[ ♪♪ ] COMING UP OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS ON ARIZONA HORIZON, COVID CASES ARE INCREASING AS THE HOLIDAY APPROACHES AND THE CONCERN OVER A LACK OF TREATMENT OPTIONS AND HOW THE COVID VACCINE COULD BE TEARING SOME FAMILIES APART AND THAT'S ALL AHEAD IN THE NEXT HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS.

ARIZONA HORIZON IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HACUS FOUNDATION.

>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

ENCOURAGING COVID NEWS, PFIZER TODAY ASKED FOR EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FROM THE FDA FOR ANTIVIRAL PILL TO TREAT COVID-19 AFTER INTERIM ANALYSIS SHOWING AN 89% REDUCTION IN THE HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATH IN PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE CASES OF COVID AND THE NEW PILL IS CALLED PAXLOVID WITH AN OLDER DRUG WITHIN THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF COVID SYMPTOMS TO BE EFFECTIVE.

AND THE DAY'S REQUEST SUGGESTS A LAUNCH OF THE THERAPY IN THE COMING WEEKS AND ARIZONA REPORTED MORE THAN 3200 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 TODAY AND THAT CONTINUES AN UPWARD TREND IN RECENT WEEKS AND THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES WITH 83 NEW DEATHS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE ON THE INCREASE AND WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE ON COVID IN ARIZONA IN JUST A MOMENT.

CALLS IN CONGRESS TODAY FOR REPUBLICAN HOUSE LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY TO HOLD PAUL GOSAR RESPONSIBLE FOR POSTING AN ANIME VIDEO POSTING BIDEN AND CORTEZ AND THEY WANT HIM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT GOSAR.

>> NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND PERHAPS KEVIN MCCARTHY SHOULD TAKE STEPS TO HOLD GOSAR ACCOUNTABLE AS OPPOSED TO FENDING OFF CRITICISMS WITH SANCTIONING THE 13 REPUBLICANS TO FIXING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS.

>> LATE WORD THAT THE HOUSE WILL VOTE ON CENSORING GOSAR IN WHICH CORTEZ SERVES.

>>> THE HOMELAND SECURITIES INSPECTOR GENERAL DECLINED TO INVESTIGATE AN INCIDENT IN SEPTEMBER INVOLVING MOUNTED BORDER PATROL AGENTS CONFRONTED AND CHASING AGENTS NEAR DEL RIO TEXAS AND NO REASON WHY THE INSPECTING GENERAL DECLINED THE REVIEW AND A SEPARATE YEAR AT DHS IS ONGOING AND A NUMBER OF AGENTS REMOVED FROM BORDER DUTY.

>>> HOME DEPOT REPORTED A 10% JUMP IN SALES WITH CUSTOMERS SPENDING 13% MORE ON EACH VISIT THAN ONE YEAR AGO AND TODAY'S SALES EXCEEDED ESTIMATES AND REFLECT A CONTINUED RED HOT HOUSING MARKET AND LOWE'S WILL SHOW SIMILAR FIGURES REPORTING EARNINGS TOMORROW.

>>> AND A RUSSIAN ANSWER SATELLITE TEST WAS DESTROYED ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S OWN SATELLITES AS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SPACE DEBRIS WHICH COULD THREATEN THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND SATELLITES IN LOW ORBIT AND GRAPH ISSUES ARE IN ORBIT AND 95% OF THE OBJECTS ARE DEFINED AS DEBRIS AND EVERYTHING FROM OLD ROCKET STAGES TO PAINTS OFF OF SPACE VEHICLES.

THE CONCERN IS THAT THESE OBJECTS WILL HINDER FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS.

>>> AND AS WE MENTIONED COVID CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS ARE ON THE INCREASE IN ARIZONA AND WE ASKED WILL HUMBLE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHY ARIZONA'S COVID NUMBERS ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU IN STUDIO AND A LOT TO TALK ABOUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS IN ARIZONA AND WHAT IS GOING ON?

>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

THIS DELTA WAVE, I EXPECTED TO BEHAVE LIKE THE PREVIOUS THREE WAVES WHERE IT COMES UP AND GO DOWN.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT TWO OR THROW WEEKS AGO, HOW IT CAME UP AND LEVELED OFF AND NOW, IT'S LOOKING LIKE AN M, SORT OF, GOING BACK UP AGAIN AND I JUST WANT WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A MAJOR CHANGE IN POLICIES AND IN THE LIKE THE GOVERNOR HAS DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY.

