 The film was originally written as a short script for a non fiction  writing class at St. Johns University by Freddy Vargas. He then  decided to make it into a fake documentary using non actors from  Washington Heights that closely resembled the characters, and using  the real locations where the real characters hung out. The audience  gasped at the end of the screening at the 1995 Telluride film  festival once they found out that what they were watching were non  actors faking a documentary. The director played the voice of  Victors cousin throughout the film.