TV Interview!
Interview with David Altrogge (Director) and Roberto Clemente, Jr. of the documentary “Clemente” by Suzanne 8/26/25
This is a very interesting documentary about the late, great baseball player, Roberto Clemente, Jr. It was really wonderful to speak with his son, and the film’s director. As you will see, Roberto Jr. has a lot of his dad’s charisma. They were both very kind when answering my questions. I hope you can see the movie, which opens September 12th in theaters, and if you go to MLB ballpark, it’s also Robert Clemente Weekend! If you’re a fan of history, or baseball, or documentaries, or just of Roberto Clemente, you should enjoy it. Families and kids should enjoy it as well as adults. The movie is not rated at this time, so check your local listings or movie theaters. Can’t get to the movie theater? Then watch it on the History Channel September 23, 8/7 Central time.
MORE INFO: Official site Trailer History Channel Trailer
Directed By David Altrogge
Produced By: Mike Blizzard, John Bennett Scanlon, Mary Sabol, Andrew Calvetti, Sarah Altrogge, Jocelyn Hartnett, Keith Ayers, Stephen Turselli; Associate Producers, Luis Mayoral, Matt Paré and Jackson New-Smith
Executive Produced By
Roberto Clemente, Jr., Luis Roberto Clemente, Roberto Enrique Clemente, Richard Linklater, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Duane Rieder, Jamal Henderson, Philip Byron, Steve Burman, Laura Heberton, Jim Evans, Brad Ragland; co-executive produced by Matthew Rissmiller
Run Time: 101 minutes
SYNOPSIS
Clemente is the definitive documentary on the extraordinary life, career, and enduring legacyofMajor League Baseball icon Roberto Clemente. Told through stunning archival footage, never-before-heard recordings, and unprecedented interviews, the film reveals the story of aman who lived by his own uncompromising code. A double outsider—too Black for white America and too Latino for Black America—Clemente refused to stay silent in the face of racism and injustice. Through sheer determination and relentless discipline, he rose from poverty to superstardom, yet never lost sight of those on the margins. Clemente is more than a sports story; it’s a portrait of a man who gave everything—for the game and for others. A powerful, joyful reminder that a life marked by passion, courage, and empathy can truly change the world.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
We live in an age of uncertainty. An age of division. An age where people are asking, “is there good in the world?” The life and legacy of Roberto Clemente answer that question with a resounding “yes!” Roberto lived his life for others. Instead of pursuing the rich, famous, or powerful, he sought out the poor, destitute, and broken. Clemente is a film about a man who gave his all for others. A reminder to the rest of us that an act of kindness, no matter how small, can change the world. A celebration of the power of compassion, generosity, and sacrifice. Since his death over fifty years ago, many have attempted to tell the story of Roberto Clemente the athlete. However, few have told the story of Roberto Clemente the man. I came to this story not primarily interested in Roberto’s prowess on the field. Rather, I was primarily drawn to this story because of the life he lived off the field. A life of sacrifice and kindness, courage and empathy. It was this vision that drew Roberto’s three sons — Roberto Jr., Luis, and Enrique — to the project.
Their support, guidance, and stories have shaped the film in countless ways. In addition to conducting the last interview with Roberto’s late wife, Vera, we’ve been able to secure interviews with some of Roberto’s nearest and dearest friends, people who knew a side of him that was rarely seen in public. Additionally, we’ve been granted unprecedented access to the Roberto Clemente Museum’s extensive archives. Duane Rieder, the executive director of the museum, has amassed tens of thousands of rare photographs, documents, films, and artifacts, many of which have never been seen by the public. Finally, our team has discovered a cache of Roberto Clemente recordings, most of which have not been heard by anyone since the late ’60s. Preserved by Ramiro Martinez, a close friend of Roberto, these tapes present a side of Roberto that, until recently, was lost to history.
Clemente is a film about an athlete and a man who gave his everything for others. A reminder to the rest of us that an act of kindness, no matter how small, can change the world.
– David Altrogge, Writer/Director
FAMILY STATEMENT
We are thrilled to be involved with CLEMENTE, a documentary that shines a light on our father’s life and legacy. The documentary could not be more timely as it marks a cornerstone of a new movement for the Clemente Brand. After 50 years, a legacy as strong as our father’s deserves a fresh perspective for the younger generation, and we are excited for audiences to see what director David Altrogge captured. Over the years, there have been several documentaries, but none where we were involved with producers and worked with the creative teams to accurately and holistically capture all aspects of Roberto Clemente – husband, father, humanitarian, and professional baseball player.
With David, hailing from Pennsylvania and living in Pittsburgh, we quickly found comfort with his involvement in telling the story. We could see his passion for the project from the start. He developed a strong relationship with Duane Rieder, founder of the Roberto Clemente Museum. Rieder’s Museum began as his photography studio, which was turned into a Clemente photo exhibit as decor for a family All-Star Game party in Pittsburgh. At the party, our mother approached Rieder and remarked that he had the beginnings of a museum on his hands. This eventually inspired the creation of Clemente Ground Zero in Pittsburgh.
To see David utilize this space as the backdrop of our mother’s last interview before her demise in 2019 was extremely special and significant to us. It further proved that David was the perfect person to shape this story. Through her grace and love for humanity, our mother, Vera, further solidified the enduring Clemente legacy of goodwill.
We are grateful to David and the Vinegar Hill production team for their dedication in thoroughly exploring aspects of our family’s legacy that are being brought to viewers for the first time. Their attention to detail in presenting this story in impeccable detail is truly commendable.
