Rising Director/Producer Fabian Morales-Botero has been making headway with his new documentary film “Take Me Home“. The film goes behind the world of homeless individuals who are invisible in our society. Through this films, Fabian Morales-Botero gives voices to those who society has forgotten about. The main purpose of Morales-Botero’s documentary is to raise awareness and change people’s perceptions of who homeless people really are.
His film premiered on February 16th at 9th Annual Orlando Latin American Film & Heritage Festival, known as OLA Fest.
Here at Latin é, we were able to catch up with Fabian Morales-Botero and get an exclusive interview with this new rising director.
How did you get your start in film and what inspired to do so?
Since I was a little boy, I was fascinated with story telling and it is though story telling that I found the Seventh Art as a venue for me to showcase my artistic abilities. Although I started out as an Actor and still enjoy playing characters, I can honesty tell you I have never been as passionate about anything other than being a filmmaker in my entire life.
My inspiration came from my vision. A long time ago, I was able to visualize my future which kept me so interested in getting educated, in learning the arts, in learning about life and finding and perfecting my techniques which kept me growing as the years passed. My inspiration also came from my mother, a woman so determined to help her son reach his dreams that she never doubted my future in the film industry. She gave me all the necessary courage to fight against the one’s that did.
Whats the most memorable moment in your career to date and why?
The most memorable moment for me was seeing my mother’s face as one of my projects was shown on a big screen. To this day, remembering the moment brings tears to my eyes. She said “WOW, THIS IS AMAZING!” She had seen me edit the project on our kitchen table for several months and there we were…sitting at a cinema, right in front of our eyes…there was my first baby.
Having immigrated from Columbia, what do you do to keep in touch with your Latin roots?
I am a proud Latino, one who embraces both my Colombian culture as well as my American culture. I feel lucky being able to speak both languages. I feel it allows me to talk to a bigger audience about my projects. I visit Colombia often and still have strong memories of my childhood there. I would say that through music, I have been able to stay in touch with my Latin roots, although I came to the U.S. when I was just 14.
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So your movie “Take Me Home” is a great documentary about people who are looking
to find homes in the US. What inspired you to do this work?
My inspiration to Direct a Documentary on homelessness came from not knowing anything about this social issue, I used to walk right by them and ignored the fact that they even existed until one homeless person stopped me for 5 minutes and he forever changed my life. After that day, I knew I had to somehow utilize the cinematic arts in order to bring the issue into the public eye. To my surprise, there was an amazing awareness movement as an after effect during production. Hundreds of people would stop me on the street to tell me they too were aware. Take Me Home explores the lives of several homeless citizens (including children) whose stories will not only belie our prejudices but will bring us closer to their reality than we can imagine. Take Me Home drives light to a huge problem and deliver a big blow of human hope.
If you were not directing films, what career path do you think you would have gone into? Why?
Had I not followed my dreams of becoming a filmmaker, today I would be a very frustrated conventionalized real state agent.
What advice do you have for young Latinos out there who aspire to be a part of the film industry?
My advisc for younger and or older generations of Latinos trying to break into the film industry is don’t give up, be very passionate about your projects and to continue to reinvent yourself as an artist. Sometimes we have to do a lot of molding before people will start paying attention. I myself continue to seek opportunities, for new ways to continue to be an influential individual the industry. This never stops and for me, this is only the beginning.
To learn more about Fabian Morales-Botero you can following him on Twitter @fabbianmorales
