As an award-winning actress, director, producer, entrepreneur, and activist, Eva Longoria Bastón has become one the most significant trailblazers behind the camera. For over a decade, she has been directing and choosing projects that have purpose and are focused on elevating the stories of the Latinx and other underrepresented communities. Longoria Bastón’s past television directing credits include the “ESPN 30 for 30” documentary “Versus,” as well as episodes of “Ashley Garcia: Genius In Love,” “Grand Hotel,” “Black-ish,” “The Mick,” “LA to Vegas,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Telenovela,” “Devious Maids” and “Latinos Living the Dream.”

“La Guerra Civil” is screening at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which is running online from January 20-30. More information can be found on the fest’s website.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

ELB: “La Guerra Civil” (“The Civil War”) tells the story of boxers Oscar de la Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez, and delves into the historic bout between these two boxing giants. The movie explores the cultural divide this fight caused in the Mexican and Mexican-American households.

It is a story about how boxing is used for cultural expression, in this case, of who the Mexican and Mexican-American communities are, and how the power of sport can transcend those borders.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

ELB: I’ve known Oscar for years, and he was the one who actually approached me about directing the film. I remember the fight so well and what it meant to the community, but I wasn’t interested in doing a traditional boxing film.

What did interest me was discussing the identity issues that stemmed from this fight – what it meant to be “Mexican enough,” as well as what it means to straddle the hyphen of being a Mexican-American.

W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?

ELB: Given the distinct differences between these two men and their respective fandoms, nowhere has a rivalry been more intense while also uniting an audience to root for the art of boxing. Many of these same issues of cultural identity dramatically parallel what we are dealing with in our society 25 years later.

This is why I wanted to tell this story: to remind people that we can find commonalities amid our differences, to bring us back together and tackle some of the hardest issues our communities face.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

ELB: Given the nature of the film, I really wanted to lean into the intimacy of interviewing my subjects, in addition to archival footage. We made this film in 2020. To achieve that intimacy, I knew I wanted to be in the room with our subjects to make sure we got the breadth of representation on screen.

We encountered various challenges and multiple spikes in the pandemic throughout our shoot, but fortunately we were able to shoot most of the interviews in-person, as everyone was eager to share their memories and talk about the significance of the fight and what it meant to them.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

ELB: Oscar had been having convos with DAZN about doing a film prior to me coming on board, so I wasn’t involved in those conversations. DAZN were a natural partner for the film, thanks to their fantastic pedigree in boxing and telling stories of global significance.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

ELB: I like to think that I am a director and producer who fell into acting. When I was shooting “Desperate Housewives,” I was always so interested in what the director and crew were doing that I took every opportunity to ask questions and learn, and eventually I was given the opportunity to direct.

As a producer, my production company and I are focused on projects that elevate the stories of the Latino and other underrepresented communities – and to build a pipeline of talent from a talent pool that is not often used enough in our industry.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

ELB: It wasn’t advice as much as a mantra I live by. It’s a quote from Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I like to encounter people and leave them with a good feeling, a positive feeling.

W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors?

ELB: My advice to any new director is to believe that you are ready when the moment comes. I think we often are afraid that we don’t know enough in that moment, we aren’t ready. In reality, we are always ready for that opportunity. Say yes to it, and believe in your own talent and potential. You only learn by doing, so go out and just do it already.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

ELB: Anything Ava DuVernay does is my favorite. Her gravitation towards strong female characters, whether in “When They See Us” or “A Wrinkle in Time.” Her commitment to telling stories of racial injustice in an effort to shine a light on the issues her community faces is something to be applauded. She has something to say and she says it with her filmmaking.

W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?

ELB: The last two years have been unlike any other. I’ve been privileged enough to be able to continue my work and have been incredibly fortunate to not only act in several projects, but also direct two films, “La Guerra Civil” and “Flamin’ Hot,” which we are currently editing for Searchlight. But much of my time during the pandemic has been raising funds and attention to frontline workers, healthcare workers, and of course farmworkers. We didn’t need a pandemic to tell us farmworkers were essential. They show up every day throughout the pandemic, often without PPE or vaccines, just to keep our food system going. They are real heroes.

W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color on screen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make it more inclusive?

ELB: Representation on screen matters as it shapes not just how others see us, but also how we see ourselves. We need to see ourselves in storytelling and it is imperative that our media includes narratives that uplift all of our voices so the world can see the joy, the power, and the heart of our communities in ways that are still all too rare.