This movie will be played on:
All screenings will take place at
COLLEGE OF THE DESERT | POLLOCK THEATER
43500 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA
Synopsis
12-year-old Marcela finds an airmail letter that she suspects may be from her absent father, who left Mexico to go to The United States. Her brother Rogelio, betrayed by his father’s absence takes the letter from Marcela. In order to learn more about her father, she must convince Rogelio she is ready to read what’s inside the letter. To prove this, Marcela shows him her secret scrapbook containing naïve scenarios and clues to her father’s silence
Jazmin Aguilar is a director and editor from Los Angeles. Her current projects include her director debut The Letter and debut feature Para Mi Papa which is in development. She is also editing projects for Dragon Chain (Disney innovation company), Danny Seraphine from the classic rock band Chicago, assisting promotional videos for Nolan Bushnell (the creator of Atari). Jazmin works closely with Laura Somers director of Rich Kids and Fanny Veliz of Avenida Productions, helping minority filmmakers make their dreams into reality. She is currently in the HBO sponsored program held by Hola Mexico for emerging Latinx Filmmakers.
The Letter is a story loosely based on true family events that occurred in the 1980s told from my aunt and uncle’s perspective and my own personal experience. My grandfather left my grandmother and their children behind in Mexico in order to provide a better life for his family. He would send them money and promise to return to take them with him. During that time my grandfather hadn’t wrote them back home for a few months and the children began to second-guess their father’s return. In the real story grandfather returned and took everyone to the U.S. I thought telling the story from the children’s perspective would add an interesting take vs most movies that focus on the journey. I made the decision to add a even more personal aspect to the film and drew in my perspective as well. My father left my at a young age, I grew restful towards him and yet was curious to know more about him. To write both characters I channeled my pessimist side and the other that was full of wonder. This also lead me to change the real life ending to something that was similar to mine and that would lead to a coming of age theme. Though the story setting is niche, I hope the subject matter universally relates to people who have dealt with loss or abandonment. No matter their ethnicity, or sex.