AND SO, ULTIMATELY, IT COMES DOWN TO HUMAN BEHAVIOR.

I MEAN THAT'S WHAT THIS VIRUS LIVES OFF OF, HUMAN BEHAVIOR.

SO PEOPLE ARE BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY, WHATEVER THAT IS.

AND THAT'S GIVING THIS VIRUS MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SPREAD AND AMONG ALL AGE GROUPS, NOT JUST KIDS, YOUNG ADULTS, OLDER ADULTS, SENIORS.

IT'S EVERY AGE GROUP GOING, REALLY, EXPONENTIALLY UP RIGHT NOW.

>> BREAK-THROUGH CASES UP, TOO.

>> NO -- WELL, YES, GOING UP, BUT NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE'RE SEEING.

THESE ARE STILL DOMINANTLY, YOU KNOW, INFECTIONS AMONG UNVACCINATED PEOPLE.

>> SO STILL A PANDEMIC OF THE UNVACCINATED RIGHT NOW?

>> YEP.

>> AS FAR AS BOOSTER SHOTS, WHAT DID WE KNOW BECAUSE I KNOW PFIZER, YOU CAN GET THEM AT THE CORN DRUG FOR AND ADVICE?

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOSTER SHOTS AND WHEN TO GET THEM AND WHICH ONE TO GET?

I GOT MY BOOSTER SHOT LAST FRIDAY, A FEW DAYS AGO AND THE COMPELLING THING FOR ME WAS A NEW STUDY THAT CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT A VA STUDY LOOKING AT THE WANING STUDY.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON AND PFIZER AND SHOWED AT THE EIGHTH-MONTH MARK IT DROPS OFF IN TERMS OF PROTECTION AND INFECTION.

STILL ROBUST IN HOSPITALIZATIONS DEATH, BUT THAT EIGHT-MONTH MARK IS THE TURNING POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT GETTING ONE OF THE BOOSTER SHOTS.

MIX AND MATCH IS FINE AND IF YOU CAN'T FIND THE ONE OR MIX IT UP IS FINE, TOO.

>> YOU GET THE BOOSTER ONE IT'S 30-GRAMS.

>> YES.

>> WE SEE THE MODERNA IS PROVIDING MORE DURABLE PROTECTION DIDN'T THEY BOTH STARTED OFF 95% EFFECTIVE AND MONTH AFTER MONTH, WE SEE THE MODERNA PROVIDES MARGINALY PROTECTIVE AGAINST INFECTION AND EQUALLY PROTECTIVE WITH KEEPING YOU OUT OF THE HOSPITAL OR DYING?

>> NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF THE LARGER DOSE?

>> ALSO MODERNA HAD A 28 DAY VERSUS 31 AND I THINK IT'S THE BIGGER MRNA DOSE.

>> 20 MORE MICROGRAMS SHOULDN'T MAKE THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE.

>> CORRECT.

>> ARIZONA IS THE ONLY STATE WITH COVID AS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.

YOU'VE BEEN BIG ON THIS IS MAKING NOTE OF THIS AND WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

>> WELL, TWO MAJOR REASONS.

NUMBER ONE, OF COURSE, THE DECISION THAT GOVERNOR DOOCY MADE THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC AND IN PARTICULAR IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY BETWEEN 20 DIDN'T 2021, THE HUGE SURGE WHERE THE BARS, RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTCLUBS WERE OPEN WITHOUT ANY MITIGATION, BASICALLY NO ENFORCEMENT WHICH REALLY, MITIGATION MEASURES WHICH AMPLIFIED THAT VIRUS AND THE HOSPITALS -- REMEMBER IN JANUARY, 65, 75% OF BEDS WERE INDIVIDUAL AND THEY WERE SHUT OUT AND ONE ASPECT IS THE DECISIONS MADE AND ANOTHER REASON WHY IS BECAUSE ARIZONA HAS HAD DECENT TOBACCO VOTE, NOT GREAT, BUT DECENT TOBACCO CONTROL OVER THE DECADES.

