After a healthy amount of research Jas Shelton (co-writer) and I decided to create a story focusing on connection as the central theme. We explored everything from physical and metaphysical borders, always asking the question “Is everything connected”? In exploring the physical aspect of the story we took a hard look at the border between the United States and Mexico, the relationships between families that exist on both sides and the impact the border has had on them. Their stories were heartbreaking and there was no turning back at that point. We had to tell this story. The research helped us lean into the idea of building a story about connection between a 1st generation U.S. Border Agent, Angel Waters, and his estranged undocumented father, Ignacio Coronado. In an effort to reinforce the theme we dropped a handful of easter eggs into the story. These metaphors symbolize the relationships of the characters (both Mexican and American) through an ancient coin, a song, day, night, life, death and a mantra about the inseparable connection between the roots and the branches that reverberate through the lineage of Angel’s family tree. Although this film does not have a religious angle, we liked what The Holy Trinity could offer to the story. The metaphor helped us map out the connection of the characters. Ignacio is represented as The Father, Angel represents The Son, and the Stranger represents The Holy Ghost. All three characters are separate in their own right, but equally joined as one at the same time. Everything in this film points to the theme of connection. Love and time cannot be contained. They stretch beyond both physical and metaphysical borders. — Lance Larson