Film club and their movie project begun back in September, when president Lona Arreola and co-president Matilda Marquez suggested the establishment of a film club. Their idea for film club came from their shared loved for movies and screenwriting. This was the gateway for their cinematic vision; ‘Big Bloom.’ 

The ‘Big Bloom’ crew focused on acquiring the right cast to fit their written characters and bring them to life as accurate as possible. The club plans on getting help from teachers, as most of the characters are adults. 

Arreola spoke to The Explorer about the plot of ‘Big Bloom’ and how it focuses on issues people within the LGBTQ community may experience. This movie can be seen as relatable for those that are or have gone through something similar. ‘Big Bloom’ is LGBTQ positive and inclusive to all. She also spoke about how there’s more to making a film than just setting up a camera and getting actors. It comes with a variety of requirements such as the script, acting, cinematography, lighting, music, and more. 

“I think it has a really good message, especially like in our time right now,” Arreola said. “It’s very inclusive, LGBTQ positive, and I think like a lot of people would really be impacted by it because it has to do with the conflict of religion and conservatism.”

Matilda Marquez, casting director and co-director, revealed that at first, the brain storming was at a rocky start. There was no clear vision, and the thoughts formed seemed to not be going anywhere.

From that, the ‘Big Bloom’ story came out; a story revolving Clementine, a girl outed to the public and sent to a Catholic school amidst her parents finding out and her girlfriend, Peony. ‘Big Bloom’ depicts self-acceptance in LGBTQ experiences, through Clementine’s eyes.

“Clementine goes through a really hard time trying to accept herself and who she is and realizing that there’s nothing wrong with it,” Marquez said. “She goes through a lot of stuff but in the end it all comes together, it’s really nice.”

Junior student Edgar Rios, holds an important position as director and cinematographer for this film. He looks forward to the release of this movie and hopes for film club to start the filming process in about a week or two.

“Right now we just did castings, the auditions, and now we’re currently creating a cast,” Rios said. “It’s a tough decision, but people are good actually, they were good.”

‘Big Bloom’ tackles different issues that LGBTQ may face. It makes it a relatable, coming-of-age story with a heartwarming tie to an unsweet beginning. We anticipate the release of ‘Big Bloom’ as the beginning has just begun.