Amancio: Documentary about Amancio Corrales, May 7

TUCSON (Observer Update) - A special event featuring a new documentary about Amancio Corrales, his family and friends, and how his murder was solved, will take place May 7, 7:30 p.m. at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway.

Sponsored by Wingspan’s Reel Pride, AMANCIO…Two Faces on a Tombstone. A documentary film will be shown. As a young boy, Amancio Corrales immigrated from Mexico to Yuma Arizona with his parents in search of a better life. Gay and Hispanic, Amancio dreamed of one day being a performer in Las Vegas, but his dream was cut short on May 6, 2005 when Amancio’s body was found floating in the Colorado River near Yuma. He had been brutally beaten and stabbed. He was just 23 years old. For the first time, the story of one man’s journey to seek justice for the murder on behalf of Amancio’s family and friends is revealed in this intriguing documentary AMANCIO...Two Faces on a Tombstone created by award winning documentary filmmaker Tom Murray.

Well known in clubs throughout northern Mexico and the Southwest for his performance work of female impersonation, Amancio was dressed as a woman the night he died. His amazing talent to recreate popular female singers on stage went above and beyond his contemporaries. While there seemed to be an initial flurry of interest in the murder, soon the incident began to fade from Yuma headlines. Was this a random event? Was this a hate crime? Would any evidence or clues be found that would lead to the murderer? Sensing that there was apathy on the part of local law enforcement area resident Michael Baughman became concerned, and believed that justice would not be served unless someone took action.

AMANCIO...Two Faces on a Tombstone contains interviews with Amancio’s family and friends and follows the three-year journey local activist Michael Baughman took seeking justice on behalf of a young man he had never met. Filmed in Yuma, one of America’s hottest and driest locations, the documentary offers a fascinating and poignant look into a community forced to confront issues not often discussed such as sexual orientation and gender expression. Could justice be served in this environment?

The filmmaker and other special guests will be present for a Q&A following the film. For more information go online to amancio-themovie.com.