ANDREA
"When you're the kid of an immigrant single mom, coming of
age comes a whole lot sooner."
When the ten year old daughter of a single, immigrant housekeeper is forced to choose between her dream and the needs of her family, she learns that love and sacrifice are the foundation of family.
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Armando Valdes-KennedyDirector
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Armando Valdes-KennedyWriter
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Armando Valdes-KennedyProducer
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Joe CamarenoProducer
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Natalia Alessanrda Vivero GonzalezKey Cast"Andrea"
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Valentina LatynaKey Cast"Clara"
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Hannah PlascenciaKey Cast"Bobbie"
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:22 minutes 51 seconds
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Completion Date:September 12, 2021
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Production Budget:34,600 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Alexa Mini
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Armando immigrated to the U.S. with his single mom and two younger
sisters when he was five years old.
At age eight he started a neighborhood carwash to help bring in a little money.
At twelve he became the breadwinner of the family when he began acting professionally in Hollywood. With his first paycheck he also bought a Canon A-1 SLR camera and his love of storytelling began.
In college he had limited success directing local cable commercials and music videos.
Armed with a degree in English Literature, years of experience in the darkroom, and even more experience on set as an actor, Armando bought a one-way ticket to travel the world in search of ever-more interesting characters and stories.
He survived by working as a photographer, a cook, a bartender, and a deckhand.
Upon returning to L.A. he dove headlong into theatre, television and film acting work; eventually settling into a voice over career.
After years of being on call 7 days a week, and spending most of those days in small padded rooms talking into a microphone, Armando burned out, cut his client list in half and once again left L.A.
During a disastrous and enlightening venture as a rancher and farmer in Central California, he earned the focus, patience and diligence to finally and completely dedicate himself to his childhood dream. Thirty-eight years after buying his first camera, Armando has written and directed his first film and he's poured his whole heart into it.
Whether from Mexico, Vietnam, Ukraine or Afghanistan, the immigrant story is the American story. Many immigrants take incredible risks and make heart-wrenching sacrifices to escape danger, and provide their children with opportunity. In turn, the children of poor immigrants who struggle with the language, the customs, or the culture of a new country, often become their parent’s translators, advisors, and protectors. They take on adult responsibilities, sometimes lie to protect their parents, and often sacrifice pieces of their childhood. In return the family survives, their bonds become stronger and their love deeper.
ANDREA is based on the short story "Language Skills" by Ruth Livier, and is the story of one of these young immigrants as she comes to realize the inevitable heartache and the unexpected purpose of her dedication to her family.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were forced to shoot our pick-up shots one year after principal photography. Though at first this seemed like another in a long list of almost insurmountable obstacles, it turned out to give our lead actor the physical manifestation of the emotional growth her character was forced to experience. Once again we learned that the obstacle is the opportunity.
Finally, and perhaps essentially, ANDREA is a film about immigrants made by immigrants. Our small cast and crew consists of artists originally from Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, England, Spain, Japan and India. Working with a team of individuals intimately familiar with the immigrant experience, insured the authenticity of the telling of our story. And though our customs and religions may be different, the universal human story of love, family, struggle and aspiration that all of us share is the story of ANDREA.