The University of Arizona Press
September 1, 2026
In September 2024, when we first published Tim Z. Hernandez’s memoir They Call You Back, the author took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us. In celebration of the paperback version of this book, we asked him additional questions about his research and writing related to the Los Gatos Canyon plane wreck and his documentary film project.
What inspired you to begin your research into the plane wreck at Los Gatos Canyon?
I was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley where the incident took place, and I’m the son of migrant farmworkers. As a storyteller I’m always paying attention to the stories that come my way, and I believe i was standing in the right place at the right moment in history, enough to be aware that there was something powerful and moving about this story.
Why did you start filming your interviews with the families of the victims, as well as recording your own thoughts during the research journey?
I was aware very early on that there was no archive that existed about this piece of history, which meant that I was essentially
creating the archive myself. Therefore, everything I did would become a record of the story. This is the main reason I began
carrying around a camera, audio recorder, and later, a video camera.
Did you always have in the back of your mind that you would make a film, or did that decision come after writing the books?
After a couple of years of doing the research it occurred to me that if I accumulated enough footage and materials, there was potentially a documentary in this down the road. If i could sustain it. And it turns out I could. But I wanted to finish the books first, so I focused on that. But I was always keeping in mind as I went along that I was also collecting footage and audio for a documentary.
How does the film complement the stories in your books, All They Will Call You and They Call You Back?
It’s absolutely complimentary. Whereas the books allow me more room to delve into the details of the people, the history, and the stories, there’s still nothing like seeing the raw human essence with your own eyes that only film can offer. The documentary will bring the people and their stories to life, but the books will contain the deeper narrative behind what you’ll see in the documentary.
What was the most challenging part about making a film?
The funding is always the most challenging part. And then i’d say finding the right team to help me realize the film. I had spoken with several producers and filmmakers over the years but none felt as invested in the story as I had wanted/ needed them to be, so i remained patient and knew the right people would come into my life eventually. They since have and we’ve been nonstop ever since. And I have to say, the editing too was a scary process. Cutting 200 hours of footage into a digestible 90 minutes isn’t an easy feat, but our Editor has a ton of experience and he’s handling it masterfully.
What is the projected release date for the film and where can people watch it—on tour? On PBS? On Netflix?
We’ll be submitting to film festivals first, and if we can’t secure a distributor that way then we have back ups plans. But right now that’s the first goal, submitting and seeing if it gets picked up. We’ll also host screenings in various cities and communities across the country, so the best way to keep updated on all that is through our website: www.alltheywillcallyou.com
Tim Z. Hernandez is an award-winning author, research scholar, and performer. His books include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and he is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Book Award. His work has been featured in international media, and in 2018 he was recognized by the California Senate for his work locating the victims of the 1948 plane wreck at Los Gatos, which is chronicled in his book, All They Will Call You. Hernandez is an associate professor in the University of Texas at El Paso’s Bilingual Creative Writing program. He is the writer and director of the documentary film All They Will Call You.
