Synopsis
Born and raised in the Watts projects of Los Angeles, twelve-year-old Mexican-American boxer Meryland Gonzalez fights in-and-out of the ring for her dream to be crowned the 2019 Junior Olympics champion.
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Synopsis
Born and raised in the Watts projects of Los Angeles, twelve-year-old Mexican-American boxer Meryland Gonzalez fights in-and-out of the ring for her dream to be crowned the 2019 Junior Olympics champion.
Director Biography – Gabriel GauranoGrowing up in San Diego as the youngest of seven kids in a large Filipino family, Gabriel got his start by making childhood action movies on his mom’s Sony-Camcorder. With maturity, these epics were replaced by the adversities of everyday people. From a miracle female boxer from Watts to a son with a complicated paternal relationship, Gabe is passionate about capturing real stories filled with family and heart. He’s had projects shown at AFI, NFFTY, and the LA Film Festival. He is currently a USC film production senior. With the same childlike excitement, he makes films that remind him what he’s fighting for.
My name is Gabriel Gaurano and I made Team Meryland because I truly believe in the power of family and the miracle of second chances. I grew up the youngest of seven kids in a large Filipino family, raised by a single mom who, in the turn of the housing recession and a vicious divorce, lost almost everything and fought to reach a place of security over the course of a decade. Throughout my own journey, I’ve learned the strength of my siblings, the sacrifices my mom made for us, and our collective teamwork as a family to get a miraculous second chance. When I met the Gonzales family and learned of their story, I knew immediately that this was a narrative I needed to champion. It’s a story I wish my family and I had seen when we were looking for hope.
The Gonzales family’s ability to stick together and fight through hardship spoke to my core. In all its layers, Team Meryland is a story about fighting for a second chance at a dream. It is about Meryland’s second chance to be crowned a Junior Olympic champion, her parents’ second chance for a better life in America as immigrants, and her second chance at life after undergoing past medical trauma. When I filmed the Gonzalez family living through these moments, it reminded me of when my mom worked late nights, or when my siblings and I stuck together during difficult times. I had the biggest privilege capturing this family’s journey, watching their undeniable grit and beautiful perspective on life. Meryland’s story has inspired me as the director, and I trust it will inspire those watching to fight for their dream.
