WOKE

WOKE is a story that's very close to my heart. I've always been passionate about socio-political topics, but I'd be lying if I said I thought one day I'd be producing this film. It came to me as a silly idea: "what if there was a film about a person of color who walks into a diversity club and they're all white?" That was literally my thought process. A year later, this film has come to fruition, with a script 100x better than I expected, produced by a hardworking crew, starring an amazingly charming cast, and with me as director, co-screenwriter, and assistant editor.
WOKE is a short independent student film inspired by true events. The film takes a satirical/comedic approach while tackling the heavy subject of racial tensions in present day society. It’s told through the lens of Luzvery, an Afrolatina student who’s seeking a community where she can feel included. Her expectations and morals are challenged when she joins the Diversity & Inclusion council, led by Robert (played by Jake Casper), the charming, yet blatantly ignorant founder and president of the club. The Diversity & Inclusion Council is challenged when Luz comes in; much to the surprise of Robert, who is not used to having his authority and ideals questioned.
I came up with the concept by doing a lot of research and thinking back to my own experiences. As a biracial female of color, I know that stories like mine aren't typically showcased in the mainstream media. Because I'm so passionate about subjects like these, I decided to make WOKE about things that I relate to: A Dominican immigrant who's looking to feel included and accepted. I purposely wanted to make the protagonist a black female lead, because for a long time, the media has given black females a negative image. I also wanted to experiment with ideas inspired by TV shows like "Insecure," "Fresh Off the Boat," and "Black-ish;" where they tackle serious subjects with comedy. On top of that, I wanted to work with a story and actors that would bring a fresh approach to the short film screen. We experimented a lot with makeup/lighting to make darker skinned people look good on camera, along with intricate and dynamic camera movements.
I personally had never tackled comedy, and I'd never thought I'd be writing one for my senior thesis film. This was a scary thought, but I found that sometimes the best way to get your point across with heavy subjects is through comedy. At the end of the day, WOKE is not just a story about a young immigrant woman. It's a story about acceptance and self-realization. It's a story about putting our differences aside and reflecting on our own behaviors. I never meant to tell people what to think, and ultimately I hope everyone has a good laugh, while actually learning something new from watching our short. I truly hope that people enjoy this film and have a good takeaway. Whatever that takeaway is, I hope it changes their point-of-view for the better.
If you'd like to read more about our film, you can visit this article I submitted to Filmlocal online: https://filmlocal.com/local-films/woke-the-short-film-socio-political-satire-fitchburg-ma/