Bronx-born filmmaker Wilfred La Salle is currently shooting his eighth original film, with many scenes shot at a house on Mosholu Parkway, for an original story that highlights autism awareness.
La Salle serves as writer, director, producer and lead cinematographer for “Lucy,” which uses the Bronx home for all interior scenes, though the story is set in Westchester County.
The fictional film follows Claire Ramsey (Amy Simon) and her husband George (Morris Napolitano), caring for their young daughter, Lucy (Sofiia Lutaniuk), who has severe autism and is nonverbal.
In figuring out how to best care for Lucy, Claire and George question everything, from their decision to have a child later in life to what their own futures will look like. Claire quits her job to be a caretaker for Lucy, highlighting the financial and emotional struggles faced by parents of children with autism.
La Salle told the Bronx Times he expects his newest film to wrap production in late August and to be released in April 2027 during Autism Awareness Month.
Despite the challenges of being an independent filmmaker, La Salle said his stories have advanced the discourse around important social issues and achieved success, including critical praise, festival appearances and presence on major streaming platforms.
“We’re gaining a lot of momentum,” he said.
La Salle first spoke to the Bronx Times in September 2024 following his sixth film, “The Security Guard,” which was shot mainly in the Bronx and starred a young Bronxite as one of its main characters.
It depicts a single father living in Brooklyn and working as a safety agent at his young daughter’s school when a shooting breaks out in the building.
Today, in addition to shooting “Lucy,” La Salle is still promoting his seventh film, “The Veteran,” which was shot in multiple locations across Brooklyn and tells the story of a U.S. Marine returning injured from Iraq who falls into opioid addiction and homelessness.
“The Veteran,” available to stream on Prime and Tubi, prompted a critical review that said La Salle “is learning on the job and learning well, and appears to be on an interesting trajectory that will be worth following.”
Like those two films and his others, “Lucy” has a compelling central narrative while touching on larger, sometimes controversial, societal issues.
As he nears his goal of making 10 films in 10 years, La Salle said his newest is unique in several ways.
Some of his past work has included high-speed chases, dramatic shootouts and even fake Taliban members with guns. But his new film has “no theatrics,” relying on everyday home settings and emotional power to drive the story, he said. “It’s really challenging me on a different level.”
He said he’s especially proud to showcase young actor Sofiia Lutaniuk, a 10-year-old from Ukraine who moved to Brooklyn four years ago. She has been pursuing acting, modeling and dance for the past two years and has an extraordinary memory, allowing her to learn lines in no time, according to La Salle.
Although “Lucy” is a fictional story, La Salle said he’s seen firsthand the challenges families face when a child is diagnosed with autism. One of his closest friends was in that situation and rarely discusses it, he said. The film is meant “to give parents a voice,” as well as a voice to those who can’t communicate in expected ways, according to La Salle.
Filmmaking was always his passion, even before he knew how to properly use the cameras and equipment he invested in. He grew up in NYCHA housing, worked as a corrections officer, and now does all the work to write, shoot, self-fund and promote his films, hiring only editors and graphic designers.
Though La Salle said the work is “exhausting,” he isn’t quitting now. He gave the Bronx Times a sneak preview of his next film, “The Reporter,” which is set in a newsroom where journalists’ jobs are threatened by artificial intelligence.
La Salle said the issue hits close to home as many industries grapple with how to use AI responsibly. He said that AI has many positive uses, but some who call themselves filmmakers use platforms like ChatGPT to write entire scripts, which only “creates laziness.”
La Salle is not embracing any shortcuts in his 10 original films, with the goal of working for a major studio.
With his previous body of work, produced at rapid speed, “Now I’ve set the bar so high,” he said. “The films I’m making are resonating with people.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
