Rita Moreno’s Documentary Premieres at Sundance

A movie legend and a pioneer, Rita Moreno tells us the ups and downs of her life in this highly anticipated documentary, “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday.

She didn’t have it easy, yet, she did it. She was arguably the first Latina making it big in Hollywood and paving the way for many of us. With all the odds against her, she is one of 16 artists to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony in the history of Hollywood – an EGOT legend.

Directed by the award-winning filmmaker Mariem Pérez Riera, the 90-minute documentary chronicles the life and career of the Puerto Rican star and activist, detailing the many highs and the even many more lows. Her Oscar-winning moments, her toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, the sexual abuse from her agent and the endless racism she had to endure as a Latina woman in an industry dominated by white men.

In the documentary, Pérez Riera used stop-motion animation using paper dolls — popular during Moreno’s childhood — to explore “Rita’s inner child” and “to capture the duality of Rita and Rosita,” which was her nickname growing up.

Along with fellow Puerto Rican and collaborator Ilia J. Vélez-Dávila, Pérez Riera worked closely with a handful of creators — including “One Day at a Time” executive producers Norman Lear and Brent Miller — to create an intimate portrait of Moreno, a woman who will make history both in and outside of Tinseltown.