San Antonio director David Pequeno inspired by formerly incarcerated man’s comeback story

The feature film Back on Road tells the story of a man transitioning back into society after a 10-year stint behind bars. Credit: Courtesy Image / David Pequeno

The first time video production company owner David Pequeno saw a movie he made on the big screen, he was hooked on the feeling of sharing his work with an audience.

It was 2023, and Pequeno had been hired by a nonprofit to make a documentary film about a group of formerly incarcerated individuals changing their lives after prison.

“The nonprofit was helping individuals coming out of prison get back on their feet by providing them with resources,” Pequeno, 31, told the Current during a recent interview. “When I saw my documentary in the theater, I was like, ‘I just made a movie!’ It felt awesome.”

For his first narrative feature film, Back on Road, Pequeno was inspired by the story of Christopher Sepulveda, one of the formerly incarcerated men he followed in his original documentary. The film, which premieres Saturday, May 16, at City Base Cinemas, tells the story of a man transitioning back into society after a 10-year stint behind bars.

Born in Harlingen and raised in San Antonio, Pequeno graduated from Wagner High School in 2013. Through his video production company, Avid Season Productions, he focuses on weddings, quinceañeras and music videos.

During our interview, Pequeno talked about what inspired him about Sepulveda’s story, whether he thinks his film perpetuates negative Latino stereotypes and why he banned profanity on his set.

What about Christopher’s story inspired you to adapt it into a feature film?

Christopher did 12 years in prison from 2008 to 2020, and during that time, a lot changed in the world. It’s almost like going from the first iPhone to the newest iPhone.

What did he tell you about his life when he got out of prison?

He said he learned not to hold any grudges against anybody and to let things go. He said when he came out of prison, people had already moved on. People had their own families. He had a journal in prison where he wrote about the stuff he wanted to accomplish. He’s already done those things.

What did you learn about yourself as a filmmaker?

I feel like making the documentary for the nonprofit really helped me out. But making a feature film is different. I learned that teamwork is key when making a feature film and having the right actors helps a lot — dedicated actors.

Who inspires you as a director? What kind of movies do you like?

I like Robert Rodriguez. He does a lot of his stuff hands-on and with a very small crew. That inspires me, because it shows it can be done. But, of course, you got to know what you’re doing, and you got to put the work in. I also like a lot of sci-fi movies and biopics. I liked the NWA movie [Straight Outta Compton] and 8 Mile. I like Interstellar with Matthew McConaughey.

What do you tell people who think your film perpetuates negative Latino stereotypes?

We’re trying to show that [these stories] are real. When someone like [Christopher] comes back, they go back to the same neighborhood. But in the movie, he tells them that he’s not down with them anymore and that he’s gonna do his own thing whether they like it or not.

Many of the characters in your film are Latino gang members. We see a lot of that in Hollywood too with crime-related projects. Do you think that’s a problem or is that just real life?

I think it’s real life. But I do see why people might think that it’s a problem. It’s a good argument. I feel like there are some movies that show the positive side and successes of Latinos — like the Hot Cheetos movie [Flamin’ Hot]. It would be nice to see more movies like that. I want to make films for all ages. I try to make sure we didn’t use profanity.

Was it difficult to stay authentic and still avoid profanity, especially with these characters?

A little bit, but I made sure it was known that I didn’t want profanity. There were a couple of scenes I had to stop because some of the actors started freestyling, and they started cussing. But they understood. I have nieces and nephews, and I want them to see my film. I don’t want them to see a movie with a bunch of bad words.

When people see your movie, what do you want them to take away from it?

I hope they see that I’m trying to bring awareness to someone like Christopher and his story. Not all the formerly incarcerated are criminals. Most of them were in the wrong, but they were brought up in the wrong environment. There are a lot of stories out there about formerly incarcerated individuals being success stories. I hope they see that people can change.

Back on Road: Film Premiere
$20-$60, red carpet 5 p.m., film premieres 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16, City Base Cinemas, 2623 SE Military Drive, (210) 531-3000, instaraise.com/backontheroadmoviepremiere/support.

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