EXCLUSIVE: Hollywood producer Mark Johnson is known for his two-decade collaboration with AMC, including on the Breaking Bad and Anne Rice universes, as well as a string of hit movies such as Oscar winners Rain Man and The Holdovers.

His latest project is a slight change of gears. Principal photography has begun on the indie romantic drama Hope/Esperanza and will continue shooting throughout locations in Costa Rica until the end of May.

Emmy-winning documentarian Abigail Fuller makes her fictional debut on the project from a screenplay she has written, loosely based on a period of her youth. Fuller is best known for her work on Chef’s Table and was also Emmy-nominated for Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer. 

The film stars newcomer Olivia Daponde as the film’s protagonist, Mayra Hermosillo (Narcos), Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad), Virgilio Delgado (No One Will Miss Us), and Lara Yuja Mora (Abril).

The synopsis reads: “Desperate to escape her traditional suburban life in upstate New York, a teen joins a foreign exchange program in Costa Rica in search of freedom. Instead, her world narrows under the rule of a strict host mother, until a forbidden romance with an undocumented Nicaraguan immigrant upends everything. As tensions around immigration simmer, their relationship puts both of them at risk. Caught between recklessness and self-discovery, she must decide who she wants to be — and where she belongs.” 

Johnson is producing and executive producer is Mexico City-based Alejandra Cardenas. Esteban Quesada serves as the Costa Rican producer. Sarah Quintero and Jessica Mollo are the co-producers.

Alexander D. Paul (Chef’s Table) is the director of photography, and Rocio Gimenez (Friendship) is the production designer. The majority of the 200+ cast and crew hails from Costa Rica, with several contributors coming from other parts of Latin America.