Eva Longoria's directorial debut showcases latino talent

Eva Longoria, the renowned actress and activist, has made her directorial debut with the film Flamin' Hot, now available on Hulu and Disney+. 

The film centers around the true story of Richard Montañez, the creator of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, portrayed by Jesse Garcia. Longoria identified with Montañez's journey, having faced her own share of skepticism and obstacles as a woman and a minority in the film industry. 

Talking about the film, Longoria, who stepped into the director's chair without hesitation, stated, "I'm the only person who can tell this story," expressing her strong belief in her ability to bring the narrative to life.

She boldly took charge of the project, stating, "I made them give it to me, and they did."

Longoria's vision for Flamin' Hot went beyond the chip itself; she aimed to depict Montañez's remarkable rise from a gang member and janitor to a prominent marketing executive at Frito-Lay.

Understanding the importance of authentic representation, Longoria felt the weight of responsibility in showcasing the Latino community accurately. In order to achieve this, she assembled an entirely Latino crew.

Longoria acknowledged the scarcity of opportunities for the Latino community to lead, write, and direct films, saying, "If my movie fails, people can say, 'Oh, female filmmakers don't really work.' Or, 'Oh, we tried to do a Latino story that one time and nobody showed up. It didn't work.'"

Longoria and writer Linda Yvette Chávez made deliberate efforts to depict the complexity and humanity of these characters.