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Fresh Air

Julio Torres Spins Immigration Stress Into Satire

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 β€’ 34.4K Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 11 March 2024

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Comic, actor and filmmaker Julio Torres came to the U.S. from El Salvador in his 20s. His new film, Problemista, draws from his personal experience struggling to get a visa. "This movie deals with the problem of immigration, but I think of it as a very silly, happy and joyful movie," he says. Torres talks with Terry Gross about his love of difficult people, collaborating with his mom, and getting started in stand-up.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

What does it mean to be black in America?

0:05.0

And NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths,

0:08.0

a collection of stories as varied, nuanced,

0:11.0

and dynamic as the Black experience you'll hear it means everything.

0:16.0

Search NPR Black Stories Black Truths wherever you get your podcasts.

0:22.0

This is fresh air. get your podcasts.

0:24.1

This is fresh air.

0:25.1

I'm Terry Gross.

0:26.6

My guest Julio Torres is a comic, actor, and writer.

0:30.3

You may know him from his comedy specials on HBO and Comedy Central,

0:34.0

from the short films he used to do on Saturday Night Live,

0:37.0

his bits as a correspondence on the Tonight Show,

0:40.0

and as a writer and actor on the HBO series Los Aspukies.

0:44.1

Now he's making his debut as a movie director

0:46.4

with his new satirical film Problemista,

0:49.1

which he also wrote and stars in.

0:51.5

Emma Stone is a producer of the film,abella Rossellini is the narrator Riza co-stars.

0:57.0

Problemista draws on Torres's own experiences as an immigrant from El Salvador trying to overcome the financial and bureaucratic

1:04.9

obstacles of the US immigration system. Torres plays an immigrant from

1:09.5

El Salvador whose visa is running out and needs a job, someone to sponsor him, and money for the

1:15.6

lawyers and fees that the renewal requires. Tilda Swinton plays Elizabeth, a potential

1:21.3

problem solver because she offers to sponsor him if he is able to get a museum

...

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