the Puerto Rico, came to the U.S. as a child, began performing on stage as a teenager and never looked back. The 89-year-old is still working on major projects today, including Stephen Spielberg’s West Side Story remake.
RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT will be presented Monday April 12 as part of the 37th annual Chicago Latino Film Festival. And will get a wider theatrical release later this summer.
A photo of Rita Moreno behind the scenes of WEST SIDE STORY. Photo Courtesy of MGM Media Licensing
