1 month ago
When character Sonia Manzano goes retired successful public, bringing a hanky tin beryllium rather helpful. Fans thin to respond to her pinch heavy emotion.
They cognize and emotion Manzano from Sesame Street, nan show she graced arsenic Maria from 1971 to 2015, an bonzer 44-year run. Her effect connected American civilization — arsenic nan first Latina formed successful a regular domiciled connected nationalist tv — is explored successful nan documentary Street Smart: Lessons From a TV Icon, which conscionable screened astatine nan Miami Film Festival.
Director Ernie Bustamante spent nan amended portion of a decade connected nan project.
“I retrieve successful Los Angeles, we were having java 1 time and a female conscionable approached her and burst into tears,” he recalls. “I retrieve an executive did that complete a Zoom call, and it was because it’s specified an important portion of their life that she was a portion of.”
The film, which premiered astatine nan 2025 Bentonville Film Festival, traces Manzano’s travel increasing up successful nan South Bronx arsenic nan girl of Puerto Rican immigrants. She attended nan High School for nan Performing Arts successful Manhattan earlier enrolling astatine Carnegie Mellon University successful Pittsburgh. As an undergraduate, she caught glimpses of a caller children’s show connected PBS, Sesame Street, and earlier agelong would subordinate nan cast. Show executives offered only barebones guidance astir nan role.
“They didn’t springiness maine immoderate direction. They said, ‘Maria, it’s conscionable yourself,’” Manzano tells Deadline. “I was very self-conscious. I didn’t cognize really to do that.”
She adds, “There’s a awesome statement successful nan movie The Color of Money. I deliberation Paul Newman says, ‘You person to beryllium yourself connected purpose.’ And I deliberation it’s a awesome statement. And I conscionable kept peeling distant layers and emotion arsenic existent arsenic possible.”
Her authenticity would resonate pinch millions of viewers, including early head Ernie Bustamante. He first saw her connected TV “in nan 1980s,” he remembers. “I was increasing up and seeing Sonia Manzano and Emilio Delgado arsenic Maria and Luis connected Sesame Street. I’m Puerto Rican and Mexican arsenic well. And so, erstwhile I saw them connected television, it mirrored my ain parents… Rarely [had] I seen Latinos for illustration Maria positively portrayed connected television.”
Bustamante continues, “Maria connected Sesame Street was grounded and real, but she besides had a consciousness of humor. Her scenes pinch Oscar nan Grouch, and we spell into that successful nan film, really overmuch of a comedic duo they were. And successful mainstream television, Latinos are very often caricatures. Sonia moreover says it successful nan film, it’s still nan aforesaid aged story, and it still is today. And nan practice connected television… it’s benignant of stayed nan same, but it’s truthful refreshing to cognize that I had those TV domiciled models early on, and I ne'er forgot them.”
Manzano won 15 Emmys arsenic a writer connected Sesame Street, and successful 2016 she received a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy Award, an grant presented by different icon, EGOT victor Rita Moreno. At nan Miami Film Festival, Manzano earned MFF’s Impact Award, recognizing a profession that includes her pioneering activity connected Sesame Street and creating nan animated bid Alma’s Way for PBS Kids, for which she besides voices nan domiciled of Granny Isa.
“I’m very gratified and thrilled to beryllium honored,” she affirms. “This has benignant of typical meaning for maine because much group from nan Latin organization are honoring me. And so, I dream that erstwhile they opportunity that I person inspired them, that it inspires them to animate others.”
The documentary is screening astatine a clip erstwhile nan Trump management has attacked Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives that beforehand visibility and opportunities for minorities and taken an axe to nationalist tv which it views pinch ideological suspicion.
Street Smart: Lessons of a TV Icon, Bustamante says, “is a happy, inspirational story. And it’s 1 that erstwhile we beryllium down and watch pinch audiences, group are looking for inspiration and group besides are looking for a reminder of why practice is important… why inclusiveness is important. This is simply a awesome reminder of it, nan communicative of nan movie and nationalist media. If it wasn’t for nationalist media, a afloat formed characteristic of Maria wouldn’t exist.”
Manzano says, “People [looking for] a elemental reply astir why [they should] attraction astir diversity, why DEI is important, it’s because different group bring different solutions to nan aforesaid problem because they can’t thief looking astatine it from a different constituent of view. Therefore, solutions are quicker and faster, and that’s going to beryllium a unspeakable point to suffer erstwhile it’s a monoculture that galore are trying to support and embrace. We will not person nan answers that we request arsenic quickly arsenic we could.”
Street Smart: Lessons of a TV Icon has played astatine DOC NYC and nan Doc Soup Series astatine Hot Docs Cinema successful Toronto, arsenic good arsenic Bentonville and nan Miami Film Festival. “What we’re looking to do successful nan autumn are effect screenings,” nan head notes. “Simultaneously, I’m moving pinch my producers — 1 of them, Steven Canals, created Pose — and reaching retired [to distributors]… Ideally, it would beryllium awesome to person a broadcast connected tv because Sonia is known for being connected television.”
Bustamante adds, “Sonia intends a awesome woody to a batch of people. And so, nan talks that we are having are really encouraging.”
