Wynwood Walls features some of the best graffiti art in the world. The area has become a must-see international destination for art lovers. It’s also a great place to walk around, grab a bite and check out some amazing murals. Now, the Miami neighborhood is the setting for a new movie.
Thanks to places like Wynwood, SoFlo has definitely seen the rise of graffiti over the years.
The new movie “Vandal” is putting the spotlight on street art. Deco is getting colorful with the team behind the new hometown thriller.
Richard Schiff (as Jacob Lipman): “Everybody knows the name Damage, right?”
Character in “Damage”: “That’s Damage.”
Character in “Damage”: “Never heard of you.”
SoFlo is getting some damage control in the new thriller Vandal.
Character in “Damage”: “I’d like to report a vandalism.”
Frankie J. Alvarez (as Chino): “You don’t learn from mistakes you made, someday it’s gonna be too late.”
“Vandal” tells the story of a Miami graffiti artist who’s struggling to keep street art alive while battling a longtime rival.
The movie isn’t just set in the 305. It was written and filmed here, too, by director Jose Daniel Freixas.
Jose Daniel Freixas: “It was extremely important to keep this movie as local as possible. A movie like this only works if it’s extremely authentic.”
We caught up with J.D. at The Dade Store in Miami, and he told Deco what graffiti means to him.
Jose Daniel Freixas: “It’s an expression. It’s style. It’s emotion. It’s anger. It’s rage. It’s love. It’s war. It’s whatever you want it to be, really.”
The main character in the movie, Damage, is played by Daniel Zovatto. He tells Deco he really immersed himself in the culture to prepare for the role.
Daniel Zovatto: “I used to, like, not, sleep at night, and I would go out and do graffiti at night. I really wanted to feel like what it was to go out at night and get caught and run.”
Daniel is an artist too in real life, but he says the graffiti world was something he didn’t know much about.
Daniel Zovatto: “I was fascinated by the people who did graffiti, but I didn’t know who they were, or how they interacted with each other, how they live their lives day to day, so when I really got to see it, I was like, ‘Oh, man, I’m in.'”
And he totally can’t wait to come back to SoFlo.
Daniel Zovatto: “Hey, hey, dude. I’d love to come to Miami again.”
“Vandal” will be available to rent on Video On Demand platforms starting next Tuesday.
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