Writer / Director Vision Statement

Having spent some of my childhood in Mexico, I’ve been privy to the extraordinary resourcefulness of Latinos, particularly poor ones: flower planters made from cut and brightly-painted car tires, simple homes built of plywood made exquisite with brilliant colors, children’s toys created from tin cans and bottle tops. This is a culture that knows how to “use what you got.”

It was partly out of this inventive whimsical spirit that SuperChicas was born. I wanted to make a film filled with color, and humor, and life, and hopefulness about the Latino culture, a film about people who can make something unexpected happen out of nearly nothing

So why a superhero film?

When was the last time you saw a film or comic book featuring Latina superheroes?  (or Latino, for that matter?) Here we are, Latinos nearly 50 million strong in this country, and yet, the only brown we see on screen are the bad guys. What happens if the brown faces become the heroes, the good guys---or rather the good gals? I love the idea of outfitting these two Thelma and Louise-like barrio girls with homemade superhero garb, endowing them with tremendous inner-strength and ultra-creative imaginations, and sending them out in the world to make magic happen. Using “what-they-got” these girls can do anything.

I believe that today’s audiences are craving stories in which people take control of their lives, their neighborhoods, and their financial and political situations. Having worked in Latino communities for years where I’ve seen neighborhoods resign themselves to the threat of gang violence, I am especially aware of this yearning for empowerment. SuperChicas is an inspiring film about two brave teenage girls who change their neighborhood for the better, sparking their community to action in the process. Who wouldn’t want to see a story like that?

A graduate of the Yale School of Drama and the American Film Institute, I’m one of the few Latinas to surmount societal barriers and become a highly successful theater director. The transfer of my extremely visual work from theater into the arena of film makes perfect sense. I am thrilled to be working with such talented artists as Maya Erdelyi-Perez, a Latina animator who will bring the film’s street-art animation style to life. And longtime collaborator, production designer Darcy Scanlin will bring unusual twists to our highly theatrical barrio world. Bring a hip Latino rock score into the mix and our film will undoubtedly have a distinctive look and feel.

I truly believe our culture is ready and waiting to see a movie like this. The time has come.