Echo Park is a romance between Sophie (Mamie Gummer) and Alex (Anthony Okungbowa, who also produced) in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The film is directed by photographer and first time director Amanda Marsalis.
The brief film synopsis is, “Echo Park is a story of two people coming together across cultural economic and racial boundaries.”
The film released on the festival circuit in 2014, but recently was picked up by ARRAY, the film collective founded by Ava DuVernay. ARRAY is dedicated to amplifying films by people of color and by women. The film will now have a theatrical release this spring.
After the LA Film Festival, the film received this review:
Desperate to jar herself from the rich tedium of picture-perfect Beverly Hills, Sophie moves across town to another world: Echo Park. She quickly strikes up an unexpected connection with Alex, a handsome neighbor and British expat who is reluctantly selling his beloved home to move back to London. As the summer passes, a romance driven by uncertainty compels them to reassess where each belongs.
Photographer Amanda Marsalis’ directorial debut vibrantly captures the subtleties of privilege and difference. Mamie Gummer and Anthony Okungbowa imbue their characters with complexity and intrigue.
Also featured in the film are Maurice Compte and Helen Slater as Sophie’s ex-boyfriend and her very upset mother.
Here’s an extended clip.
I’m looking forward to seeing this one. How about you?