REMEMBER THE TOBACCO PREVENTION ACTS AND SMOKE-FREE ARIZONA ACT AND HEART DISEASE AND CANCER RATES ARE LOWER THAN MANY OTHER STATES AND THOSE ARE COMPETING THINGS.

HEART DISEASE AND COVID-19 BECAUSE WE'RE BETTER IN HEART DISEASE AND CANCER AND WORSE THAN MOST OTHER STATES IN COVID, THAT'S WHY WE'RE THE ONLY STATE THIS WAY.

>> INTERESTING, BECAUSE THE NATIONAL NUMBERS SHOW CANCER NUMBER ONE, HEART DISEASE NUMBER TWO AND CANCER THREE AND WE SHOW COVID ONE.

AGAIN, KIND OF ANSWERED THE QUESTION, BUT IS ARIZONA'S COVID NUMBERS HIGH ARE THE COVID NUMBERS LOW OR BOTH?

>> BOTH, THEY'RE BOTH.

WE'RE BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WHEN IT COMES TO SMOKING RATES WHICH TRANSLATES INTO LOWER HEART DISEASE AND CANCER RATES.

>> NOT REPORTING COVID DEATHS ANY DIFFERENTLY, COVID CASES ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN ANY OTHER STATES?

>> DEATH CERTIFICATES ARE DIFFERENT AND UPLOADED TO THE CDC DATABASE AND THAT'S WHAT WE USED IN OUR REPORT.

>> BEFORE YOU GO, WE TALKED ABOUT AN INCREASE IN CASES THE SITUATION OF COVID DEATHS IS NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY.

WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE RIGHT NOW, THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR DO.

>> NUMBER ONE, HAVE THE UNIVERSITIES AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES WHEREVER YOU'VE GOT STATE EMPLOYEES, WHEREVER YOU'VE GOT LEVERAGE, PUT IN A VACCINE REQUIREMENT SO THAT YOU CAN GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED, SLOW DOWN THE CHAINS OF TRANSMISSION.

DO A FACE COVERING MANDATE INDOORS THROUGHOUT ARIZONA AT LEAST UNTIL CHRISTMAS AND SO, IT'S THOSE POLICY CHANGES AROUND VACCINE REQUIREMENTS AND FACE COVERINGS, THE TWO MAIN THINGS.

>> A LITTLE BIT OF A HANDLE ON PUT.

>> QUICKLY, THIS PILL, THIS PFIZER PILL AND COULD THAT, A GAME CHANGE OFFICER.

>> YES.

FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

NUMBER ONE, SO RIGHT NOW, THERE'S THIS REJENERON AND COSTS ABOUT $10,000 TO ADMINISTER EACH DOSE, YOU COULD SAY I TESTED POSITIVE WITH YOUR HOME TEST AND HE OR SHE COULD PRODUCT THE MEDICATION AND YOU COULD GET IT DOWN AT YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY AND TAKE IT RIGHT AWAY.

YOU COULDN'T HAVE TO INTERACT WITH THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOR A PILL LIKE THAT.

SO YEAH, IF IT IS AS EFFECTIVE AS THE PRESS RELEASE PFIZER PUT OUT, IT COULD BE ENCOURAGING.

>> THANK YOU.

>> TAKE CARE.

>> UP NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON, AN EXHIBIT FEATURING NEWLY PHOTOGRAPHS OF ROCK AND ROLL LEGENDS.

>> FAILURE WAS NEVER AN OPTION.

I'M JIM COTTER AND JOIN US FOR THE NEXT ARTICULATE.

>> THE PHOENIX ART MUSEUM IS HOSTED THE LOST NEGATIVES OF ROCK AND ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE 1960S INCLUDING THE ROLLING STONES AND JANIS JOPLIN AND OTHERS.

IT WAS TAKEN BY MICHAEL FREEDMAN.

WE SPOKE TO HIM EARLIER ABOUT HIS PHOTOGRAPHS.

WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON AND GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE AND YOU HAVE QUITE A STORY HERE AND THE EXHIBIT OF RARE, ICONIC ROCK STARS AND PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY YOU WITH PHOTOGRAPHS YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU HAD AND TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.

