Alumna’s documentary premieres at Court Square Theater on Thursday

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 courtsquaretheater.org/event/hola-paisano

A short documentary about the owners of Harrisonburg’s El Paisano Bakery, co-directed by peacebuilding grad Mariana Martinez ’21, will premiere next week at Court Square Theater. 

The 20-minute film, titled ¡Hola, Paisano!, follows the owners, Hugo Hernández 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’s national conversations about immigration.

“In short, it’s a slice of life,” said Martinez. “It 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.”

Martinez is originally from Honduras and moved to Harrisonburg with her family when her father, Luis Martinez SEM ’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 EMU. 

Along with Jess Daddio, co-director and director of photography for ¡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 @friendlycityfoodie Instagram account, had written a story about Latino restaurants in Harrisonburg and had interviewed the owners of El Paisano.

“She had a connection there, which helped create a rapport with them and allowed them to tell their story,” Martinez said.

¡Hola, Paisano!  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 courtsquaretheater.org/event/hola-paisano.

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