Films & Events
Don't Let Me Drown
In his directorial debut, Cruz Angeles navigates the rapids of young love. Set one month after 9/11, Don’t Let Me Drown focuses on two Latino families picking up the pieces in the aftermath. Sweet-faced Mexican-American Lalo (E.J. Bonilla, in a refreshingly vulnerable performance) lives in Brooklyn with his uncle, mother, and father, Ramón, who helps clear the debris from Ground Zero. Lalo's immigrant parents embarrass him, and he's tired of living hand to mouth. Then he meets Stefanie, a smart-mouthed Dominican-American who lost her sister in the attacks. Stefanie's mother, Diana, handles the loss as best she can, but her father, Dionisio (Ricardo Chavira, Desperate Housewives), roils with anger—and takes it out on his wife and daughter. Both teens could use a reprieve from the tensions at home, but the closer they get to a relationship, the more circumstances and their own stubborn pride, keep them apart. Angeles never trivializes 9/11, but concentrates his attentions on affairs of the heart, making it hard not to root for these tough kids to let their defenses down and find the love they deserve. Director Cruz Angeles and cinematographer Chad Davidson expected to attend both screenings
Sponsors:
American Airlines, POP
Cast & Crew
Director: Cruz Angeles
Producer: Maria Topete, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, James Lawler, Ben Howe
Editor: Andrew Hafitz
Screenwriter: Maria Topete, Cruz Angeles
Cinematographer: Chad Davidson
Music: Daniel Belardinelli
Principal Cast: E.J. Bonilla, Gleendilys Inoa, Damián Alcázar, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Gina Torres, Yareli Arizmendi
Filmography: Debut Feature Film
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