The beating heart of LA Starts Here! is Voces Vivas, an original short film series featuring interviews with a broad spectrum of Mexican Americans. Intimate, opinionated, and provocative, these films personalize the Mexican American experience through the individual stories of the interview subjects, enriching the understanding of Mexican and Mexican American history and culture in Los Angeles.

Beyond the exhibition, these interviews will continue to be collected as an essential element of L.A Plaza's ongoing programs. Both on campus and off, Mexican and Mexican Americans of all walks of life will be invited to share their experiences, enriching current and future understandings of how the Mexican American community feels about its past and is working to shape its future.

The Voces Vivas project was conceived by Los Angeles filmmaker Pedro Pablo Celedón and produced by Barefoot Productions. The pilot program "Sandra Romero" won a Silver Remi Award at the 2011 Houston International Film Festival.