MOVIES

Take a look behind the scenes of Las Cruces' latest film production, 'In the Summers'

Leah Romero

Editor's Note: This story was updated on Aug. 8, 2023 with the correct promotional photos provided by the film production team.

The latest major feature film that took over Las Cruces has entered post-production. 

“In the Summers” is a drama written and directed by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio that follows two adult Latinx sisters who visit their father every summer in Las Cruces. Producer Daniel Tantalean described the film as a “slice of life” covering five summers from when they are about 8 and 10 years old to when they are in their 20s. 

A still image from the film "In the Summers" which wrapped filming in Las Cruces in June 2023. The character Eva, played by Sasha Calle, is shown overlooking the city of Las Cruces.

“I think for me, ‘In the Summers’ is about basically identity, finding ourselves and a little bit of dealing with family trauma,” Tantalean said. “I think what’s so beautiful about this film is in a lot of ways it’s kind of a slice of life movie and a really great reflection of our own community, the Latin community and the queer community.”

According to IMDb, the character of the father “creates a world of wonder” for his children, but his struggle with addiction eventually overwhelms the “magic.”

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Tantalean said the story is loosely based on Samudio’s relationships with her sister and father.

The film stars Puerto Rican musician and filmmaker Residente as the father and Lio Mehiel (“Mutt,” “WeCrashed”) as Voileta and Sasha Calle (“The Flash,” “The Young and the Restless”) as Eva. Luciana Elisa Quinonez (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) plays young Eva and Dreya Castillo (“America’s Got Talent”) plays young Violeta. 

Tantalean explained that production started in Las Cruces in late May 2023 and wrapped on June 30. He said filming took place almost exclusively in Las Cruces, but production also shot in Mesilla, Slot Canyon and White Sands National Park. 

“A lot of people come to Las Cruces for the tax credit, which is very big, but that is actually not why we came to the City of Las Cruces,” he said. “When Alessandra was doing early development on this script, she was trying to figure out ‘where’s the right place to tell my story?’ and it came down to a lot of story details….What she really wanted was something that was more of a Latino town. More of a border city that highlighted a lot more of our culture.” 

A behind the scenes image from the film "In the Summers," which wrapped filming in Las Cruces in June 2023, of (left to right) Alejandro Mejia (director of photography), Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio (writer/director) and Josh Padilla (key grip).

Not only is Las Cruces the backdrop of the film, but a character as well. Locals will be able to point out such landmarks as the giant red chile in front of the Big Chile Inn on Picacho Avenue, Palacio Bar on Avenida de Mesilla, Miguel’s Restaurant on Amador Avenue and residential areas near Young Park. 

“We kept all the names of the city to highlight and make it feel real and warm and of the city and of the spirit of what Las Cruces is,” Tantalean said.

He noted that a majority of the crewmembers for this film were from New Mexico and helped guide the production. 

Tantalean has been associated with “In the Summers” for about four years, after hitting it off with Samudio. She asked him to read the script and he said he was “transported” back to his own childhood within the first 10 pages. 

“It’s a reflection of life and it’s really rare to find something that is something that is a touch point for so many of us because we all grew up very different as Latino Americans.”

The film is currently in the post production stage. Tantalean said editing will hopefully be completed by the end of the year so the film is ready to premiere and submit to festivals in early 2024. He said the team is specifically eyeing Sundance Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, South by Southwest and other large festivals, as well as potentially the Las Cruces International Film Festival

Production also plans to bring the film to Las Cruces for special screenings to share with the community ahead of the film’s transition to a streaming platform by mid to late 2024.

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Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter.