Run, Tecato Run

Run, Tecato, Run is the last of three low-budget social problem films by Efraín Gutiérrez—all restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Gutiérrez—the first Chicano feature director—not only starred in these films, but developed a grass-roots distribution strategy that allowed him to outperform Hollywood releases in several cities. Based on true incidents, Run, Tecato, Run depicts a junkie's efforts to get off heroin in order to reclaim and raise his daughter. Produced for $60,000, the film explores the connections between the Vietnam War, drug addiction, and crime—juxtaposing these against Mexican American family, culture and spirituality.