Elizabeth Camarena and Linda Renland, People on the Move Film Series

How do you change the way a community talks about immigration? Elizabeth Camarena and Linda Renland think one answer is a great documentary with a side of pupusas.

In this episode of Fresno’s Best, Jordan talks with two founders of the People On The Move Film Series. It’s a volunteer-run series that screens films about migration in Fresno and pairs each one with a panel and food. Elizabeth is a longtime immigration attorney who represented asylum seekers. Linda is a Norwegian-born migrant who has worked with refugees and immigrants across the Central Valley. They share:

• How the series started after a Maria Hinojosa talk at the Tower Theatre, just before the 2024 election, and grew into a first screening of All We Carry in January 2025 that drew more than 200 people
• Why they choose films that move past the simple “trauma to rescue” storyline, from the Afghan-refugee comedy Fremont to documentaries where the subjects help tell their own stories
• What film offers that books don’t: hearing people’s own voices, sharing the experience with a room full of neighbors, and having something in common to talk about afterward
• Their favorite places to eat in Fresno

Next screening: Mujer Mariposa, a documentary about three daughters of refugees and immigrants caught between cultures, languages, and generations. It’s on Wednesday, October 22, at Fresno City College. Doors open at 5:30 PM with food (pupusas, lumpia, and samosas), and the film starts at 6:00 PM. Afterward there’s a panel with the director, the cinematographer, and one of the women in the film, moderated by Dr. Kat Fortier of Fresno State. The event is free, with free parking, and all ages are welcome. Reserve tickets on Eventbrite and follow @peopleonthemovefilmseries on Instagram.