In an elementary school in a suburban neighborhood in El Paso, Texas, a school is packed with kids eager to capitalize on their free time during school recess. Amidst all this noise lies two boys and their friends joining together for a friendly soccer game. 

Se Lo Merecía is a slice-of-life drama that highlights the awkward character building moments that come from childhood conflict. The story follows our two main characters Joaquin and Michael who otherwise would not hang out together if it were not for the sport of soccer. 

On a regular school day, Joaquin and Michael’s cliques join together to play soccer. When the two groups begin their friendly game, testosterone and the maturity level of little boys get in the way of what is called “good sportsmanship.” Ultimately, this places our characters face to face with the consequences of their actions and the wrath of their Mexican parents.

Growing up in El Paso, Texas, I navigated a complex web of cultural identity, shaped by my hardworking parents, friends, and family, and the contrasting environments of private Catholic schools where I never felt fully "Mexican enough." This sense of disconnection and the struggle to find my place within my own culture, mirrored by many in the Mexican-American community, drives my passion to create the film Se Lo Merecía. Through this film, I aim to capture the nuanced experiences of those who, like me, live between cultures, illustrating the profound impact of shared heritage and the challenges of cultural assimilation. My unique background and personal journey compel me to tell this story, fostering understanding and celebrating the richness of multiculturalism.

As filmmakers we hold a great responsibility to our audience and the world. We have an opportunity to amplify the voices of those who aren’t heard. Se Lo Merecía is a story about how culture plays a significant part in our upbringing. We are not only raised by the people around us but by the people that have carried our legacies. As Latin Americans, we hope to elevate these stories about our culture and shed light on a beautiful community on the border of two nations. With your help we can strengthen each other’s voices and convey the authentic upbringings that make our nation so incredibly diverse.

My philosophy for this film is that the team behind it push themselves to think outside the box, take risks, and do the hard work necessary to grow as independent filmmakers. Only together can we achieve this and elevate each other to achieve new heights and break into the independent film scene with bold and personal stories.

Our story focuses on our protagonists of Michael and Joaquin. When crafting and developing this story it became clear and necessary to ensure both characters have proper motivations, desires, and insecurities. Each boy is the main character of their own story.

8 1/2 (1963) - Federico Fellini

The film opens with Michael. As a symbol of his cultural struggle, Michael yearns to be able to fit in through soccer. Michael Gonzalez is a 12-year-old American-born Hispanic boy navigating a complicated relationship with his cultural identity. A dreamer with a timid demeanor, Michael is bold when pursuing his desires, such as his yearning to join “the cool kids” during recess soccer games. His privileged upbringing has left him disconnected from his heritage, creating a gap between him and his peers who embrace their shared cultural roots. Beneath his polished, out-of-touch exterior lies a deep longing for acceptance and belonging, driving the emotional conflict at the heart of his story.

Belfast (2021) - Kenneth Branagh

In the aftermath of a schoolyard brawl, we get a look into Joaquin's perspective of this story. Joaquin Esparza is a confident and fiery 12-year-old boy who takes pride in his Mexican identity and feels a natural authority on the soccer field. When Michael’s cultural detachment and entitled attitude, enters his domain, Joaquin’s frustration boils over, exposing his rejection of Michael’s disconnect from their shared heritage. Raised by his father, to be tough and self-reliant, Joaquin projects a cocky, confrontational persona that masks a more vulnerable side. Beneath his outward bravado lies a sensitive, unsure child yearning for validation in a world that often feels like a battleground.

Our aim for this story is to portray nuanced perspectives from children who are not yet keen to the world around them and what these moments will eventually come to mean to them.

Grounded in authenticity, the creators of Se Lo Merecía aim to tell a story that brings its audience into the past and conveys a narrative through an objective point of view. We hope to capture an essence of the truth of how these boys live their day to day lives and how seemingly insignificant conflicts can shape a human being. Set in the elementary school where the film’s director grew up, Se Lo Merecía captures the essence of a child’s life on the border and the generational struggles their families have gone through. Below you will find a few reference films and stills that have inspired the film’s tone and visual style. 

Tonal and Visual references from Stand By Me, Better Call Saul, Roma, Boyhood, and The Florida Project

Seed and Spark requires us to reach 80% of our goal for the project to garner funds.

We NEED to reach our green light goal of $9,200 or we won't receive any of the funds raised.

Your donation will ensure this project reaches its potential and help us curate and care for a talented team of filmmakers and artists. We are confident and committed to delivering a high quality product by high quality people. Feel free to take a look at all the fun incentives we have to offer you! The $11,500 you are helping us raise will go towards:

• Paying fair wages for our talented cast.
• Renting the necessary film equipment such as camera, lenses, tripods, dollys, and lights.
• Nourishing and taking care of our cast and crew through a local catering service.
• Ensuring compensated travel and housing for our production.
• Building the world of the story through costumes and production design.

While our goal of $11,500 will help us green light production the costs of filmmaking do not end with this stage, reaching the following stretch goals would allow us to further invest into our team, film, and distribution.

• At $15,000 we will be able to fairly compensate our talented crew for their hard work as it takes a lot of effort to come to set and make a quality film.
• At $20,000 we will be able to cover post production costs such as professional color grading and sound design and mixing to ensure the film is polished and elevated to a studio level.
• At $25,000 we will be able to cover all the necessary costs of submitting to festivals and even provide transportation for cast and crew to arrive at the film's premiere across the country.

We understand not everyone can contribute financially. However, there is still a huge way that you can help our project: Spread the Word!

Follow Us Social Media, Seed and Spark, and/or email/text our campaign to your family and friends!

To reach our goal, we’ll need to extend our reach beyond our own networks. By giving us a shoutout on social media you help spread our voice across the world. Help us spread our message by social media. Follow us on INSTAGRAM to stay updated on all things about the campaign, momentum of the film, and behind the scenes content on the film's production. By following us on Seed and Spark you give us the opportunity to gain exclusive access to perks, services, and even festival waivers provided by the company. If that's not your style, feel free to text or even email https://seedandspark.com/fund/se-lo-merecia across your network, anything helps! No matter what we are eternally grateful to any way you can potentially get more eyes and ears on this wonderful project we are so excited to make. From the production team of Se lo Merecía, we thank you for all the love and support!