Taylor Mason

Santé is a dramatic short film about a trio of estranged siblings who must decide where to spread their dysfunctional father’s remains. The De la Torre siblings spent most of their lives not knowing (or pretending not to know) one another existed. They are only loosely connected by their wayward father, Santé, an Italian war veteran who struggled with addiction. After Santé dies, eldest sister Deirdre brings her siblings together to decide where to spread his remains. Her proposal triggers an altercation that leads the siblings to secretly take matters into their own hands, revealing the depths of each character's connection to their father. Santé explores themes of grief, addiction, trauma, and reconciliation, while capturing the complexity of emotional, political, and racial bonds among multiracial and blended family units.

Taylor Dominique Mason (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and healing arts practitioner based in Chicago. A California native, Taylor’s upbringing at the intersection of different cultural, political, and racial backgrounds informed and inspired their curiosity. A graduate of UCLA and Columbia College Chicago, Taylor has worked in politics and community organizations advocating for gender justice and an end to mass incarceration for the past ten years. Taylor’s written and visual work has been featured in HuffPost, ForHarriet, and Rootwork Journal. Taylor is driven to tell stories that center femmes and families of color, and the ways in which marginalized communities strive for bodily autonomy and intergenerational healing through nature, ritual, and ancestral connection.