ESCONDIDO -- It's an image many people have a hard time erasing from memory: Nearly a hundred Latino and white residents, heavily separated by race, squaring off against one other outside City Hall in protest and support of a controversial rental ban that was taking form inside government halls.

Carrying religious symbols and picket signs on one side, American flags and photos of fallen officers on the other, a divided community pitted against each another throughout the fall.

"It was very sad," said 18-year-old Diego Reyes, who was one of eight Orange Glen High School students working on a documentary featuring two Latino activists, Carmen Miranda and Consuelo Martinez, at the time. "I wasn't aware of everything that was happening outside my home. It really opened my eyes."

After months of coverage by media outlets around the county, however, that contentious tale has been told, Diego and his fellow teenage documentarians said.

The untold segment is what's behind the protests and debates: The story of how two Latino women rose up from adversity and obstacles in their own life to unite a community and bring a voice to those who typically go unheard, he said.

It's a tale that Orange Glen filmmakers captured in a nine-minute documentary that highlights the life and political campaign of Carmen Miranda and Consuelo Martinez. The film, titled "Poder Escondido" or "Power of Escondido," will be shown Tuesday at the Latino Film Festival, as part of the Media Arts Center San Diego's Teen Producers Project.

The public is invited to the premiere of "Poder Escondido" and two other short documentaries done by teens in Barrio Logan at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center, by Highway 163 and Friars Road.

"I want them (the community) to notice that there are people out there that are trying to make a difference for them," said 17-year-old Edith Leon, who helped direct the piece. "I just want them to see the importance of voting, of being a voice for the community and stepping up for what they believe."

Through a series of interviews with the two Latino leaders, coverage of City Council meetings where members debated the rental ordinance that would have prohibited landlords from renting to illegal immigrants, and discussions with activists on both sides of the issue, the teens recount what happened in Escondido and show the roles that Miranda and Martinez played in it.

Miranda, a teacher's assistant with no previous political experience, joined the seven-candidate race for two City Council seats after the ordinance was first proposed. Martinez, who founded the grass-roots immigrant rights group called the Escondido Human Rights Committee, rallied behind her with campaign advice and assistance.

"It was really nice to go back and remember all that and share with people what I've learned and how my life has changed," Miranda said of the filming. "It was kind of weird. I never thought that I would be in a documentary … but it was a good time because of everything that had been happening."

She added that one of her favorite aspects of the film now is the title.

"For me, that means power of the people," she said. "If the community gets together on an issue of importance, we can make a difference."

And that's exactly the message the teen filmmakers said they were trying to convey.

"I think that we should all watch these movies and get along with each other," said Diego, who became involved in the project and took a place behind the lens after being the subject of a former student film on the Advanced Placement program. "We are all here for the same reason."

With the help of Fuensanta Lopez, a secondary school adviser for migrant education with the Escondido Union High School District, the documentary was filmed, directed and edited by the students throughout the fall. Students would meet for several hours each week after school to work on the film.

This is the fifth year that Orange Glen's students have participated in the teen producers project and been involved in the film festival, organizers said. In past years, students have made a 18-minute documentary that captured the experiences of Mexican immigrants, as well as three- to four-minute pieces about such topics as teen pregnancy, housing, the limited access to health care for Latinos and a lack of Latino political representation in Escondido.

All of the equipment needed for the documentaries was provided by the Media Arts Center and the district's migrant education office found students who had an interested in the program.

Edith, for instance, has been involved with the documentaries all four years of high school.

"I like to hear the stories and how people have overcome so much stuff," she said, adding that the program has pushed her out of her comfort zone and into a leadership role similar to the women she has covered.

"I like to be a part of the one that communicates to the community that it is possible to overcome stuff and make a difference," Edith added.

Contact staff writer Shayna Chabner at (760) 740-5416 or schabner@nctimes.com.

San Diego Latino Film Festival

Youth Visions

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday

Where: UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center

Highway 163 at Friars Road, San Diego

Information: www.sdlatinofilm.com or (619) 230-1938