Current Projects: Rio's Revenge

			Rio’s Revenge
Skip to:	Introduction		Inspiration	Timeline
Intro		In this film, you will see how Globalization can hurt a small family.
Inspiration		In 2004, I studied "Sociology of the Everyday World", "Societies" and "Sociology of the Family". Globalization- Multinational Corporations are one of the most troubling things in existence. They have ripped apart nations, supported wars, and torn families apart. Reading about this, seeing the videos, images, and hearing stories which I studied for class, upset me. I wrote the screenplay "Rio's Revenge" in August as a result of having learned about this matter. The family this film in centered on includeshis wife Anita, and their son who's lives are turned upside- down when the company Rio works for moves to Mexico.
Plot Summary		Nevarro (Rio) Gutierrez, Rio is a Hispanic family man whose family is threatened by the corporatation he’s worked his life for moving to Mexico. His family faces poverty and the breakup of marriage in the struggle to survive. Anita (pictured above) is his wife, a Mexican-American who left her home behind for a chance at a future in the states. Her over protective older brother also looks out for her. Anita worked as a waitress, but found herself unable to keep up with the bills when her husband lost her job, so she moves back home. Jose (above right) their son, is six years old. His life is uprooted when depression hits. He is forced to move into an overcrowded house with relatives he doesn’t know, where they speak a language he doesn’t understand, and his education suffers. Act I: Nevarro and his best friend Bo experience unemployment. Both of their relationships suffer when they can no longer provide financially for their family. Act II: Bo’s girlfriend Keisha, kicks him out of the apartment. Rio’s wife leaves him and the states to move back with her family in Mexico. Act III. Bo finds a job and proposes to Keisha. They run into Rio, homeless on the street, help him get to his wife and family in Mexico. He finds Anita and his old job in poor condition. Anita and their unborn child are shot and killed. Rio and Jose move back to America.
Timeline		I wrote that screenplay, start to finish, in August of 2004- in between class, work, and the beginning of a new relationship. In September, I started a new screenplay, -Gifted, so Rio got shelved. There are also other complications that have made this a difficult project to continue. First, there is the language. Spanish is the primary language of Anita, and the only language of her family in Mexico, whom Rio and his family later visit. I won't compromise the authenticity of the language by forcing everyone to speak English when my characters are not all comfortable with English. I want at least 30% of the dialogue in this film to remain in Spanish, and that will cause problems for a large portion of my non-bilingual audience. Everything that the audience needs to understand is said in English, or at least repeated or expanded in English. The Spanish is used to strengthen the family bonds, and for authentication purposes. Most of the Spanish can be understood clearly through body language, but much of the audience may still be disturbed simply because they don't understand the words. Personally, I am comfortable with Spanish. I have studied it for years, I know it well. But, I do not speak it fluently. In addition, there are regional dialects to consider, and for authentication purposes, I would like to go over the Spanish portions with someone who speaks the language natively. Also, I am not Mexican. Though I relate, I don't have the personal experience that I should have to make this story more realistic. I've been to Mexico, but not this area, and I don't really have time or the money to make the trip. I'm thinking the best way would be to contact the Latino-American film association and let someone over there take a look at the script and add what they think should be added, but I am too busy right now to do either of those things. So the project has been shelved.

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