Follow Me Home

I first saw this film my rookie year up north in college. A lot was happening back then and this film helped put many things in perspective. Visually I remember the mural and its impact on the characters. The four main characters were like a breath of fresh air, real people whom the writer cared about. Follow Me Home is a unique and honest portrayal of people living in these united states. Unique in the sense that the characters were of color yet were not total stereotypes. Yeah there was the cholo but we saw more than that. We felt his pains and inner as well as outer struggles with society.

This film was and continues to be a major influence in my decision to write and hopefully one day make movies like it. A beautiful piece of work that I hope to one day catch again on the big screen. When that time comes I will bring along my family to experience.

I recommend this to anyone serious about life and love.

Though it was never picked up by a theatrical distributor, FOLLOW ME HOME continues to be shown on college campuses and at conferences as part of a program offered by Speak Out, a non-profit educational organization in Oakland CA (www.speakoutnow.org). The feature film is accompanied by a speaker - director Benjamin Bratt used to go out with the film and more recently his sister, Lakota Harden. The film - called "a work of genius" by Pultizer Prize winning author Alice Walker - is also shown in public screenings from time to time. It continues to especially resonate with young people. A powerful film!

Here's the official Speak Out description: { FOLLOW ME HOME } An Exploration of Race & Identity from Director-Writer Peter Bratt

Peter Bratt(Quechua) wrote and directed "Follow Me Home," a defiant, humorous, poetic tale exploring race and identity. Weaving together traditions of Native, African and Latin cultures, the film tells the story of four artists and their journey across the American landscape. Tudee (Jesse Borrego), Abel (Peter's brother Benjamin Bratt), Kaz (Calvin Levels and Freddy (Steve Reevis) are joined by Evey (Alfre Woodard) an enigmatic African American woman on a journey of her own.

The film earned Bratt the Best Director award at the 1996 American Indian Film Festival and the Best Feature Film Audience Award at the 1996 San Francisco International Film Festival. It was also an Official Selection in the 1996 Sundance Film Festival.

Working with Peter and Ben on the Albuquerque premier was definitely a high light. Being a young woman of 16, I was honored to have met the Bratt boys and their mother ( wonderful force all in her own, now i understood where the Bratt boys got their charisma and charm). The movie itself inspired me to keep writing, and follow my dreams. It was absolutely wonderful being able to partake in such a life altering event. I wish that I still had my memorabilia from the promotions, as they would now be priceless. The movie was beautifully written, directed and produced. Phenomenal! I would definitely want to own this in my DVD collection to show my son when he gets older.

The talents of the Bratt family are not limited to one member. Peter Bratt has made a valiant effort in making an entertaining and thought provoking tale of the anxiety of the "Man of Color" in America. If you liked Benjamin's performance in Pinero you would have dropped you jaw at seeing his portrayal of the socially disturbed cousin Able. You could almost see the bond between the brothers, as Peter brought forth this character from within his brother. The lack of gratuitous sex or violence were perhaps only two of the reasons you may never get a chance to see this incredible film. Let me put it this way, if I could buy this film on VHS and keep it in my collection, I would let you see it, but it would never leave my home.