Alisa Valdes to Bring Dirty Girls to the Big Screen

Valdes has tried to contact several very high-profile Latina actors and producers but got little positive response. To date, two actors have shown support for the film: Gina Rodriguez, who recently starred in the film, “Filly Brown” has supported the Kickstarter campaign. Most recently, Steven Michael Quezada who plays DEA agent Steven Gomez in AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” has agreed to star in the film.

CHALLENGES FOR LATINAS IN FILM I asked Valdes why she thought it was so hard to get money for a movie like this. She said she has no idea, considering the amount of money to be made—she estimates that for every dollar invested, there can be a $90 return. “I think part of the difficulty is simply that everyone has been brainwashed by stereotypes, to only conceptualize of Latinos in a certain way, a false way, an unfortunate way. I have sat in meetings where executives have asked me whether it is believable that Latinas could go to college and drive luxury cars, when I myself was living proof of both.” She also thinks Hollywood is afraid to take on anything new, even though there has been success with all female ensemble movies such as “Bridesmaids”—it’s just never been done with an all-Latina cast. Valdes feels that it will take a hit to make Hollywood wake up: “The only thing that will change the industry is having a super successful crossover Latino film that brings in big money and makes everyone say ‘What the hell was THAT?’”

I hope that super successful film is “The Dirty Girls Social Club.” I loved the book, and I am incredibly excited about the possibility of seeing Las Sucias in a movie theater. If you haven’t checked out the book, it’s a great read about six amigas, college friends, who meet yearly to talk about life, love and everything in between. If you’re a Latina, I guarantee you will identify with at least one Sucia, and if you’re not, you will still laugh, cry and relate to the issues these women are going through. Because at the end of the day, we may have grown up with a big, crazy, loud Latin family (OK, at least I did), but we are still trying to do what everyone else does: be successful professionals, juggle work, relationships and family… and make our way in the world.