The Garden of Adam is a work of fiction motivated by real-life events that took place in March of 2021. Adam Toledo, a Mexican American child, was killed by Chicago Police in the middle of the night. 

The Garden of Adam is a work of fiction about two young parents, Guatemoc and Mariana - reeling from the murder of their son at the hands of police - struggling to reconcile with the loss of their child and the reality that justice, or their idea of justice, may not be served. 

GUATEMOC - The father of Adam. He's a stubborn, hardworking, and nurturing man. He doesn't believe in the power of protest and holds steadfast in his belief that the city will do nothing to prosecute the police officer who took his son's life. He wants to grieve in privacy and plan the funeral, despite pleas from Adam's mother to join in the fight for justice. 

MARIANA - The mother of Adam. She's just as stubborn, if not more than Guatemoc. She's passionate, strong-willed, and independent. Mariana is determined to move mountains to bring her son's killer to justice, even if it means putting her own life in danger. 

DIANA - Mariana's cousin. She's protective of Mariana and always willing to lend a hand. She help's Mariana plan a march in Adam's name and tries to help convince Guatemoc to join them. 

RYAN - Ryan is a childhood friend of Guatemoc, he's always been by his side and is doing his best to be present as his friend grieves. He is understanding of Guatemoc's reluctance to join the march, he doesn't pressure his friend and offers a judgement-free shoulder to lean on in a time of need. 

JUANA - Guatemoc's mother. She does her best to care for her son as he grieves the loss of his child. She is brilliant and nurturing but gets caught up in her own efforts to help, sometimes causing friction in the household. 

KIMBERLY - The funeral home director. She helps Guatemoc plan Adam's funeral while Mariana is at a march. She empathizes with Guatemoc and confides in him the details of her own loss. 

"The death of Adam Toledo hit me hard, it hit so close to home. My nephew, Christopher is the same age. When I read about what happened to this child, I wanted to shout from the rooftops and tell everyone about this story, but it died out in the news after only a week or so and the next big story took over our news feeds. I couldn't reconcile with the fact that Adam's story would be lost to the never-ending news feed we constantly have to wade through.

When people are killed by police, we grieve. Sometimes publicly, sometimes privately. Adam's story got me thinking: how do people suddenly step up in front of the news cameras? How do they muster the strength to hit the streets and demand justice? What do they do when justice isn't served? How do they move on? How do they compromise with a world that may not deliver the justice we so desperately crave? All while planning a funeral? 

This film is an examination of that grief and compromise.

This is not based on the life of Adam Toledo, I would never presume to write about someone I don't know, I do not plan to reach out to his family and pester them for information for my film. They deserve peace and quiet, they deserve to grieve the loss of their son. 

This story is a work of fiction but it is a love letter to all those people, lost to the media feed, the ones who don't gain national attention, the ones who don't spark marches all throughout the country, the ones who don't get laws named after them. 

Latinos in America are killed by police at almost twice the rate than white people, but the media is scared to tell their stories and often, they are treated as isolated incidents and fade out into the background noise. 

I'm a Latino, living in America. I have brown skin and some people see me as a threat and a target. I have the tools to tell a powerful story and contribute to the work that our Black brothers and sisters and have done for us in the struggle for liberation and justice.

I want to tell a human story that everyone can connect with. I believe it's my duty to tell this story and I hope you can help me with that.

-Gerardo Velasquez, Writer & Director of The Garden of Adam

We plan on shooting The Garden of Adam in mid/late November of this year in Houston. We have an incredible crew of experienced filmmakers and actors working tirelessly to plan out the schedule and production process of our film. We hope to raise $15,000 so that we can make the highest-quality film possible and pay everyone a living wage while doing so! We will be submitting to film festivals once the film is finished so we hope to invite you to screenings all over the country in the near future! 



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- The Garden of Adam Crew