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A BRONX GIRL

A latina college returns to her native Bronx and struggles with finding a Job, a love & herself.

  • ADRIAN MANZANO
    Director
    Sex, Love & Salsa
  • Rosie Berrido
    Director
    Under My Nails
  • ADRIAN MANZANO
    Writer
    Sex, Love & Salsa
  • Danny Hastings
    Producer
    The Love Potion
  • Pablo Echegarray
    Producer
    Backers Street Boys
  • Sofia Rodriguez
    Key Cast
    Sex, Love & Salsa
  • Gloria Almanzar
    Key Cast
    Un Lio en Dolares
  • Theo Copeland
    Key Cast
    Molly
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy, comedy, drama, absurd, latino, tragedy, dramedy, romcom, tragicomedy, dominican, latina, hispanic
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 28 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 19, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    1,000,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - ADRIAN MANZANO, Rosie Berrido

Writer, Actor, Director from Queens NY. Graduated Cum laude from Albright College with a degree in Literature. Produced several Shorts and Documentaries that played at film festivals nationally. As an Actor, nominated at the American College Theatre Festival. Worked with various theatre companies in New York, including, Intar, ID studio, PRTT, Rep Español, Teatro Teba. "Sex Love & Salsa" is his first feature film as writer, director, and actor, won numerous awards including the Audience Award at Harlem, & Montreal festivals and best actor at RIFE festival. He's currently in pre-production of his first Spanish language feature "La Conquista" in Dominican Republic.

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Director Statement

La Gradua (The Graduate) Is my sophomore followup to Sex, Love,& Salsa (2013). Like my previous film, I’m telling a personal story in a drama/comedy hybrid but now with in the “Life After College” Genre.
I’ve been inspired by this genre, most recently with films by Mark Duplass and Lena Dunham. But I’ve never seen the immigrant or Latino version of this story.
Latinos often face different challenges after college. I myself, was the overachieving son of immigrant parents. Being the first to get a college diploma, for my family this was the culmination of their decades of struggle & sacrifice. My lofty artistic ambitions didn't sit well with them.
The protagonist returns to her neighborhood unsure how to proceed with life. She doesn't fully identify with her Latino family, and feels above them with her degree. They don’t understand her and she doesn't want to understand them. With feelings of alienation at home, she gravitates towards the megalomaniac, pretentious Travis. But he only offers more ambiguity.
Like Alice in Wonderland, she is in a bizarro world she recognizes but doesn’t know how to navigate. She knows she should get a real job soon, one that pays. Grandma who raised her well doesn't want her acting. She should know her place. Reminiscent of Francis HA (2012), Its about a loss of spirit, giving up on your dreams, and the many sacrifices we all make in life.
Like the greek origins of her name, Miosotis’s flaws lead to her tragic downfall in a death by cubicle. Her story will resonate with people who've had to make similar sacrifices to survive. The tragedy is juxtaposed with a dark biting comedy that comes from the absurd characters and situations.
La Gradua will delight and challenge audiences, stir up conversations in the Latino and Immigrant communities. 2nd generation Latinos are a huge part of the New America. From being at the Latino film festivals, I know that people are starving for more nuanced storytelling that is challenging and complex. There is room for films like La Gradua, to make a splash and lead the networks to think differently about latino storytelling.