150: “La Madrina” of the South Bronx

La Madrina: The [Savage] Life of Lorine Padilla profiles the South Bronx “godmother” who transitioned from life in the Savage Skulls street gang to become a beloved community activist. Filmmaker Raquel Cepeda tells a nuanced portrait of Lorine, drawing upon previously unseen footage captured in the 1970s and ‘80s for documentaries such as "80 Blocks from Tiffany’s" and "Flyin’ Cut Sleeves” that focused on Bronx gangs. Raquel wrote about her own New York upbringing in her memoir Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviews Lorine and Raquel along with the film’s executive producer Henry Calfant, a pioneering chronicler of the Bronx hip hop scene who produced “Style Wars” and directed “Flyin’ Cut Sleeves."

After a two year hiatus, Pure Nonfiction has resumed its live screening series at New York’s IFC Center. The spring season takes place on Tuesday nights through the end of May. This conversation was recorded before a live audience for the season’s opening night on April 5, 2022. If you’re in New York City, join us in person!