Milagro Cinemas is a new Latino-tailored theater in Norwalk

Moctesuma Esparza, the Latino director and producer, Emmy-award winner and community activist known for a series of iconic films, including Selena (1997), The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), Gettysburg (1993) and Gods and Generals (2003), is launching a new movie theater tailored for the Latino community called Milagro Cinema.

Esparza was born in East Los Angeles, where his love for films and cinema grew. One of Esparza’s most precious memories was seeing Chicano and Hollywood movies at the Orpheum Theater in Downtown L.A. Esparza and his father developed a tradition of going to the theaters once a week, the only day his father had off work.

“When I was growing up, my father worked six days a week, 12 hours a day and I only got to see him on his day off, which was Monday,” Esparza told CALÒ News. “That Monday, I cherished it. My mother died when I was a year and a half old, so the time that I got to be with my dad was very special.” 

Milagro Cinemas's entrance of parking lot.

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Brenda Verano

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This is the same feeling he hopes to evoke in Latinos and other people of color who step into Milago Cinemas, the new state-of-the-art theater located in Norwalk, where almost 70% of the population is Latino.

Milagro will be open to the public on Aug. 2 and will feature cutting-edge technology, including 4K laser projection, Dolby Atmos sound, recliner seating and motion seats. More than a state of the art theater, the location also hopes to be what Esparza called a “community hub,” where Latino families can enjoy movies, enjoy cultural food and browse through art installations and paintings from local artists.

“We want to make sure that the public knows that this space is for them. We've designed it so that you don't need a ticket to enter the lobby. The ticket control is far into the interior so all of the art installations will be available for the public to come and view,” Esparza said.

Esparza, who in the 1960s participated in the Chicano Movement, has found himself in the movie and film industries throughout the years.

His daughter, Tonantzin Esparza, worked on bringing Milagro Cinemas to life and said his father's dedication to the Latino community is what has fueled the project and what made her say ‘yes’ when her father asked for her support in bridging the theaters to fruition.

Tonantzin, among other things, worked on creating and curating the inside design, including the theater's logo, wallpapers and art installations. “I've been working with my father on and off, probably my whole life. The first time we worked together was on the film set of Selena. I was 16 years old and it was my first big job and he was producing the movie,” she said. “I've always been inspired by my father and his work in cinema and his dedication to the Latino culture.”

Mural painted by Robert Vargas.

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Brenda Verano

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Despite being underrepresented in films and television, Latinos continue to be avid moviegoers and the group with the highest per capita annual film attendance. As recently reported by The Wrap, Latinos have been the biggest movie ticket buyers this summer alone.

Esparza said he developed Milagro Cinemas with this in mind. The theater hopes to bring cultural amenities and food such as tacos, micheladas, beer and salsa. Milagro Cinemas will also support small local businesses in Norwalk whose products will be served and sold in this theater.

“We're really going to be paying attention to what this community wants to see, what are the titles that speak to our community and also bring some other independent films and popular films from Latin America, Mexico and other places,” Tonantzin told CALÒ News.

Margarita L. Rios, the mayor of Norwalk, said she is happy that the once-vacant lot will be occupied and that the shopping center where Milagros Cinema is located will be revived. “This is going to grow our economic footprint here in the city of Norwalk,” she said. “This will raise tax dollars, which give right back to our city and help grow and do even more for residents.”

Rios, who has been a Norwalk resident since 1989 and was elected mayor in 2017, is the first Latina to serve on the city council since 1992. She said one of the things that distinguished Milagro Cinemas from other business owners that set roots in Norwalk was that Esparza was intentional about building a relationship with the city since the start of his project.

“Sometimes businesses will come into the city of Norwalk and we won't know who they are immediately. A lot of the time, they want to come in and get all the permits they need done and everything that they need to do to cross those hurdles to set up a business, and as a mayor of the city, sometimes I come in after, [when] everything's already up or when they're opening,” she said. “This was different because I was here from the very beginning. One of the first things [Esparza] asked was how he could help Norwalk, how he could give back and contribute. I truly appreciate that.”

From left: Esparza, Rios, Tonantzi, and Vargas, next to the mural located inside Milagros Cinema.

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Martin Albornoz

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CALÓ News

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One of the key components of Milagro Cinemas is fine art in all of its forms. One of the largest permanent pieces inside the theater’s lobby is a mural of Esparza and his father, commemorating the multi-generational tradition of going to the movies, an image that came from several photos that Esparza had archived and kept throughout the years.

The mural was created by muralist and painter Robert Vargas, who was born and raised in Boyle Heights. The world-renowned muralist has painted murals all over the city of L.A. and has worked with agencies such as LA Metro, the city of L.A. and others. The sixth-generation Mexican American Angeleno with indigenous heritage has been painting the mural inside Milagro Cinemas since June.

Vargas said the idea for the creative process behind the mural stemmed from conversations with Esparza, who shared with him stories about his childhood and the ways cinema has impacted his life since he was a kid. Vargas also shared that, in the beginning, the idea was to create a mural with images that represented Latino culture, but that quickly changed when he heard Esparza’s story. “That in itself is Latino culture and heritage,” he said.

“I heard the stories from his childhood. It was very clear to me what the image would be and through some research and some reference photos, I created my own kind of image,” Vargas added.

For Tonantzin, who never met her grandfather, who is depicted in the mural, seeing the painting come to life has been healing and a “full circle moment.”

“I didn't get to know my grandfather because he died when I was 18 months old. I didn't get to know him, but seeing this mural come to life has been very emotional for me,” he said.

Milagro Cinemas is located at 13917 Pioneer Blvd. in Norwalk.

This story was produced by CALÓ News, a news organization covering Latino/a/x communities.