She is Me

This film came about after the passing of my grandmother. For years I wanted to make my own film and for years I would write something here and there and never had the courage to just try and shoot something for the fear of failure. I’m a 42 year old woman and felt so unaccomplished but after my grandmother passed, everything changed. My insecurities were overtaken with the need to heal. Her sacrifices (along with my mother’s) could no longer be taken in vain. She was such a strong woman and I wanted to create a story about women and honor her at the same time. What better place than a restroom! Right? It has the funny, the ridiculous, the heartbreaking, the embarrassing but most importantly a sense of community. If you want a slice of a woman’s life, go to the restroom. I’m a huge concert goer and the story came about when I headed to the ladies room and (like always) found myself in line. There was this poor girl who was so drunk and had lost her friends and a complete stranger was consoling her. Later, I returned to the restroom and found the same girl being comforted by a different stranger. The restroom tends to be a place of safety, a place where friends can regroup, catch up and take a breather. It can also be a time when watching other women and overhearing their conversations, we sometimes judge or reflect on our own self, while not even knowing we are doing it. I also used it as a crossroads for my character to encounter someone special. An “angel” if you will. The film has all-female cast with the exception of one male who is Deaf. Also, as a Latina, it was very important for me to cast women of color. The restroom just seemed like a perfect choice as a first-time filmmaker. Because I left production (as brief as my time there was) so long ago, I didn’t know if I could call on colleagues that I had worked with but they came through more than I could have EVER imagined. Friends came through. Family came through. Strangers came through. There were so many beautiful serendipitous instances while making this film. It truly was a huge healing source for me and a labor of love. I hope it connects with people or at the very least, entertains. More importantly, I hope it spreads and conveys a bit of her love and the strength that is, a woman.