From the Film
Stills
Feature Documentary · 2026
Co-directed by Milton Arceneaux & Dustin Cravins · Produced by Robert Chevalier
A feature documentary on Zydeco as a living tradition — three legends, three generations, one culture refusing to disappear.
The Film
Built on Zydeco follows three Zydeco legends across home, stage, and community — rooted in Louisiana French and Kouri-Vini. The film traces the music not as spectacle but as a living inheritance: something passed between people, carried in language, and embedded in the land that produced it.
This is not a retrospective. It is documentation of a tradition that is still being made, still being debated, and still being handed down. Keith Frank, Terrance Simien, and Reginald “Buckwheat Jr.” Dural are not legends frozen in amber. They are working artists inside a culture that is changing, surviving, and refusing to disappear.
For us. By us. No exploitation.
The Subjects
The Prince of Zydeco. Opelousas, Louisiana. One of the most recorded and performed Zydeco artists of his generation, carrying the tradition from his father, Preston Frank.
Two-time Grammy Award winner. A bridge between Zydeco tradition and global audiences — without ever losing the cultural root. Born and raised in Mallet, Louisiana.
Grammy Award winner. Son of Stanley “Buckwheat Zydeco” Dural. Carrying one of the most recognized names in the music into the next generation on his own terms.
Full Cast & Credits
Directors
Milton Arceneaux · Dustin Cravins
Producer
Robert Chevalier
Cinematographer
Milton Arceneaux
VFX & Graphic Design
Fernest Broussard
Featured Artists / Grammy Winners
Terrance Simien (2× Grammy) · Reginald “Buckwheat Jr.” Dural (Grammy)
Ardoin Family
Descendants of Amédé Ardoin (1929 first recordings)
Ronald Ardoin · Dexter Ardoin
Chavis Family
Boozoo Chavis legacy
Leon Chavis · Wilson “Poncho” Chavis Jr. · Rellis Chavis · Mason Trail
Dopsie Family
Rockin’ Dopsie Sr. legacy (recorded on Paul Simon’s Graceland)
Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. (David Rubin) · Anthony Dopsie · Alton “Tiger” Dopsie Jr. · Mike Dopsie
Frank Family
Multi-generational Zydeco lineage
Keith Frank · Preston Frank · Brad Frank · Jennifer Frank
Cravins Family
Founders of Zydeco Extravaganza (38+ years, founded 1987)
Dustin Cravins
Other Featured Artists
Jeffery Broussard (Creole Zydeco Farmers) · Rusty Metoyer · Corey Arceneaux · Wayne Singelton · Dopsie Adon
Radio Ecosystem
Herman Fuselier (Tourism Director, St. Landry Parish · host, Zydeco Stomp, KRVS 88.7)
John “JB” Broussard & Melvin “MC” Caesar (co-hosts, Zydeco Est Pas Sale, KRVS 88.7)
Darleen “Diva D” Wesley (29+ years on air · 107 JAMZ Lafayette)
Venue Legacy
Michael Dugas — grandson of Sid Williams, founder of El Sido’s (Lafayette, 1985)
Tourism & Economy
Ben Berthelot — CEO, Lafayette Travel (2024 Louisiana CVB of the Year)
Additional Named Interview
Kevin Mouton
Archive Footage
Ann Goodley · CC Adcock · Major Handy · Rosie Ledet · The Broussard Sisters
Bands: Buckwheat Zydeco · Zydeco Force · Rockin’ Dopsie (Sr.)
Source: 38 years of Zydeco Extravaganza footage
Presented By
Vues de Culture · La Louisianne
From the Film
Festival Circuit
MAY 2026
APR 2026
For Press
Synopsis, full cast, festival selections, director statement, technical specifications, and press contact — formatted for journalists, programmers, and partners. Designed by Encoded Noire for Vues de Culture.
For Programmers
Vues de Culture welcomes inquiries from festivals, community venues, libraries, universities, and cultural institutions interested in programming Built on Zydeco for their audience. Community screenings across Louisiana are a core part of the film’s tour.