'Culantro Fino' director Fernando Lopez, center, setting up a shot. Photo: Zac Popik >>> Fernando Lopez’s short film Culantro Fino catches you off guard. At its heart, it’s a simple story about a mother and daughter searching for connection through the power of food. But there is so much more going on between mother and daughter, played by Sarah Carleton and Sophia Castellanos, respectively. Complex issues and complicated relationships familiar to any family dealing with with the threat of deportation. All of that was by design, explains Lopez . “We wanted to take a complex premise and convey it in a simple way, without letting technology overshadow the tenderness of the relationship or the subtext of the plot.” The film is also an exploration of migrant life Lopez doesn’t often see portrayed on screen. “There always seems to be an element of joy and euphoria when our culture is portrayed on screen, which is not wrong or inaccurate,” Lopez says. “But there are other ...
Championing films made in and filmmakers from the Midwest
