On Tuesday, July 22, the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute welcomed students and alumni to the Marilyn Monroe Theatre for a private screening of MASS, followed by an intimate Q&A with the creative team behind the film. The event marked a special homecoming for three LSTFI alumni — writer/director and lead actor Jan Latto, co-star and producer Hannah Rose Doherty, and executive producer Carolina Velásquez — whose collaboration brought the project to life.
A haunting short from Raya Águila and Are We In Love, MASS is a raw exploration of addiction, codependency, and the quiet devastation of love. When Clara realizes her son, Lucas, is sinking deeper into drug use, she must confront him before it’s too late. The film follows Clara’s desperate fight for time while Lucas struggles to stay afloat in reality.
Raya Águila’s Visual Storytelling
Founded by alumni Jan Latto and Carolina Velásquez, Raya Águila is a production company dedicated to bold, music-driven storytelling with strong visual identity. In 2024, the company produced BIT, a colorful sci-fi musical shot in a vertical format. MASS branches into a darker genre, but adopts an equally striking visual language.
During the post-screening talkback at LSTFI, a student asked about film’s distinct use of black and white versus color. Jan explained that this choice was embedded into the script to carry the emotional shifts of the story: black and white represented dark, painful emotions; warm colors captured euphoria; and soft, muted palettes reflect moments of healing or nostalgia.
Embracing Authenticity
In addition to striking visuals, MASS stands out for its raw, unfiltered authenticity. The project was filmed entirely with natural and practical lighting, with many scenes shot guerrilla-style across New York City. Cinematographer Daniel Tovar — just 17 at the time — was operating a camera for the first time, guided by Jan’s mentorship. Production unfolded over four months from winter to summer, genuinely capturing the changing landscape of the city. The shifting seasons poetically mirror the characters’ emotional arcs.
MASS encouraged this same authenticity in front of the camera as well. Some of the most powerful dialogue was born from improvisation and real conversations between the actors. During a particularly long take, Jan accidentally burned his finger on a lighter — a moment that remains in the film’s final cut.
A Full-Circle Moment
From StrasbergTALKS to the Lee Strasberg Film Festival to alumni news written by current students, LSTFI embraces every opportunity to foster connection between its students and alumni. For those in the audience, the MASS screening offered a unique chance to engage with working artists who once sat in the same room as students themselves. Current students asked thoughtful questions about applying their studies and producing their own work, and got to witness firsthand the powerful result of a Strasberg-born collaboration.
“Sharing MASS at LSTFI was a full-circle moment for me,” Jan remarks, “It’s my first film in New York, and there was no better place to debut it than the school that welcomed me into this amazing city. Coming back to screen it for this community felt like bringing the story home, and watching everyone’s reactions became a powerful reminder of why I make films.”
