"[E]ssential viewing for anyone interested in the history of Cesar Chávez and the farmworkers movement." Timothy Paul Bowman, Prof. History, West Texas A&M Univ

[Note: Community screenings of THE FIGHT IN THE FIELDS can be booked at Bullfrog Communities.]

This classic documentary, The Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers' Struggle, was the first film to cover the full arc of Cesar Chávez's life. The film is not a traditional biography. It is social history with Chávez as the central figure, and the stories of many ordinary people who were part of the movement. Using archival footage, newsreel, and contemporary interviews with Ethel Kennedy, former California Governor Jerry Brown, Dolores Huerta, and Chávez's brother, sister, son and daughter, among others, the documentary traces the remarkable contributions of Chávez and others involved in this epic struggle.

The Fight in the Fields follows the first successful organizing drive of farm workers in the United States, while recounting the many failed and dramatic attempts to unionize that led up to this victory. Among the many barriers to organizing was the Bracero Program, which flooded the fields with Mexican contract workers between World War II and the 1960s.

Chávez and many others helped bring about important changes in farmworkers lives. Many of these things are now taken for granted, such as getting fresh water and public toilets in the fields, and larger reforms like ensuring fair labor practices and ending the bracero program. The Fight in the Fields pays tribute to the tremendous advances made by Chávez and all the men and women of the United Farmworkers Union who fought for a stake in the American dream.



Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2026     Copyright Date: 1996

Reviews "As the nation navigates many challenging issues, The Fight in the Fields (1997) is a gripping historical documentary that inspires us to strive for justice for all. This is a glimpse into the turbulent history of the United Farm Workers, led by Cesar Chavez, Larry Itliong, and others, fighting for basic rights for the workers in the fields - a fight that continues today. The Fight In the Fields takes us on through the racism, violence, strikes, fasts, boycotts, legal challenges, pesticides, and more. As UFW leader Dolores Huerta says, 'I'm old now. But I'll fight to the end.'" Kevin R. Johnson, Professor of Law and Chicana/o Studies, Director, Aoki Center on Critical Race and Nation Studies, UC-Davis, Co-Editor, ImmigrationProf Blog "Praised for its comprehensive scope, The Fight in the Fields retains great value for students and broader audiences. The film features more than thirty movement leaders, participants, and supporters who affirm the importance of Chávez's leadership. Their inclusion suggests the breadth, diversity, and complexity of the movement itself. This film can serve as a starting point for asking and exploring questions about the movement's strengths, internal dynamics, and lasting legacies." Ray Rast, Associate Professor of History, Gonzaga University "The Fight in the Fields is essential viewing for anyone interested in the history of Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers movement. Not only does the film recount a critical part of modern American history, but the ongoing plight of migrant workers is sadly still of contemporary relevance in the twenty-first century United States." Timothy Paul Bowman, Professor of History, West Texas A and M University, Author, Blood Oranges: Colonialism and Agriculture in the South Texas Borderlands "No film in recent years has moved me as much as The Fight in the Fields. At a time when the history of our working people is being erased, this marvelous movie rekindles our memory of this gallant battle. Most important, it will be a revelation to the young, who must not be deprived of their history." Studs Turkel, American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster "An excellent film about the life of César Chávez...with a keen eye for the multiracial solidarity that weaves through the long struggle...A fine film, rich in details, told mostly from the point of view of the organizers and farmworkers who made the history." Zinn Education Project "The Fight in the Fields, the first comprehensive documentary on the subject, weaves the story of Mr. Chavez and the labor movement through the Great Depression, the McCarthy Era, the civil rights movement and Bobby Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. Yet the film is never less than crystal clear. It's far-reaching scope is only exceeded by the filmmakers' ability to make sense of the intersections between the farmworkers' struggle and what was going on around it." Dallas Morning News "The filmmakers have constructed a multifaceted and vivid examination of a leader whose journey parallels the movement that affected a nation's conscience, and ultimately changed its understanding of a world that previously had been invisible. The Fight in the Fields is film history well worth watching." Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance Film Festival "A thorough, compelling two-hour examination...Artfully utilizing a treasure trove of archival film footage and photographs, the filmmakers incorporate interviews with two of Chavez's siblings and two of his children to personalize the man who would become the icon of the Chicano movement." Los Angeles Times "Shows us more clearly than any film before the man - and the boy - who was Chavez. So easily digestible, it plays like a drama instead of a documentary." San Antonio Express-News "The film is diligent, dignified, and serious. Makes effective use of vintage photos and news footage and recent interviews with the likes of former Gov. Jerry Brown, Ethel Kennedy, two of Chavez's grown children, activist Dolores Huerta, attorney Jerry Cohen and Teatro Campesino founder Luis Valdez." San Francisco Examiner "Skillfully traces the history of the United Farmworkers Union by snapping a thoroughly researched portrait of Chavez...Chavez's climb to prominence is well-chronicled." Fort Worth Star-Telegram "Fight in the Fields p