The most significant impact of this project is the call to action it inspires. Understanding how he lived and died prompts us to reflect on how we can make our own surroundings better. We hope it will inspire viewers to emulate our father’s legacy of kindness, respect, and unity.
As producers of this project, we invite both devoted Clemente fans and newcomers to witness and learn from the worldwide generational impact of our father, “The Great One.” Every year, we learn that thousands of students choose our father as the subject of their school year-end projects. We hope this documentary will provide them with more context and a better look into who he was on and off the field. Our father’s career and life were first and foremost works of love and we are honored to be able to continue to share his story and legacy with the world through this documentary.
– Roberto Clemente Jr and Luis Clemente
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS 
DAVID ALTROGGE | Director, Writer, and Producer
Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania (the hometown of Jimmy Stewart, in case you were wondering), writer/director David Altrogge produced his first feature-length film in high school. Since then, he has established himself as a filmmaker whose work is inspiring, entertaining, and deeply human. In addition to directing content for some of the globe’s most influential brands (Netflix, Google, and the Discovery Channel, to name a few) his films have been featured by the LA Times, HuffPost, CNN, BBC, and NatGeo. David lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children. When not making films he enjoys painting and writing sappy songs about his family.
ROBERTO CLEMENTE JR | Executive Producer
Roberto Clemente, Jr., eldest son of Roberto Clemente, is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, former broadcaster, and professional baseball player. Roberto Sr. used his platform and immense athletic gift to serve others and devote his short life to helping make the world a better place, something Roberto Jr. has sought to emulate. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the first seven years of Roberto Jr.’s life were spent between Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh, PA. After his father’s untimely death in a 1972 plane crash, while taking relief supplies to Nicaragua earthquake victims, Roberto Jr. became his father’s voice and the spokesperson for the family. He went on to establish the Roberto Clemente Foundation, an organization committed to aiding at-risk youth, disaster relief, and promoting global service leadership. Throughout the last 30 years of the foundation’s existence, Roberto Jr. and the team have helped thousands of children and their families.
LUIS CLEMENTE | Executive Producer
Luis is the second of three sons of Roberto and Vera Clemente. Currently, Luis leads the Clemente Legacy Program. This complex integration of Clemente namesakes, schools, and programs encourages students to become goodwill ambassadors in their communities. Luis is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, making numerous appearances representing the family at Roberto Clemente commemorative tributes throughout the world. As CEO and President of Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente (Roberto Clemente Sports City) and The Roberto Clemente Foundation, Luis has played an integral role in continuing his father’s legacy. Luis and his wife Olga have three sons, Luis Jr. (33), Robby (29), and Bobby (28) and they make their home in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
ROBERTO ENRIQUE CLEMENTE | Executive Producer
Roberto Enrique Clemente is the youngest son of Roberto Clemente. He was born in San Juan, PR and played baseball until the age of 13. He’s worked with the Roberto Clemente Foundation since the age of 21 alongside his older brothers Luis Roberto and Roberto Jr. He has committed his life to honoring the legacy of his parents.
RICHARD LINKLATER | Executive Producer
Richard Linklater is the Oscar-nominated director of Boyhood, the Before Trilogy, and Dazed and Confused. He resides in Austin, TX and is a lifelong Roberto Clemente fan.
DUANE RIDER | Executive Producer
Duane Rieder is the founder and executive director of the Clemente Museum. Over the last twenty years, he has gathered one of the largest, most comprehensive Clemente archives in the world.
MIKE BLIZZARD | Producer
Mike Blizzard is the producer of the award-winning NO NO: A DOCKUMENTARY, which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. More recently Mike has teamed with Oscar-nominated writer/director Richard Linklater as producer of the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, the animated Netflix film APOLLO 10 ½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD, and HIT MAN – which premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals and will be released in theaters and on Netflix in 2024. Mike currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Austin Film Society, and previously served two terms as Board President.
ABOUT VINEGAR HILL
Founded in 2007, Vinegar Hill is a Pittsburgh-proud production company and storytelling outfit. In addition to producing content for some of the globe’s most influential organizations, their films have been featured by the Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, RogerEbert.com, LA Times, HuffPost, CNN, BBC, and NatGeo. www.VinegarHill.film
ABOUT VANTAGE PICTURES
Founded in 2022 by Jim Evans (of Untitled Inc.) and Keith Ayers, Vantage Pictures specializes in creating high-quality content across a range of genres with a focus on telling underdog stories. The company has several projects in active development, including the sports documentary series Clutch with director Jingyi Shao (Chang Can Dunk) and SMAC Entertainment producing, and the thriller Do Not Disturb with Tate Donovan attached to direct. Vantage is also developing a feature film based on the book Spinning the Globe about the origin of the Harlem Globetrotters and is in preproduction on a feature documentary about philosopher Alan Watts with Religion of Sports.
ABOUT UNITERRUPTED
UNINTERRUPTED is the award-winning athlete storytelling brand within The SpringHill Company (TSHC), founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, that combines revolutionary content, experiences and consumer products. Since 2015, the UNINTERRUPTED brand has existed to partner with athletes to invite the sports community to celebrate the humanity in sport through culturally connected content. as creators to help the world reimagine the athlete’s world beyond sport through culturally connected content. UNINTERRUPTED original content properties and franchises include Top Class, More Than An Athlete, Iman Amongst Men and more. Studio projects within the unscripted and documentary space for UNINTERRUPTED include What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali, Greatness Code, Top Class, Golden: The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts, The Redeem Team and more. For more information follow @UNINTERRUPTED on social media.
Great review of the film from Pittsburgh Magazine
Proofread and Edited by Brenda