The Garden Left Behind

The Garden Left Behind is a drama film directed by Flavio Alves and starring Michael Madsen, Ed Asner, and Carlie Guevara. The story centers around the life of Tina Carrera (Carlie Guevara), a Mexican trans woman, struggling to make a life for herself as an undocumented immigrant in New York City. The Garden Left Behind became the first independent film to be funded substantially through donations and sales via eBay.

Plot
Tina (Carlie Guevara), a 30 year-old transgender woman and her grandmother, Eliana (Miriam Cruz), have been struggling to make a life for themselves in New York since emigrating from Mexico when Tina was only six years old. Eliana was left alone to raise her grandchild, both as undocumented immigrants, whose dreams of home are markedly different – Eliana longs to return to Mexico, while Tina desires acceptance in America. The ineffable bond formed between the two formidable women has made them not only each other’s stalwart support in a hostile world but a potential millstone as well.

Working as a gypsy cab driver, Tina battles her desire to make money for her transition with the constant anxiety of being undocumented. Despite her trepidation, she meets with Dr. Cleary (Ed Asner), a psychologist, whose attempts to guide her though the process dredge up Tina’s resistance and fear. As he wears her down, Dr. Cleary becomes Tina’s confidant and cheerleader.

Following the shocking and brutal beating of their friend, Rosie, Carol (Tamara Williams), Amanda (Ivana Black) and Brianna (Lea Nayeli) friends of Tina and members of the trans community, encourage Tina to join The Royal Washers, an advocacy group whose goal is to bring their community out of its shadowy place in society.

Tina’s concerns with her boyfriend’s commitment are somewhat relieved when Jason (Alex Kruz) finally feels comfortable enough to be seen in a restaurant with her after a year of dating. She is unaware of her secret admirer, Chris (Anthony Abdo), a reserved young man who works in the neighborhood bodega. Chris, who longs for a different life as much as Tina does, finds his options almost as limited and influenced by the rough-edged street boys with whom he plays baseball. The convergence of his secret love for Tina and the expectations of the street create a conflux of difficult emotions.

Pushed to the fore of The Royal Washers, Tina begins to blossom as she learns to advocate for trans issues. The confirmation of Tina’s transition becomes a double-edged sword as her goal nears: Jason begins to fade away and Eliana, trapped between what was and what may be, struggles to find a way to reconnect and locate her place in her granddaughter’s new lifestyle. Tina’s euphoria at fulfilling her dream is stopped short by the realities of the cost of hormone replacement therapy. She redoubles her effort, selling her car, bartending and buying a counterfeit green card on the black market.

On the night of The Royal Washer’s candlelight vigil for Rosie, Tina crosses paths with Chris, unknowingly sealing their fates. Meanwhile, Eliana finally comes to terms with Tina’s identify and realizes that her love for her is all that Tina needs.

Cast

 * Michael Madsen – Kevin
 * Ed Asner – Dr. Cleary
 * Carlie Guevara – Tina
 * Daniel Flaherty – Oscar
 * Alex Kruz – Jason
 * Anthony Abdo – Chris
 * Miriam Cruz – Eliana
 * Tamara M. Williams – Carol
 * Dawn Young – Miriam
 * Bernadette Quigley – Dr. Brown
 * Frances Lozada – Officer Gottilla
 * Brock Yurich – Chester
 * Ivana Black – Amanda
 * Lea Nayeli – Brianna
 * Kristen Parker Lovell – Regina
 * Devin Michael Lowe – Shannon

Development
Script development began in January 2014 when director Flavio Alves and co-writer John Rotondo delved into the subject of transgender immigrants in New York City, conducting research and interviews while working closely with the local trans community. In addition, Alves and Rotondo worked closely with advocates and health care professionals in order to authentically portray the steps involved in the transition process for transgender individuals.

The Garden Left Behind was selected as one of ten films by IFP to be developed in their 2017 Narrative Lab project. In addition, the film has received support from organizations such as GLAAD, PFLAG, NALIP, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York Council for the Arts, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Trans Filmmakers Project, and Jerome Foundation.

eBay My Film Campaign
While in pre-production, Alves and his team pioneered the use of eBay as a crowdfunding platform, where they raised more than $100,000. The unprecedented success experienced during this campaign revamped typical crowdfunding methods. The film became the first independent film to be funded substantially through donations and sales via eBay.

Casting
In the spring of 2016, newcomer Carlie Guevara was cast in the lead role of Tina. Guevara decided to audition after reading the script and feeling a close connection to the character. She recalls that the script’s “powerful, intense and necessary” ending propelled her to audition for her first acting role.

The Garden Left Behind cast transgender actors in all transgender roles as well as Latinx performers in all Latinx roles, and bilingual performers/native Spanish language-speakers in Spanish-speaking roles.

Filming
Principal photography began in New York City in September 2016.

The production introduced more than 50 new transgender filmmakers to the industry, with representation behind and in front of the camera.

Release
The Garden Left Behind premiered at SXSW on March 9, 2019, where it won the Audience Award.

As a film in the Visions category, director Flavio Alves and team were selected for being “audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity.”

Reception
The Garden Left Behind opened to positive reviews from critics. Danielle Solzman of Solzy at the Movies gave the film 5/5, saying “this is how an authentic film about the transgender community should be made.” She praised the leading performance of transgender actress Carlie Guevara in her feature film debut: “with a stunning performance from newcomer Carlie Guevara, The Garden Left Behind is transgender authenticity at its finest.”

Caryn James of The Hollywood Reporter said “It's one thing to decide to make a movie about the struggles of the transgender community and violent attacks on it. But it's far harder to turn that message into a film as natural and graceful as The Garden Left Behind.”

Norman Gidney of Film Threat said the film was "a joy to watch" and commended "the choice of diversity in the cast and the use of trans actors in the film." He referred to Carlie Guevara's performance as Tina as "a revelation. Endlessly watchable, [Guevara] exudes a warm vulnerability that is relatable."

James Roberts of Glide Magazine scored the film 8/10, calling it “an honest, brave depiction of reality that deserves to be seen and considered” and "a unique and powerful cinematic statement.”

Roger Walker-Dack of queerguru.com gave the film 9/10, calling it "completely mesmerizing" and "totally unmissable" for making "such a crucial contribution to the continuing dialogue on the transgender community."

Sezín Koehler of Black Girl Nerds gave the film 5/5, praising it as “a vital piece of social justice cinema and a testament to the pain, strength, and resilience of the trans community in America.”