SynopsisA tortilla combined with a dash of magic realism, sprinkled with hope, and baked on faith for twenty-three minutes. The result: Lauren Ivy Chiong's short film Holy Tortilla. A celebration of life and love found in a barrio kitchen, Holy Tortilla is the story of Margarita, whose days are spent working at a beauty salon taking orders from her razor-tongued, rhinestone-laden boss Rosa. Meanwhile Margarita's dream of starting a family seems impossible, because her husband Roberto, a struggling artist, has trouble rising to the occasion. But when the face of Jesus appears in her tortilla, Margarita begins a quest to prove that miracles really are possible in everyday life. Soon the whole neighborhood wants in on the action: word has it that a touch of the tortilla works for those who believe. But not everybody's buying into it, and Margarita soon learns that faith is believing in what she cannot see. A colorful cast of characters stars in this heartwarming comedy about food, faith, and believing in miracles. |
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Holy Tortilla was filmed on location in Dallas, Texas, at the height of summer, July 1997. During the six-day shooting schedule, three major locations in the Oakcliff community became the colorful backdrops for Holy Tortilla: a neighborhood suddenly found a house resembling an Easter egg in its midst, a community church became a classic Mexican chapel, and a salon was decorated with a dizzying combination of pink walls and purple poufs. One hundred tortillas stenciled with the face of Jesus later, the finished piece is a charming color 16mm comedy running twenty-three minutes.
![[On the
set]](onset.jpg)
On the set of Holy Tortilla. Photo
by Ed Bird.
![[Margarita and Roberto]](couple.jpg)
