We recently connected with Andrew Garcia and have shared our conversation below.
Andrew, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I feel lucky to say that I’m currently working on my most personal and meaningful project to date. My new film “Tumba Del Mar” is currently in pre production and speaks to my Cuban-American roots in Miami where we romanticize the glitz and glamour of the city without considering the tragic immigrant journeys that comprise it.
Tumba Del Mar is a story grief, love, and the constant struggle to attain an immigrant’s idea of the American Dream. In the wake of Fidel Castro’s death, Rosa, a Cuban woman and single parent, is forced to face the turbulent trauma of her past, the passing of her husband, and her son’s determination to leave their life in Miami for something bigger.
When Fidel Castro passed, we saw on our screens parades of celebration, news anchors reporting the reverberations of his regime, and yet we saw nothing pointing to the psyche of Cubans who were left with unresolved trauma, having been forced to leave the land they came from.
At its core, Tumba Del Mar explores the dichotomous nature of what it means to be an excommunicated immigrant outside of the homeland. When a new identity is forced upon us, we question our purpose.
Currently, we have 70% of the film funded, but we need a final push of $15K to bring it to life. Recently, I’ve started a GoFundMe to collect any donations that can help us realize our vision. You can find more info on the project here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/tumba-del-mar-short-film?qid=0392cdd1acf5ed1ef3a1990c28b80b97
Every bit helps!
Andrew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a filmmaker from Miami, now based in NYC and I feel grateful to have had the opportunities I’ve had so far such as having my last film on HBO, shooting commercial work for brands like Thom Browne, Timberland, Proenza Schouler and others. I’m extremely excited for what’s ahead but I think we forget that building your creative voice goes hand in hand with the people you surround yourself with and the community you cultivate while working in this industry. No matter how good the work is, it’s about the energy you’re putting out and that’s what will not only attract clients but the right people and friends to your work.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My biggest drive for my career is to be able to tell the stories about where I’m from and where my roots come from. Being able to tap into your own specific histories while relating and connecting these stories to multiple communities is a journey in itself that I feel grateful to have already begun accomplishing through filmmaking.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I was lucky enough to leave Miami to study film in New York, but sometimes some of the “lessons” or “rules” about filmmaking that gets drilled into every kid can be very narrow minded. We’re living in such an amazing time for storytelling where we see very different structures and risks being taken. We’re literally seeing how breaking these rules work and have huge audiences behind them. I think for anyone struggling and feeling like they’ve been left out because they haven’t had the chance to study film or another creative endeavor, I feel there is less gatekeeping now in the sense of “how to make a movie” and I’d say go for it because everyones voice matters and is so unique.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://andrew-garcia.com/
- Instagram: @rosepapi305