During the casting for this film, NoWa Clark had initially auditioned for the role of the antagonist, The Witch. However, when Director Donté Larry saw her self-tape, he and the Casting Director, Alexia Haick, knew NoWa would be perfect for the lead role of Julia. They messaged NoWa and asked her to read for the part of Julia. And-spoiler alert-they cast her in that role!
Later, when talking with Donté about the part, NoWa admitted that she had actually felt more connected to the character of Julia, but since the casting post stated that Julia was an "Afro-Latina" character, and NoWa doesn't have any Hispanic heritage, she decided to audition for a different role. She told Donté that she just wanted to be a part of the project, regardless of the role. It was truly a serendipitous meeting and was clear that NoWa was made to play the part of Julia.
Later, when talking with Donté about the part, NoWa admitted that she had actually felt more connected to the character of Julia, but since the casting post stated that Julia was an "Afro-Latina" character, and NoWa doesn't have any Hispanic heritage, she decided to audition for a different role. She told Donté that she just wanted to be a part of the project, regardless of the role. It was truly a serendipitous meeting and was clear that NoWa was made to play the part of Julia.
The title for this short film, My Silence, My Grave, was inspired by the poem "Farewell from Welfare Island" by Julia de Burgos.