“Water & Power is a powerful new voice in American Cinema”— Edward James Olmos
Richard Montoya’s much anticipated directorial debut film Water & Power, based on his award-winning play of the same name, originally a stage production at the Mark Taper Forum, will be release on May 2, 2014 at select AMC Theaters.
Back in 2006 when the play premiere it was created as a vehicle for the Chicano comedy trio Culture Clash, which in addition to Montoya includes Herbert Singuenza and Ric Salinas.
Water & Power is the story of two brothers nicknamed Water & Power by their hard-working father who was an irrigation field man for the famed Department of Water & Power of Los Angeles (LADWP). From the blue-collar housing projects of the city’s Eastside to the very corridors of power where deals are made in the City of Angels Water & Power explores a cautionary tale – with a Chicano twist. Told in the classic L.A. noir style – with a darkly humorous tone – a hallmark for which Montoya is known in the theater.
Water is played by Enrique Murciano (Without a Trace). He is a rising political star and California state senator. Nicholas Gonzalez as Power is a top cop in the LAPD elite upper chain of command. Following an unexpected and unavoidable tragedy, the brothers find themselves in a seedy motel room on the eastern edge of Sunset Boulevard on a dark and rainy night. Can they survive the long night? Will they remember the tough love lessons taught to them by their hard-working father?
The film was workshopped at the Sundance Institute by Montoya at the directors & writers labs. Montoya also received an Annenberg fellowship for the writing of his screenplay.
In addition to Gonzalez and Murciano the cast also includes Emilio Rivera, Robert Beltran, Wanda de Jesus, Jacob Vargas, Roger G. Smith, Clancy Brown and the late Lupe Ontiveros in one of her last roles.
The production team: Executive Producers – Lorena David, Jim Flach. Producers Richard Montoya, Mark Roberts. Co-producers – Lorenzo O’Brien, Emilio Rivera and Marco Santiago Jr.
Production Company Olmos Productions.
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