Private Project

Last Words

When three generations of a family are forced to confront their patriarch’s decision to die on his own terms, granddaughter Melanie must break through inherited silence in order to heal the wounds they’ve long buried.

  • Inez Franco
    Director
  • Inez Franco
    Writer
  • Tyler Coon
    Producer
    I Love You More Than Dinosaurs (2025), The Hangup (2025)
  • Mike Werner
    Producer
  • Priscilla Fierro
    Key Cast
    "Melanie"
  • Livia Gomes DeMarchi
    Key Cast
    "Isa"
  • Peter Quintana
    Key Cast
    "Fredo"
  • Nemil Mudvari
    Key Cast
    "Isaac"
  • Heather Knobel
    Key Cast
    "Elena"
  • Jonée Shady
    Key Cast
    "Lupe"
  • Kingston Karim
    Key Cast
    "Juni"
  • Mario Ramirez
    Key Cast
    "Al"
  • Thom Kristensen
    Cinematographer
    Boil That Cabbage Down (2025)
  • Becca Meza
    Production Design
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 20, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    17,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    17:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Southern California
Director Biography - Inez Franco

Inez Franco is a Xicana filmmaker born and raised in South East LA, and currently based in Long Beach, California. She is a second-rounder for the Sundance Development Track (2026) with her feature, IN THE MOUTH OF THE DESERT. Inez is a recent MFA graduate from USC, and obtained her undergraduate degree at NYU. She has worked as a line producer and production manager for various production companies and clients such as State Farm, Spotify, Target, Interscope Records, and Tecate. Her earlier digital-storytelling work at Zoe Saldaña’s company, BESE, earned her a Webby nomination back in 2019.

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Director Statement

Over the years I have shared my grandfather's last words with friends who were grieving, hoping to connect with them. My memory of him saying something graceless so near the end never failed to bring a smile in the darkest of times. The story I shared wasn't sentimental, but raw, messy, and sometimes humorous. That is the tone of this short film and the reason I wanted to make it. My hope is that if this story can bring a small smile to someone who is grieving, it will have value for a wider audience.

I also wanted to share an honest film about love and loss, told from an angle often overlooked, the perspective of people losing someone to HIV/AIDS, and set in a neighborhood the film industry has never appreciated: La Puente, California.

This film is, in part, my attempt at shedding light on a disease and an experience that disproportionately affects Black and Latiné communities. At the same time, it is a deeply personal film written from my own experience losing my grandfather to AIDS, my experience never talking about it with my family, and my regrets over adhering to their silence.