>> I DIDN'T KNOW THEY STILL EXISTED AND I MISPLACED ABOUT TWO THOUSAND NEGATIVES ABOUT 50 YEARS AGO AND MY WIFE FOUND THEM IN A BOX OF OLD MUSIC BUSINESS PAPERS IN OUR ATTIC WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO DOWNSIZE OUR HOUSE.

AND IT WAS JUST A HUGE SURPRISE AND A WONDERFUL BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

>> YOUR FIRST THOUGHTS WHEN THESE SHOTS WERE FOUND.

>> I GUESS, OH, MY GOD!

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE KIND OF MOMENTS THAT COME OUT OF THE BLUE AND YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE MEMORIES COMING BACK AND YOU ARE SEEING PEOPLE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN AND EXPERIENCES THAT I HAD BACK IN THE '60S AND '70S AND IT WAS AMAZING!

>> YOU HAD ACCESS TO VERY BIG NAMES AND WE'LL GET TO THE PHOTOS IN A SECOND AND HOW DID YOU GET THAT ACCESS?

>> WELL, I WAS A LUCKY KID.

YOU WAS IN MY 20S AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY -- MUSIC WAS MY PASSION, THAT AND PHOTOGRAPHY.

I PUT THE TWO THING TOGETHER WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH A GUY NAMED ALBERT GROSSMAN AND WE REPRESENTED BOB DYLAN AND THE BAND AND IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE KIND OF FOREST GUMP LUCK SITUATIONS.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> WHERE I STUMBLED IT INTO IT.

>> AND STUMBLED IT INTO 50 YEARS LATER WITH THESE PHOTOGRAPHS.

YOU MENTIONED THE BAND AND WE HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH AND DID YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE ARTISTS?

>> THAT IS IT, WE WERE FRIENDS AND I WAS THE SAME AGE AS THE GUYS I AS MANAGING AND THAT WAS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UNIQUE CESS TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS.

THE PICTURES OF BAND WAS THE EARLY STAGES OF THE CAREER AND THIS WAS EARLY ON AND I STARTED WORKING WITH THEM JUST ON THE RELEASE OF THEIR FIRST ALBUM.

>> WOW!

JANIS JOPLIN, SHOTS OF HER SINGING AND SHOTS OF HER STAGE AND WHAT WAS JANIS JOPLIN LIKE?

>> EVERYTHING YOU THINK SHE WAS LIKE AND MUCH MORE.

JANICE WAS JUST AMAZING!

SHE WAS A FORCE OF NATURE.

ENDLESSLY CHALLENGING AND ENDLESSLY ENTERTAING.

SHE WAS WONDERFUL.

SHE WAS SMART.

SHE WAS FUNNY AND SHE WAS SAD AND LONELY A LOT OF THE TIME, BUT SHE WAS A LOT OF EVERYTHING.

I WAS CLOSE TO JANICE.

I REALLY ENJOYED HER AND I LOVED HER.

BUT SHE WAS WILD AND CRAZY AND EVENTUALLY, IT CAUGHT UP WITH HER, UNFORTUNATELY.

>> GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS THERE.

>> CHRIS CHRISTOPHERSON WAS A BIG DEAL FOR AWHILE BACK THEN.

>> HE WAS HUGE AND I WAS WORKING WITH HIM WHEN HE WAS MARRIED TO RITA AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH CHRIS AND I LOVED IT AND ONE OF THE GREATEST PEOPLE AND A SUPER NICE GUY.

>> ROLLING STONES AND EVERYONE THINKS THEY HAVE A PERSONAL HISTORY.

>> THIS WAS 1969, I WAS ACCOMPANYING JANIS JOPLIN AND TINA TURNER WAS THERE AND THAT ALLOWED ME TO TAKE THE PHOTOGRAPHS ON THE STAGE AND ONE OF THE GREATEST CONCERTS OF ALL TIME.

>> THERE'S A SHOT OF A FAN ESCORTED OFF THE STAGE AND YOU COULDN'T KEEP THEM AWAY.

>> IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, THAT'S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AND YOU COULDN'T GET ANYWHERE NEAR THE STAGE NOW AND THEY WERE GRABBING GIRLS CLIMBING UP ON THE STAGE AND ESCORTING THEM OFF.

IT WAS AMAZING TO WATCH.

>> THE LAST PHOTOS OF TODD.

>> I PRODUCED THE FIRST HELLO, IT'S ME.

>> OH, MY GOODNESS.

