A number of years ago, a friend of mine reached out to me to tell me about a book that her father wrote.
It's a true story account of Maria Magdalena. Born and raised in Mexico, she married and had five children, when her husband abandoned her and the kids. Having no means of support, she traveled to the U.S so she could provide for her children. Getting over here wasn't easy and she was stuck in the clutches of a man who would threaten her with imprisonment or deportation and would beat her.
It's an incredible story about survival and faith in the midst of turmoil. It is beautifully written. The author, John Messer, captured the spirit of her journey, and his words paint the picture perfectly. It's a nice read. If you would like to purchase the book, click on the picture of the book above and it'll take you to where you can buy it online.
I had the opportunity to adapt the book for film, and I can say that John and Maria love the script. That's more a credit to him, because the script stays very close to the book. And so we're in the process of trying to put together a teaser/trailer for them.
It's been a bit frustrating, because it will take a bit of money to make this happen. Not a lot really. $4,000. Early this year it looked like that funding was there, and we went through pre-production and put together a great cast. It really is maddening because the shot list is put together, I'm seeing how it's going to look with the characters in place, and our financier had to pull out because they were hit with some unexpected financial setbacks.
One day we'll be able to do this for John and Maria, who is now his wife. I am pushing this a bit because I know John is dealing with some health issues, so I'd like for him to see some of his words come to life.
I've put together a sort of crowdfunding page for this project. If you'd like to help, either by donation or by spreading the word, check out the page right here.