Gun Hill Road + Latino filmmaking and where it's going

Tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 5th the film Gun Hill Road is set to be released in theaters.

As a filmmaker, a Bronx native and a Latino, I have to say one thing even before we talk about the film and the prospects of it's quality. BRAVO. Finally a film that tackles on Latinos and aspects of Latin culture that don't immediately derive from the atypical portrayal of Latinos as illegal immigrants, criminals, derelicts, rapists, whores and drug dealers/traffickers (and in some instances a combination  of any of these) and finally just tells a compelling story about people, sans the ethnicity crutch.

Synopsis - A father returns to his family after a three year stint in jail and discovers that his son is undergoing a sexual transformation all the while trying not to erode the vulnerable relationships between himself, his wife and the son he thought he knew. 

I have to say, right away, I'm enthralled with the concept of the film,written and directed by up and comer Rashaad Ernesto Green, it's about time a film depicts Latinos away from things stereotypical and willing to take risks and challenge the personas we've been typecast as. Now, this isn't a war cry, it's a progressive way of thinking from a film making perspective and one that both as indie film makers as well as fans of good dramatic cinematic films can get behind (my two cents).

The film stars Esai Morales (you probably remember him from La Bamba) as well as Judy Reyes (of Scrubs fame), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (who starred on HBO's The Wire). Yet perhaps most interesting of the casting of (and introduction of) Harmony Santana, who is living as a transgender woman (Check out the article on her on the NY Times website here).

That's the type of forward thinking and progress that Latino culture, especially our entertainment culture, that has needed a kick in the ass for some time. Breaking the mold of seeing the same people we see on the street on screen. (I think I'm not the only one who, if we could, would never want to see Daddy Yankee on screen ever again?)

Also, did we mention the film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2011 ?

Check out the trailer here. I know this blogger right here will be excited to get to the theater and check this out firsthand as should you.