>> SO I MANAGED HIM AND WE FINALLY GOT HIM A SOLO RECORD DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE RECORDS WE MANAGED AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I TOOK.

HE WAS VERY EARLY ON.

>> VERY COOL AND SOMETHING ANYTHING.

>> THAT WAS A COUPLE YEARS LATER.

>> ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS.

>> THAT WAS FROM THE RUNT ALBUM.

>> THE LAST QUESTION, BUT, LIKE, A COUPLE THOUSAND PHOTOS OR SOMETHING ALONG THESE LINES AND WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE FROM THIS SIGNIFICANT?

>> I THINK THIS IS A TIME CAPSULE IN THE SENSE THAT THESE ARE IMAGES THAT PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND THEY'RE TAKEN FROM A LITTLE DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.

I WASN'T THERE WAS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

I WAS THERE AS A FRIEND AND A MANAGER AND AS A TEAM OF THE ARTISTS.

THE ACCESS WAS MORE FROM A PERSONAL OR MORE INTIMATE VIEW.

YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, WE'LL SEE SOMETHING TO ENJOY IN THAT.

>> CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PHOTOS AND QUITE THE MEMORIES YOU HAVE.

>> A LOT OF MEMORIES.

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> AWARD WINNING FILMMAKER JOHN VALDEZ IS KNOWN FOR HIS LATINO EXPERIENCE IN AMERICA AND AMERICAN EXILE TALKS ABOUT AMERICAN MILITARY VETERANS WHO HAVE BEEN DEPORTED AND AIRS TONIGHT.

>> I RECEIVED A REMOVAL NOTICE IN FEBRUARY AND THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT CAME TO ME WAS, WHY ME?

>> SHOULD PEOPLE RISK THEIR LIVES?

>> I DIDN'T GET MARRIED TO LIVE A WORLD APART FROM HIM.

WE SPOKE WITH JOHN VALDEZ ABOUT FILM-MAKING AND AMERICAN EXILE.

>> JOHN VALDEZ, WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON AND GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON SET AND AMERICAN EXILE COMING ON THE 16TH AND GIVE US A TV GUIDE CONDENSE.

>> WHAT IS THE FILM?

THE STORY OF TWO BROTHERS WHO VOLUNTEERED AND FOUGHT IN VIETNAM, COMBAT VETERANS, CAME BACK WOUNDED, HIGHLY DECORATED AND WITH PTSD.

NOW 50 YEARS LATER, THEY RECEIVE NOTICES OF DEPORTATION AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY.

>> DID THEY DO ANYTHING?

WERE THERE MISDEMEANORS AND BOOM, YOU'RE DEPORTED?

>> THEY DID PLENTY OF THINGS.

IN VIETNAM, THEY KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE AND ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IS 100% DISABLED BECAUSE OF SEVERE POST TRAUMATIC DISTRESS AND THEN PTSD WASN'T COINED.

AND THERE WERE MINOR THINGS, MISDEMEANORS AND THAT IS THE LOWEST LEVEL AND IN FACT, IF U.S. CITIZENS WERE TO BE DEPORTED BECAUSE OF MISDEMEANORS, A THIRD OF THE POPULATION WOULD BE KICKED OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

>> HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS STORY?

>> I WAS DOING A SCREENING OF ANOTHER FILM IN COLORADO AND I DO SCREENINGS OF MY WORK IN COMMUNITY CENTERS AND COLLEGES AND THESE TWO GUYS CAME UP AND SAID THEY ARE VIETNAM VETERANS WHO WERE BEING DEPORTED AND NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

I DIDN'T BELIEVE THEM.

I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GETTING SOMETHING MIXED UP BECAUSE IT WAS A PHENOMENON I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF.

>> FROM WHAT I READ NOW, THIS FILM, THIS PROJECT HAS TAKEN SEVEN YEARS TO COMPLETE AND THAT'S A LONG TIME.

WHY DID IT TAKE THAT LONG?

>> IT TOOK SEVEN YEARS IN PART BECAUSE I HAD TO RAISE ALL OF THE MONEY FOR THE FILM, NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER TWO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A FILM LIKE THIS, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF A LONGER TIME HORIZON IS YOU GET TO SEE THE CHARACTERS CHANGE OVER TIME.

