Miguel Angel Caballero’s THE BALLAD OF TITA AND THE MACHINES examines the ethical and social implications of AI’s encroachment into immigrant labor sectors in the near future.
“I wanted to shine a light on our essential workers and unsung heroes who carry this country on their backs and are so often rendered invisible,” said multiple award-winning director Miguel Angel Caballero, who brings a distinctive voice and vision to the film. Caballero has consistently tackled pressing social issues in the Latine and LGBTQ+ communities with grace and sensitivity, blending captivating storytelling with poignant social commentary.
His precise direction of THE BALLAD OF TITA AND THE MACHINES, combined with the evocative cinematography of Robert L. Hunter, expertly crafted visual effects, and elaborate set design, creates a visually stunning experience that transports audiences into the heart of Tita’s story.
Written by Luis Antonio Aldana & Miguel Angel Caballero, the film takes place in the not-too-distant future and tells the story of Tita, an injured elderly fieldworker who’s reluctantly replaced by an advanced AI humanoid. The creators of the cutting-edge technology quickly learn that her human skill and resilience may not be as easy to substitute as they once thought.
This film was produced by Helena Sardinha and Rafael Thomaseto, presented at the Tribeca Festival and was made as part of Indeed’s Rising Voices program – an initiative set up to discover, invest in and share stories created by BIPOC filmmakers and storytellers, and has qualified to be considered for a 2024 Academy® Award. Rising Voices was created in collaboration with Emmy® Award-winning writer, creator, and actor Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Productions, Ventureland and 271 Films.
Miguel Angel Caballero (co-writer/director) is the son of Mexican immigrant farm workers and an award-winning Queer Mexican-American/Chicano writer, director, and producer. His short film, ACUITZERAMO, premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival, won 20 awards internationally, and is screening on MAX. Miguel Angel is an Outfest Screenwriting Lab Fellow, Film Independent Project Involve fellow, and the Warner Bros. Discovery 150 Artist Grant recipient. Miguel Angel was one of ten directors selected to participate in the 2022 inaugural Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Accelerator Program and won the Humanitas New Voices Fellowship.
Luis Antonio Aldana (co-writer/actor) holds a BA in American Literature and Culture from UCLA and is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He later joined the Latino Theater Company’s Laboratory, where he co-wrote the play Melancholia, which was nominated for Amnesty International’s Freedom of Expression Award. He is an Outfest screenwriting lab fellow and Warner Bros. Discovery 150 Artist Grant recipient. In 2023, his feature script, ANGEL IN RETROGRADE, was selected as a finalist for Untold Stories at the Tribeca Festival. Luis is a winner of the Humanitas New Voices Fellowship 2023.
