Take the Bridge
Film Title (Spanish): El Puente del Destino
Film Title (Original): Take the Bridge
Film Title (English): Take the Bridge
Country of Origin: United States
Year of Completition: 2007
Running Time: 87 minutes
Format/Color/BW: HD, Color, Black & White
Language: English, Spanish, Spanish subtitles
 Director: Sergio M. Castilla | Biography | Watch Trailer
Film Synopsis - Short:
Four young people, blocks apart and unaware of each other, simultaneously attempt to commit suicide, and all survive. The story begins upon their release from the hospital, where the four have met. The grim realities of the streets powerfully pull these young people back to familiar grounds, and yet they are not alone. Set just twenty minutes north of Times Square, this award-winning drama transports us into heart of the Latino borough of Washington Heights New York City.
Film Synopsis - Long:
Four young people, blocks apart and unaware of each other, simultaneously attempt to commit suicide, and all survive. The story begins upon their release from the hospital, where the four have met. Set in contemporary Washington Heights New York City, a Latino neighborhood that can be cold and violent, and yet warm, welcoming, vibrant—and full of life. It is just twenty minutes North of Times Square, and yet feels like a different world. Addiction, drugs, prostitution, theft and rape powerfully pull these young people back toward crippling despair. These are grim realities, but within darkness exists a fantastical remedy.
Shot consistently beneath the looming George Washington Bridge, the city is a menacing character, whose squalor only one of the patients, the irrepressible Elias (Adrian V. Castilla), appears capable of transcending. Like Dostoyevsky’s Idiot, Elias possesses a neurotic mysticism that can redeem the lives of those near him. It is this theme of divine madness that fuels this tough yet tender narrative, and captures the perilous journey of those who venture west across the bridge, towards the hope of new possibilities. Elias’ ally is a street-wise, charismatic and funny young Dominican woman, who has survived the hard borough with her soul and spirit in tact. She gives meaning to Elias’ divine power.
In Sergio M. Castilla’s ninth film, Take the Bridge features performances by a promising young ensemble. Shot both in black and white and color, the movie alternates between the feel of a documentary and fantasy. The film most recently won the Red Star Heineken Award at the New York Latino Film Festival.
Film Credits
Director: Sergio M. Castilla
Producer: Sergio M. Castilla
Executive Producers: Ignacio Haddad, Greg Segal
Screenwriter: Sergio M. Castilla
Cinematographers: Matthew Caton
Editor: Linda Peters
Cast: Adrian Castilla, Francisco Delgado, Ruth Sullivan,
Angelica Rodriguez, Minerva Pascual, Yolanda Suero
Film History/Prizes:
Premiered at 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, Red Star Heineken Award –NY Latino Film Festival. |
