In 1987, then-mayor Tom McEnery commissioned a statue of Captain Thomas Fallon to commemorate the man’s raising of the American flag in San Jose during the Mexican-American War. The statue was built, but before it could be placed on the triangular island north of a major city park, protests put the project on hold. The statue was warehoused, and didn’t see the light of day until 2002, when the process of getting it situated where the public could see it set off another round of protests. The protesters call Fallon a murderer and say the land was stolen by the United States, but historians say not a single shot was fired and that many of the locals were dissatisfied with the Mexican government at the time.
Director Erin McEnery, Tom’s daughter, has made a documentary examining the conflict over the statue. The issue is clearly still a sore spot – protesters up the day of the film’s premier at Cinequest to hold their anti-Fallon signs and distribute leaflets. This is a fascinating look at a controversey many people — even residents of San Jose — aren’t at all aware of.
Screens with “The Chick Magnet,” a locally-made short about a guy who develops an abnormally strong attraction to women after a moment of confusion in his lab.
Shows 3/5, 3:15 pm (San Jose Rep) and 3/7, 9:30 pm (Camera 12).