About: Seeking cast and crew for WHAT FAILED, a short narrative film set in rural Northern New Mexico.
An elderly middle-school teacher who believes in reforming capitalism is confronted by students whose families have been harmed by mining, nuclear testing, and water extraction. As the youth quietly build community-based alternatives, the teacher realizes his “progressive” ideals have functioned as compliance with harm.
Information: Grounded, youth-centered, and politically sharp.
No-budget. Short shoot days. Respectful collaboration.
Seeking:
• Elderly male actor (70s)(non-professional actor welcome)
• 4-10 Middle-school–aged youth (non-professional actors welcome)
CASTING BREAKDOWN (BY ROLE)
LEAD ROLE
THE TEACHER
Male, late 60s–70s
Middle-school English teacher, white, progressive-identified
Intelligent, articulate, well-meaning, increasingly destabilized BUT misinformed
Role requires subtle emotional control rather than theatrical intensity
Non-local actors welcome, but sensitivity to place is essential
STUDENT ROLES (ENSEMBLE)
(All genders and backgrounds welcome; non-professional actors encouraged)
GIRL 1 – Los Alamos Connection
Middle-school age
Calm, careful speaker
Has a relative working radiation control at Los Alamos
Carries quiet authority
BOY 1 – Mining Legacy
Middle-school age
Soft-spoken, grounded
Grandmother died from uranium mining exposure
Delivers impact through restraint
STUDENT 2 – Tularosa Basin
Middle-school age
Direct, emotionally steady
Family members affected by nuclear bomb testing
No melodrama; clarity is key
GIRL 3 – Water / Infrastructure
Middle-school age
Analytical, observant
Notices how data centers and aquifer use affect her village
Represents practical intelligence
GIRL 4 – Acequia / Cannabis Farm
Middle-school age
More outspoken, frustrated but focused
Aware of water extraction from acequia systems with no community benefit
Strong presence
BOY 2 – Quiet Interruption
Middle-school age
Minimal dialogue
Sharp one-line interventions that shift the room
Observant, precise
OPTIONAL / OFF-SCREEN ROLE
SISTER (VOICE ONLY)
Adult woman
Warm, grounded, practical
Writing a book on painting with natural pigments
Represents earth-based knowledge and a path the teacher refused
• Sound, camera, and production support