How Nuyorican filmmaker Elaine Del Valle took ‘Brownsville Bred’ from the page to the screen

by

Elaine Del Valle played the main part of Sandy in her school’s performance of “Grease” when she was in sixth grade.

Years later, she went back to the school in Brownsville, Brooklyn, to film parts of her life story for the movie “Brownsville Bred,” which opens in some theaters across the country this Friday.

Del Valle, age 54, has deep roots in the communities and experiences that made her who she is today, and she’s been passionately working on this very personal film project for more than 16 years. She started her career in entertainment as an actress and then moved into casting before becoming a filmmaker.

Before becoming a movie, “Brownsville Bred” went through several versions – it started as a one-person stage play, then became a novel, and was even developed as a TV pilot that was also filmed as a short movie.

×

She always envisioned ‘Brownsville Bred’ as a visual story, something that could reach a larger audience. However, she lacked the necessary resources to make it happen, she explained during a recent video call from her home in New York.

The movie tells a made-up story based on Del Valle’s life growing up in 1980s Brooklyn, specifically in a tough neighborhood. It really captures what it was like there – things like crime and drugs were just a normal part of everyday life, mixed in with the vibrant sounds of salsa and lots of great family memories. It felt so real to me, like a glimpse into his world.

What really grabbed me about this film was the incredibly moving portrayal of the main character’s relationship with her father. He’s a Puerto Rican musician, full of life, but battling a serious addiction. Things get even more complicated because he spent time in prison and then went back to Puerto Rico when she was young, leaving her to grapple with a lot of complicated feelings. It’s a really powerful, emotional core to the whole story.

When filming scenes of Elaine (played as a teenager by Nathalia Lares) visiting her father Manny (Javier Muñoz) in Puerto Rico, the director chose to film on location in Cataño, Manny’s actual hometown. This decision helped strengthen the director’s connection to her Puerto Rican heritage.

I often get asked why I seem so happy and energetic. Honestly, I’m not sure – it’s just my personality. But after working in Puerto Rico, I really believe that positive energy is also a part of the culture there. Everyone I worked with on set seemed to have it!

Del Valle didn’t think a career in the performing arts was possible growing up in a financially struggling neighborhood. She married young, at 18, and soon had a daughter. While attending an event hosted by the Hispanic Organization of Latino Actors, she discovered that professional headshots were essential for contacting agents and auditioning for parts.

She remembers feeling like she wanted more from life, so she’d bring her baby daughter along to acting auditions. Del Valle quickly started working in commercials as a bilingual actress. Later, she became the voice of Val the Octopus, a warm, motherly character on the popular children’s show “Dora the Explorer.”

While studying acting at Carnegie Hall in the late 2000s, she began writing about important memories from her childhood, inspired by her teacher, Wynn Handman. She initially wrote around 10,000 words, then shaped those writings into a spoken performance. Sharing these early experiences proved to be a deeply healing process, and ultimately led to the creation of her one-woman play, “Brownsville Bred.”

Del Valle began sharing his inspiring story in 2009 at schools and businesses. By 2011, his performance had moved to off-Broadway stages.

Looking back, the positive response from viewers showed me how meaningful this story was – not only for my own creative journey and personal healing, but also for others who connected with it and saw their own experiences reflected on screen.

Del Valle landed her first job as a casting director after giving a memorable performance. She jokingly listed her qualification as having visited every casting office in New York City as an actor – she knew the scene inside and out.

I’ve learned that Del Valle decided to write a book based on her life story, and it’s actually a smart move many people in Hollywood are making now. She wanted to fully *own* her story, and publishing it as a book establishes it as intellectual property. That way, if she ever turns it into a movie, the script isn’t considered an original idea, but an adaptation of something she already created. It’s a way to protect her work and her rights!

The audiobook version of the tome, published in 2020, was narrated by Del Valle herself.

Del Valle began directing out of necessity. She’d written, cast, and planned everything for her 2013 web series, “Reasons Y I’m Single,” and when she couldn’t find a director, she ended up taking on the role herself.

She discovered her true calling while helping actors reach their full potential. She prefers directing to acting because it still allows her to perform – she sees herself as a collaborative partner in each scene as a director.

Del Valle started moving forward with the project “Brownsville Bred” after receiving funding from WarnerMedia OneFifty, a program designed to support artists. This funding allowed him to create a pilot episode – a short film about the first 15 minutes of the story – to see if a full series was possible. That pilot went on to be shown at several film festivals.

Having worked as a casting director, Del Valle was uniquely equipped to find the actress who would portray her in the movie. She narrowed her search down to two promising candidates, but ultimately chose Lares because she felt Lares best captured her younger self.

Del Valle explains that she admired the other girl because she seemed strong and confident, while she identified more with Nathalia, who she saw as more sensitive and easily hurt.

Muñoz persuaded Del Valle he was perfect for the role of Manny, highlighting his musical ability and singing talent, which reminded her of her father. She was especially convinced after seeing a video of Muñoz singing in an empty subway car. Furthermore, Muñoz’s work as an HIV activist resonated with Del Valle, as her father had died from AIDS, making him an even more fitting choice.

Del Valle was mostly able to separate her own difficult childhood memories from the filming process. However, she still used her personal experiences to help the actors realistically portray the fictional story based on her past.

Sharing my story and fully expressing my emotions was often more helpful for them than it was for me, helping them feel confident in their decisions and understand my experiences. While I focused on giving them what they needed, I also found that each time I shared, I grew and healed myself. It was a mutually beneficial process.

Del Valle funded the rest of the film by using her personal savings and finding ways to cut costs. She secured a location by networking at a party, convincing the owner of a rundown building in Queens to let her film there before renovations began. Nearby, she found a Latino-owned pizzeria and, after explaining the story’s importance, the owner agreed to let her film there as well. Her resourcefulness and careful spending were key to completing the film.

Del Valle believes the core message of “Brownsville Bred” remains consistent no matter how it’s presented: it’s about revealing the complexities within the Latino identity. She explains that people often see Latinos as a single, simple group, when in reality, there are many layers to who they are. For her, the work reflects all the different parts of her own identity – her urban upbringing, her American and Puerto Rican heritage, and her roles as both a daughter and a mother.

“Brownsville Bred” closes with Del Valle telling her father, “I made it mean something, Papa.” For Del Valle, who wears many hats, the film represents the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition: to truly honor her father, acknowledging both the happy and difficult parts of their relationship.

She said, her voice thick with emotion, that the film gave his life purpose. It validated his experiences and honored his memory, allowing her to create a lasting tribute to him.

“Brownsville Bred” also shares the challenges she faced and how she overcame them. She believes everyone struggles, but it’s up to each person to turn those difficulties into success. Instead of giving in to negativity, she chose to use her obstacles as stepping stones, and that’s exactly what she did.

Read More

2025-09-18 19:02