Behind the flash and neon of “Fabulous Las Vegas”, Latsame works diligently as a steady on-call housekeeper for the downtown Paragon Meadows Hotel and Casino in order to support her two daughters, Mae and Benny. A Laotian immigrant, Latsame has done her best in this city that is no longer new to her, but still in its own ways unfamiliar. All seems manageable, until Latsame suffers a fainting spell in the middle of a shift. This episode begins a series of health scares and internal battles that threaten to push Latsame out of the job, endangering her ability to provide for her family.
Her closest friends and fellow housekeepers, Bee and Norma, try to help as Latsame’s main support system in this attempt of hers at the American Dream. As Latsame’s condition worsens, they fight to navigate the questionable politics and expectations of this industry that does its part to exploit them all. In a journey ambushed by personal challenges and self discovery, Latsame must confront her own ghosts, or succumb to the surreal madness that she continues to sink further and further into.
This film is reflective of our own experiences growing up with immigrant mothers in the unique city of Las Vegas; we channel those memories collectively to envision Latsame’s world authentically. The juxtaposition between Latsame’s calm nature and vivid mind will captivate audiences as we journey through her experience and existential crisis.
Motherhood is never the end of a woman’s personal life. Latsame is an accurate representation of perseverance through womanhood. An immigrant mother of two daughters who feels alone and desperate in her never-ending struggle to keep herself afloat for the sake of her family. Anybody who seeks compassion will find it in Latsame and her community.
Being raised by a strong-willed and devoted single Mexican mother has only made me more invested in reflecting on my experiences growing up. The nurturing family we created from our community was more impactful than the hardships we overcame. These circumstances have molded me into the artist and person I am today. It has created a shared connection with our writer who was also solely raised by her caring and resilient Laotian mother. Not only is it essential to share stories of women like our own mothers, but it is empowering for all women and minorities to see their stories be told.
Latsame's Home
I envision this film to be a bit muted and naturalistic, using natural light and its consequential shadows as the main light source while framing in wider
compositions with negative space surrounding Latsame, our main character. I want to create intimacy between the subject and the camera and empathy between the audience and the story.
This story takes place in the city that I have called my home since birth. It is an opportunity to show the landscape how I see it with wide skies and surrounding mountains next to hot asphalt and bright lights. There is a unique blend to Las Vegas that is apparent in Latsame's world and my own which I believe will help me tell the story truthfully.
As the film progresses and Latsame trudges through her story,
the visuals will transition from present and realistic to fading and surrealistic. The composition reflect very much so her internal being rather than her physical world. As this story has themes of mental health, Latsame's physical world is shaped and formed how she experiences it and not necessarily how everyone else around her can see it. For that reason, I desire for this world to be similar to our reality but different enough that we cannot fully claim it as our own.
*Not original images
