MY FATHER'S PRISON to Premiere on PBS.org
Directed by Iván Simonovis Pertiñez, the film uses interviews, news footage and home movies to portray a family torn apart by political repression.
In 2009, Iván Simonovis, Chief of the Caracas police, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, becoming the most famous political prisoner in President Hugo Chávez's Venezuela. In 'My Father's Prison,' his son, Iván, tells his story through interviews, news footage and home movies, creating a haunting portrait of a family and a nation caught in a cycle of violence, terror, repression and fear. Directed by Iván Simonovis Pertiñez and presented by Latino Public Broadcasting, 'My Father's Prison' premieres on PBS stations, PBS.org and the PBS app on Tuesday, October 20 (check local listings).
Iván Simonovis was on duty on April 11, 2002 — the day Venezuela changed forever. Millions of Venezuelans marched in the streets to protest the increasingly repressive leadership of then-president Hugo Chávez and his plans to extend the presidential term indefinitely and nationalize the nation's oil industry. As the crowd approached the presidential palace, unidentified snipers opened fire. Dozens were injured and 19 people killed. Chávez remained in power and cracked down on the opposition – critical broadcasters and newspapers were expropriated and military and civilian opponents were jailed, tortured, executed and exiled. Already on Chávez's radar, Iván Simonovis became the perfect scapegoat for the violence and was sentenced to 30 years in El Helicoide, an infamous prison and headquarters of Venezuela's secret intelligence police.
During his imprisonment in solitary confinement and without access to sunlight for 10 years, Simonovis developed severe osteoporosis. After legal and international pressure, he was transferred to house arrest, and his son, Iván, was finally able to see his father daily for the first time since he was 12 and began filming his documentary. Although the family was happy to be reunited, guards continually patrolled the house until one day armed men arrived and took Simonovis away. When he was finally returned home, he made a life-changing decision to send his family away to safety and make a daring escape from the country.
''My Father's Prison' is a powerful portrait of a family torn apart by political repression, revealing the lasting emotional toll of imprisonment, exile, and survival,' says Sandie Viquez Pedlow, Executive Producer of LPB. 'The film is both a gripping historical account and a moving meditation on trauma, resilience, and a father and son's attempt to reclaim their lives after years defined by silence and separation.'
Says filmmaker Iván Simonovis Pertiñez, 'Everyone involved in the making of this film are members of the Venezuelan diaspora community. We storytellers are having to compete with the government's own version of the truth, and outright censorship. Changing history and Venezuelan identity has been part of their long-term agenda and is a key as to why they're still in power — Chávez and Maduro changed the name of our country, our flag, our currency and even our time zone. They instilled so much hate, promoted corruption and violence, and sunk a once prosperous nation into ruins. We are making films because we need to set things straight, and set ourselves straight in the process.'
About the Filmmaker
Iván Simonovis Pertiñez (Director) is a Venezuelan filmmaker based in Berlin. His work focuses on political persecution and exile. He has a degree in Media Sciences from the University of Marburg and a Masters in Film from the Free University of Berlin. 'My Father's Prison' is his first feature documentary.
About Latino Public Broadcasting
For over 28 years, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) has been developing award-winning film and digital media that explores the history, arts and culture of Latino Americans, bringing these powerful and illuminating stories to a national audience on PBS — on TV, online and on the PBS app.
LPB projects have spotlighted Latino contributions to the arts (Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined, John Leguizamo's Road to Broadway, Raúl Julia: The World's a Stage); told the story of Latino icons from Dolores Huerta to Luis Valdez, Tito Puente to Celia Cruz, Ruben Salazar to Roberto Clemente; explored history and politics through a Latino lens (John Leguizamo's American Historia, Latino Vote 2024); and told stories from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Latin America (Water for Life, Reportero), many as part of its signature PBS series VOCES.
LPB programs have won over 130 awards, including three prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards as well as Emmys, Imagen Awards and documentary awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including Festival Favorite, Audience Award, NEXT Special Award for Creative Expression, and Best Director. LPB has been the recipient of the Norman Lear Legacy Award and the NCLR Alma Award for Special Achievement – Year in Documentaries. Sandie Viquez Pedlow is executive director of LPB; Edward James Olmos is co-founder and chairman.
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