FEEDING YOU (2014).

Writer:

Carmen Tafolla (poem).

Director, DP. editor:

Erik Bosse

Additional production assistance from:

Billy Muñoz, Pamela Dean Kenny.

Cast:

Lisa Suarez, Grace Rain Landry Lopez, and Anna De Luna.

Music:

“Cumbia de la Cocina” by Jaime Ramirez and Travis Vela. Musicos: Jaime Ramirez, Travis Vela, and John Fernandez.

Special thanks:

Annette Landry, Jump-Start Performance Co., San Antonio Department for Culture and Creative Development, Three Chord Media, and the San Antonio Film Commission.

It was a great honor to be asked to contribute a film for the very first San Antonio Poet Laureate Short Film Project. I was selected along with six other filmmakers: Ray Santisteban, Daniela Riojas, Guillermina Zabala, Ya’Ke Smith, Joey Fauerso, and Jim Mendiola. Impressive company. Add to that the fact that San Antonio’s first poet laureate was Carmen Tafolla, made the whole project that much more special. I was given several of Carmen’s wonderful poems. I chose “Feeding You” for two reasons. It had a narrative quality I was drawn to. But also because when I read it, my mind went directly to Lisa and little Gracie. They were both so wonderful.

Here’s a production still with Lisa chopping tomatoes as Annette looks on.

Here we have me at the screening (they showed all the films twice to packed audiences at the Say Sí black box theater), and also Gracie standing beside Carmen Tafolla (I had forgotten that they are old friends–I believe Carman has babysat Gracie before).

There was a significant budget connected with these films, and I was so happy to be able to reward the hard work of people who so often work for little to no compensation. Here is one of my favorite photos from the shoot. I gave Gracie her first professional actress payment. She literally ran up and down the street with that hundred dollar bill fluttering from between her fingers. I believe she spent some of it on something called Build-a-Bear.