The Garden of Adam
Houston, Texas | Film Short
Drama, Family
After their son is killed by police, two young parents, Guatemoc and Mariana reconnect after years apart. One wants to grieve in silence and plan the funeral, while the other wants to hit the streets and hold the police force accountable. The Garden of Adam is their journey towards compromise.
The Garden of Adam
Houston, Texas | Film Short
Drama, Family
1 Campaigns | Texas, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $16,035 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
151 supporters | followers
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After their son is killed by police, two young parents, Guatemoc and Mariana reconnect after years apart. One wants to grieve in silence and plan the funeral, while the other wants to hit the streets and hold the police force accountable. The Garden of Adam is their journey towards compromise.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Anything helps! There is no minimum amount you can pledge to our project! Please follow us and support us on Seed & Spark. Even if you pledge $0, creating an account and following us on Seed & Spark helps a TON! Be sure to also follow us on Instagram to see live updates of our production! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. <3
- The Garden of Adam Crew
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
SOUND DEPARTMENT
Costs $4,500
It's often said in the film industry that sound is 51% of your film! High-quality audio is key!
ACTORS
Costs $2,600
We're a small but mighty cast and we want to pay our talented actors for their time and dedication.
CREW
Costs $3,500
Our production depends on a small crew of working professionals to bring this story to life.
FOOD
Costs $500
Food makes people happy on set! We need water, snacks and food for our lunch breaks!
EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Costs $1,500
We'll need lenses, monitors and more to run our set smoothly and efficiently!
POST PRODUCTION
Costs $1,500
We'll need to cut, color-grade and edit our film once we're done shooting!
PROPS/WARDROBE
Costs $500
We'll need to get our wardrobe and props to make our production as realistic as possible!
MISC.
Costs $400
There are many unforeseen costs that we will run into throughout this process.
Share this update!
About This Team
Our team consists of a group of determined, young talent based in Houston, Texas. We're a majority Latino cast and crew with a range of experience including film, television, commercial, theatre, and even music! Many of us have also spent time organizing and donating time and resources to local nonprofits and social justice groups. Everyone involved in this project is extremely passionate about the story we're trying to tell and has already put countless hours into bringing this film to life.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Anything helps! There is no minimum amount you can pledge to our project! Please follow us and support us on Seed & Spark. Even if you pledge $0, creating an account and following us on Seed & Spark helps a TON! Be sure to also follow us on Instagram to see live updates of our production! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. <3
- The Garden of Adam Crew
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
SOUND DEPARTMENT
Costs $4,500
It's often said in the film industry that sound is 51% of your film! High-quality audio is key!
ACTORS
Costs $2,600
We're a small but mighty cast and we want to pay our talented actors for their time and dedication.
CREW
Costs $3,500
Our production depends on a small crew of working professionals to bring this story to life.
FOOD
Costs $500
Food makes people happy on set! We need water, snacks and food for our lunch breaks!
EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Costs $1,500
We'll need lenses, monitors and more to run our set smoothly and efficiently!
POST PRODUCTION
Costs $1,500
We'll need to cut, color-grade and edit our film once we're done shooting!
PROPS/WARDROBE
Costs $500
We'll need to get our wardrobe and props to make our production as realistic as possible!
MISC.
Costs $400
There are many unforeseen costs that we will run into throughout this process.
Share this update!
About This Team
Our team consists of a group of determined, young talent based in Houston, Texas. We're a majority Latino cast and crew with a range of experience including film, television, commercial, theatre, and even music! Many of us have also spent time organizing and donating time and resources to local nonprofits and social justice groups. Everyone involved in this project is extremely passionate about the story we're trying to tell and has already put countless hours into bringing this film to life.