If you are as big a fan as I am of these two young ferocious talents you will be as thrilled as I was to learn of this awesome short film collaboration revolving around Dia de los Muertos based on Chicana queer artist Adelina Anthony (thanks to Juliana’s comment for letting me know about the original story by).
First, the amazing multi-media artist, Wu Tsang, who directed the magic realist documentary about the Silver Platter on Alvarado called The Wildness, is behind the camera again with her co-hort cinematographer, Michelle Lawlor. Then there is the lovely, magnetic Hamony Santana who wowed and impressed as the young lead opposite Esai Morales as the father who won’t accept her gender variant identity in the film Gun Hill Road by Rashaad Ernesto Green.
The story is after mi own corazon, about an abuela who is visited by a muerto on the sacred Dia de los Muertos. This sacred holiday in Mexico is the hallmark of its hallowed dead culture. Growing up, I never felt sad or at a loss when I heard people died it was so ingrained in me that they simply had become liberated of their physical vessels and were now free to roam about the world like ghosts. When mi querida spitfire abuelita Cruz died, I kept her content (and therefore assured myself the peace that she wouldn’t come lurking at night to pull my feet from bed) by building her an altar and keeping it full of her favorite stuff like pulp fiction novellas, cigarillos, domino and her favorite pair of knitting needles.
YOUR DEAD TO ME All only needs $1,500 to finish up and get ready for its closeup at the LA Film Festival screening on June 14. The project was made in partnership with Film Independent’s Project Involve diversity fellowship. Go make donations here.
Chicana from Chicago 