IT'S NOT A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT'S IN THIS MOMENT.

WE SEE AN ARC AND A TRAJECTORY AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT DOCUMENTARY FILMS CAN DO THAT OTHER FORMS JUST CAN'T REALLY CAPTURE.

>> WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A DOCUMENTARY LIKE THIS, ARE YOU SEEING THAT ARC IN PROGRESS?

ARE YOU SEEING THEM CHANGE AND SAYING TO YOURSELF, THIS IS WORKING?

THIS WILL WORK?

>> WELL, YOU TELL YOURSELF THIS WILL WORK, BUT I THINK YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW BECAUSE YOU DON'T -- THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN.

WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW BOTH GUYS WERE GENUINE, BONAFIDE WAR HEROES AND I KNEW THAT ONE OF TWO THINGS WERE GOING TO HAPPEN.

EITHER THEY WERE GOING TO BE VICTORIOUS OR THEY WOULD BE DEPORTED AND IT WOULD BE A HEART WRENCHING AND VERY SAD TALE.

EITHER WAY, IT WOULD BE DRAMATIC.

>> WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE AWAY THEENDING.

PRESIDENT BIDEN AND DHS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'VE CREATED A PROCESS FOR DEPORTED VETS AND DID YOUR FILM HELP THIS MOVE ALONG?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, AS WONDERFUL AS IT IS TO MAKE, TO AND FILM-MAKER AND TO HAVE SOMETHING ON NATIONAL TELEVISION, ESPECIALLY PBS, WHICH I LOVE, REALLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THIS FILM IS HOW MEDIA CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR NATION AND SO WHAT HAPPENS WAS, YOU SEE THE FILM, THE MAIN CHARACTERS BECOME ACTIVISTS AND MANUEL GOES TO WASHINGTON TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP TO SIGN AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AND THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THIS STUFF.

IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THAT, I GET A CALL AND I'M INVITED TO GIVE TESTIMONY AT A CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING IN WASHINGTON ON DEPORTED VETERANS AND FIRST TIME THAT'S EVER HAPPENED.

YOU GIVE TESTIMONY.

I SHOW CLIPS FROM THE FILM AND THERE WAS NOT A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE.

I MEAN, IT WAS SO MOVING AND WE MET WITH LEGISLATORS AND AIDS AND AFTERWARDS, NOTHING HAPPENED.

AND I JUST THOUGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I GUESS WE TRIED AND I DON'T KNOW.

BUT THEN THERE WAS A CHANGE OF REGIME IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND ON JULY 2ND, OF THIS YEAR, PRESIDENT BIDEN ORDERED THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO CREATE A PROCESS TO BRING HOME DEPORTED VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND TO STOP THE DEPORTATION OF U.S. MILITARY VETERANS IT WAS JUST -- I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THING THAT WAS BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST -- THE FILM ALMOST BECOME AS KIND OF A MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON KIND OF MOMENT.

AND IT JUST -- IT DID SOMETHING TO MR. HEART AND REMINDED ME THAT AS SCREWED UP AND LIMITED AND DYSFUNCTIONAL AS DEMOCRACY IS, YOU KNOW WHAT, SOMETIMES IT WORKS.

THE SYSTEM ACTUALLY CAN WORK FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHY?

FUNDAMENTALLY, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE A PRETTY GREAT BUNCH OF FOLKS.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, IT ALSO PROVES THAT A GOOD DOCUMENTARY, A GOOD FILM, PIECE OF ART, IF YOU WILL, A GOOD PIECE OF MEDIA CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE AND THAT HAS TO BE REWARDING TO YOU.

>> IT'S THE MOST REWARDING THING YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE AND I'M JUST -- I JUST HAVE TO SAY I'M GRATEFUL.

>> WE'RE HAPPY YOU'RE SHARING OUR STORY.

THIS IS AMERICAN EXILE IS SEVEN PLUS YEARS IN THE MAKING AND PREMIERS ON PBS ON ARIZONA AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.

JOHN VALDEZ'S AMERICAN EXILE AT 9:00 TONIGHT ON ARIZONA PBS AND DOES CONTAIN GRAPHIC IMAGES AND DISCUSSIONS OF WAR AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES AND VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

COMING UP ON ARIZONA PBS, WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TICKS AND LYME'S