A few years ago I went to a screening at AFI in LA where I saw “Neighbors,” a fantastic short film by up and coming filmmaker Rachel Goldberg. Since then Rachel and I have become good friends and I even did costume design on her next short, “Rosita Lopez For President,” which also did the film festival circuit. Her most recent gem, “Muted,” starring Chandra Wilson and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, just won the HBO Short Film Competition at the American Black Film Festival here in New York. The emotionally tense and quietly powerful short approaches a subject most of us never think about: how the media treats minority missing children. It is beautifully done and leaves you shocked and enraged, which is a good thing. Rachel working her magic on set above and more stills below.
Director Rachel Goldberg, with Daniel Wats (Crystal Gladwell), Tara Tomicevic (Sascha Kirsch), Brandi Ford (she plays Cara Gladwell and also wrote the and co-produced the film), Chandra Wilson (Lena Gladwell) and Malcom-Jamal Warner (Curtis Gladwell).
Film stills taken by Cooper Bates
