Wilfred La Salle
Poster for The Veteran
Latest Film, The Veteran, Highlights Homelessness
By Dan Murphy
Our readers may have watched one of Westchester Independent filmmaker Wilfred La Salle’s movies without knowing it. La Salle has several of his creations on Amazon Prime, Tubo and other streaming services.
La Salle’s films have an authentic grit that keeps you interested. “I’m driven to tell stories about ordinary working people. You don’t have to have graduated from Harvard for your story to be important.”
His latest film, The Veteran, tells the story that many of us tend to ignore: the plight of the homeless veteran. The central character in The Veteran is U.S. Marine Jose Torres, who served in Iraq after 9/11. An injury leads him to Opioids, and after a family tragedy, Torres’ life spirals out of control and into homelessness. His life is spent in parks, train stations, and on the streets.
A Fleetwood resident who lived in Yonkers for a few years, La Salle filmed The Security Guard primarily in Mount Vernon, but often returns to Yonkers to film. “Yonkers has always been my home base for my productions, and I have met with Mayor Spano about partnering with Lionsgate and the Yonkers Film & Creative Partnership Committee.”
A former corrections officer who also worked in security, La Salle, 40, has a method for creating a new film every year, and his ability to produce high-quality films across different genres, unheard of in any industry, has solidified his reputation as a revolutionary force in filmmaking.
“The Veteran marks my seventh film in seven years, and I truly believe what I’ve built has helped revolutionize independent filmmaking locally. I do this with no budget, no sponsors, and no investors.”
Using local actors and locations, La Salle Productions Inc is able to create full-length movies on a nonexistent budget.
Some of his movies you can stream include:
The Security Guard follows the journey of Omari Rusell, who works as a safety officer at her daughter’s school when gunfire breaks out. The film addresses the issue of gun control from divergent viewpoints. “Omar is the underdog,” said La Salle. Available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
Graves, 2022- Police Officer, Mark Brody, embarks on a journey to bring criminals to justice, while Michael Laforte is the hard-drinking, ruthless criminal mastermind who doesn’t play by the rules. Available on Tubi and Stash Movies.
Hilo II– Is about corrupt police officers fighting a new gang and won Best Debut Director at Italy’s Vesuvius International Film Festival and Best Film at the Madras International Film Festival. Hilo II (or Hilo 2) is part of a trilogy that began as short films before La Salle transitioned to feature-length projects like Graves and The Security Guard. This can also be found on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and YouTube.
La Salle recently secured a two-year distribution deal with Fox Soul and is now in talks with NBC to have The Security Guard featured on Peacock.
The Veteran will premiere in a private Red-Carpet event on March 12 at LOOK Dine-in Cinema in Dobbs Ferry.
Readers interested in watching The Veteran can find it on Fox Soul next month, and possibly on other platforms.
La Salle shot a lot of The Veteran in the Kingsbridge neighborhood in the Bronx, and he wants those who see it to think about and help raise awareness of some of our struggling Vets. “Veterans serve the country and then come home to another war. A soldier without stability becomes another statistic.”
There are no politics in La Salle’s movies. “The world is already divided,” he said. “I want to bring people together.”
La Salle has made numerous TV news appearances and has had local media coverage in the Bronx, all of which can be found on his website, /www.lasalleproductions.com/
What La Salle waits for is for one film to break out and get him the financial support and attention from the studios. Until then, enjoy his seven movies, including The Veteran, next month.
