DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Three things inspired me while writing AFTER THE WEDDING – Miami Beach, marriage and The Graduate.

After living in Miami Beach during my high school years, and later going back on vacations to visit family, Miami artistically influenced me heavily over the years. Being of Guatemalan descent, the city, first and foremost, renewed my sense of pride in being a Latina, by the way it embraces its Latin and Caribbean roots. Secondly, the city has become an international mecca for all things food, design and art related, further fueling its creative influence.

My second source of writing inspiration was the theme of marriage. Being a newlywed myself, last year, I had a strong desire to write (and see) a movie about a young marriage that was hopeful, but also honest. I think that too often films either cover marriages in a superficial fluffy way or when the couple is on the brink of divorce. I wanted to capture a marriage just after the wedding, when the dust is still settling, and the couple is navigating their new roles.

Lastly, because I see this as a modern-day coming-of-age love story I drew inspiration from one of my favorite films, The Graduate. Like Dustin Hoffman’s character Benjamin Braddock, Diego Diaz is also at a crossroads about where he is in his life. There’s his young, ambitious wife, Mariana who represents society, and wants them to start a family, Vanessa, who represents the rebellious class, and the illusion of adventure, and finally Diego, who is left to contemplate his true self, amongst these two forces. My goal is to marry these three elements in a way that communicates a story well told through my personal, unique perspective.