The Custom Mary

2011 • 80 minutes

About this movie

Searching for purpose and meaning in the world, a young Latina in East Los Angeles becomes dangerously involved with a storefront church where a young minister enthralls her. At the same time, she meets Joe, a self-empowered African-American low-rider mechanic.

Mary, struggling to reconcile her faith and her blossoming love affair with Joe, is pulled into a group from the church who believes they can clone Jesus, with Mary's help. Mary becomes pregnant, and as the day of birth approaches, both Joe and the preachers fight for her attention. Battling real and imagined truths, Mary begins a secret journey to the desert, seeking answers in a surprising and surreal way.

The Custom Mary is a fascinating combination of a classic, indie love story and an exploration of faith and fanaticism, set amidst the gritty urban world of low-rider culture.

Ratings and reviews

It hasn't exactly been easy to explain to people... making a film about lowriders & the cloning of Jesus, that's not really religious yet deals with religion, set in the parts of LA most films don't get to show, steeped with logic and humor and magic and science and sheep and DNA. But I think it's been worth the ride. I'm so happy to have gotten to this point. For a film that is now "new" - what a long life its had. We shot the movie at the end of 2008 and pickups in mid-2009. We spent about a year in editing and post-production. Once completed, we submitted to festivals and began screening it in July of 2011 to many cities. As a first time writer/director, I am blessed at all the talent pulled together to make this what it is. In what could have come out badly due to my passionate stupidity, it ended up being a work that I am proud to pass along to you. The great talent in the cast, crew, post-production, festivals, and beyond are gifted beyond words and continue to delight and surprise me. A big thanks again to everywhere involved. And with humbleness and gratitude, I wish to share what life has allowed us to make in its process. Matt Dunnerstick - Writer/Director