Inspiration

I’ve been thinking a lot of my inspiration for this particular film opening. I think that a film opening is one of the most important element of a film, as they are the opportunity to really express the tone and theme of the film. I want to communicate a message I care about, and create content that I can relate to. Therefore, I am aiming to create an opening that has a female lead because I believe that more films should be made where women are represented in a powerful and positive light. 

According to a study done by USC Annenberg on Inequality in representation in 900 popular films from 2007-2016, out of the 100 top films of 2016, there were only 34 films that depicted a female lead or co-lead, of which only 3 had females of underrepresented racial or ethnicity group and 8 had women ages 45 or older. 

In addition, I also want to depict the story of an immigrant, since I have personal connection because my entire family emigrated to the United States from their home country after it fell in political turmoil. 

According to ThoughtCo., Latinos are commonly and stereotypically portrayed as either maids, thugs, overly sexualized, or poor and non-assimilated immigrants. This is offensive and ignorant, as these stereotypes are not representative of the majority of Hispanic people. My goal is to create an opening about a female immigrant that shows the great strength, resilience, and bravery that immigrants go through when leaving their country.

Felix Sánchez, co-founder of the National Hispanics Foundation for the Arts, said "Knowing that I am a Hispanic woman who is writing for a role of the same characteristics is positive, since it is rare to see it portrayed in films and equally behind the camera. 

Ultimately, I think I will try and go in the direction of creating an opening where a female is the lead, or when a underrepresented group is finally given the spotlight. Hopefully, I can include both aspects cohesively.