Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2019 – Blossom
Former foster youth face many setbacks upon becoming independent from the system. Blossom follows three young women in this transition from adolescence to adulthood as they come to terms with their upbringings and find stability for themselves.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Rachel Lattin
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
When developing Blossom, I researched various different social issues. I found that there was not much attention given to the foster care system and what happens when foster youth age out of that system. I wanted to make a film that highlighted the diverse stories of people in foster care.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The three women in this film, Alex, Krisha, and Madisun, are incredibly inspirational. With difficult and unimaginable pasts, they became strong, independent, and talented adults. Though their stories cannot speak directly for the thousands of children who are in the foster care system, they can open viewer's minds to some of the difficulty that these children and young adults face. Their stories also combat some of the negative stigmas that exist about former foster youth being "damaged."
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Family and forgiveness are two major themes throughout the film. Another minor theme is art and its healing ability.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film changed significantly over the course of shooting. Since it is a documentary, I had a loose script at the beginning of production. However as I got to know more about the women and as they introduced me to others that they knew, the film grew into something much bigger and deeper than I intended.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far, feedback has been great!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
When telling very personal stories like those featured in Blossom, I always worry that the subjects will feel misrepresented. I was very happy to hear that Alex, Krisha, and Madisun all loved the film and felt it was a true representation of themselves.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am hoping to get more people interested in both my film and the issue of foster care. I also hope to be able to connect with other filmmakers interested in similar topics.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I'm looking to get Blossom seen by as man people as possible. So I am looking primarily for distributors, film festival directors, and buyers who want to help me achieve that goal.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The foster care system is very complicated and is different in every state. There are definitely flaws in the system that need to be addressed. While I hope this film can inspire systemic change, that's not the main focus. I primarily want it to make impact in a broader sense. By that I mean that I hope viewers better understand that every person's story is unique and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to foster care. I simply hope this films brings a new perspective on foster youth to the media.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
As I mentioned earlier, everyone's story is different. I hope Blossom sparks conversation about how to provide personalized social work to foster youth (and even beyond that to homelessness, mental illness, and other areas).
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you so much for featuring Blossom on We Are Moving Stories!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am working on distribution of several films. In addition to Blossom, I have a film about homelessness and a film about gender inequality in the Scottish-Sikh community that I am working on getting distributed.
Interview: February 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Blossom
Former foster youth face many setbacks upon becoming independent from the system. Blossom follows three young women in this transition from adolescence to adulthood as they come to terms with their upbringings and find stability for themselves.
Length: 17:47
Director: Rachel Lattin
Producer: Rachel Lattin
Writer: Rachel Lattin
About the writer, director and producer:
RACHEL LATTIN is a New York-based documentary filmmaker interested in social issues, the environment, and immersing herself in new cultures. She has made short documentaries across the Western United States and Europe featuring issues from endangered desert tortoises in Joshua Tree to gender inequality in the Scottish-Sikh community. Rachel received a B.F.A. in News and Documentary from Chapman University. She was nominated for the ASC Haskell Wexler Student Documentary Award for her work on Monumental (2018). Her film, She Who Questions (2017), was a semi-finalist for the Student Academy Awards. Her films have screened at festivals such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, CAAM Fest, and DocuWest.
Key cast: Alexandria Maldonado (Subject), Madisun Ramirez (Subject), Krisha Ross (Subject)
Looking for: distributors, buyers, film festival directors
Website: rachellattin.com/blossom
Other: IMDB
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Santa Barbara International Film Festival - 2/8/2019, 10 am, Fiesta 5 Theatre, Auditorium 3, 2/9/2019, 2:20 pm, Metro 4 Theatre, Auditorium 2