Alan Govenar | courtesy Valerio and Gregoria Pando visit the grave of their grandson, Esequiel Hernandez Jr., a U.S. citizen who was shot by a Marine who thought he was a drug runner.

Ten years ago, when 18-year-old student/goat herder Esequiel Hernandez Jr. was shot and killed by a U.S. Marine corporal, the small border town of Redford became a hotbed of controversy. Hernandez's death remains a point of serious contention, with some locals insisting that Hernandez — a U.S. citizen — posed no threat. The Marine, who was never indicted, was wearing camouflage and said he fired the shots because he thought Hernandez was a drug runner.

Years have passed, and though immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border remains a hot topic, the few people who remain in the West Texas village of Redford have all but been forgotten.

But the San Antonio chapter of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers is trying to keep their spirit alive. NALIP-SA, along with the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions, is screening the one-hour documentary, “The Devil's Swing,” on Friday, June 1.

The 1999 documentary directed by Alan Govenar focuses on the culture of La Junta de los Rios in the Big Bend region of Texas, which includes Redford residents.

With immigration once again a hot-button issue, Erik Bosse, the event's curator, said “The Devil's Swing” couldn't be timelier.

“It seemed to quiet down a bit after the (Hernandez) shooting,” Bosse said of immigration and border controversy. “But it seems to be coming back again with the immigration debate heating up.”

Among the many problems, according to Bosse, are drug-trafficking and the militarization of the Mexico border.

“There's constant harassment, various uniformed officials shaking people down,” Bosse said. “But there's a history of drug-trafficking, so there's paranoia from the agencies involved. It can be a very stressful place.”

CLINT HALE | 210SA