New Documentary Revisits Epic Battle Between Trump and Chicago Brewery 5 Rabbit

A Chicago film production company has created a documentary covering the drama behind 5 Rabbit Cerveceria’s decision to sever business ties with Donald Trump prior to the 2016 presidential election. The Latino-owned suburban Chicago brewery stopped selling beer to the Trump International Hotel & Tower following Trump’s ugly remarks regarding Mexican immigrants.

Trump’s infamous “rapists” remarks in 2015 led to the breakup, as the beer was sold at the bar inside the tower and the restaurant. 5 Rabbit’s husband-and-wife owners Andrés Araya (who is Costa Rican) and Milagros Ramirez found it hypocritical to do business with someone who made racist comments directed at Latinos. They rebranded the beer once sold to Trump Tower using a Spanish obscenity. Proceeds from “Chinga Tu Pelo” sales benefitted Latino charities. Filmmaker Jason Polevoi, a Buffalo Grove native, translated the beer’s name to English and used it in his movie’s title, F*** Your Hair: The Latin-Owned Brewery that Dumped Trump. He feels the 5 Rabbit story hasn’t received enough play. The brewery was among the first to cut ties with Trump, starting a trend that companies like NBC, Amazon, and Macy’s followed.

The documentary still needs some work, and One City Films launched a Kickstarter on Wednesday morning to help with post-production costs. They hope to get a release in mid-October. But as independent filmmakers, funding provides a big obstacle.

This is a story of a group of immigrants who showed courage and took a stand in the middle of a tidal wave, Polevoi said: “The comments came at the height of his meteoric rise in Republican primaries and the polls.”

The brewery dealt with fall out from their decision. Polevoi and his crew captured 20 hours of interviews with 5 Rabbit members and others. WBEZ reporter Monica Eng makes an appearance. One of the bigger names is Lilly Wachowski, a fellow filmmaker who made The Matrix with sibling Lana. Lilly Wachowski has created beer can art for 5 Rabbit.

“I can’t read this aloud,” Wachowski said in the film. “These words can’t come out of my mouth.”

Interviewees struggled with reading Trump’s remarks out loud showing anger and disbelief. But they face more than emotional distress. Polevoi said 5 Rabbit employees received hate mail laced with racial slurs. Take a look at the film’s trailer below.

Polevoi spent 3 ¹⁄₂ years as lead producer on WGN TV’s Chicago’s Best and recently left the show to start his documentary production company. He feels strongly that his 35-minute film can appeal to a variety of viewers.

“I think this story is an immigrant story, it’s a story similar to so many immigrant communities, this one happens to be the Latino community,” Polevoi said. “...I’m Jewish, and it was only two generations ago that my people experienced similar things.”

One City’s Nick Jenkins knows they’ll face some backlash from Trump supporters. He reiterated his objectivity. There’s no agenda.

“We’re documentary filmmakers,” he said. “We’re not writing a narrative for a fictional story.”

• F*** Your Hair: The Latin-Owned Brewery that Dumped Trump [Kickstarter]
• Donald Trump Dumped as 5 Rabbit Severs Links with Trump Tower [Eater Chicago]
• The real costs of Donald Trump’s anti-Mexican slur controversy, explained [Vox]
• Lilly Wachowski, co-director of the Matrix trilogy, comes out as trans [Vox]
• One City Films [Official site]
• F*** Your Hair Trailer [Vimeo]