MESA, Ariz. — A new short film about a pivotal time in Arizona history is set to begin production in the Valley.
The film, called "Lady Doctor," is a fictional story based on real-life events. It was inspired by the women’s suffrage campaign and is set in 1912 at the dawn of Arizona’s statehood.
In the film, the character of Flora Yount aspires to be a doctor but is held back by the time period in which she was born.
Historic buildings throughout Mesa and Tempe will be used during filming. All of the buildings were built before 1912.
One of the locations is the Petersen House located in Tempe. The house will serve as the home of the story’s protagonist, Flora. The Peterson House was built in 1892 by Niels Petersen, a Danish immigrant.
The Petersen House received the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation in 1990. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Also to be used in the production is Tempe’s Hackett House. Located in downtown Tempe, the house was built in 1888 by German immigrant William Hilge and served as the town’s first bakery. It was later converted into a home and then a boarding house.
Hackett House is now the headquarters for the Tempe Sister Cities organization. It is home to events and programs that serve the children of Tempe and the community at large.
The Old Lehi School will be featured in the production. In 1913, Francelle Robson became the one-room schoolhouse’s first teacher.
The building now serves as the Mesa Historical Museum.
Actress Leslie Infalt will play Flora. Infalt has starred in several local independent films, feature films, commercials, and theatre productions.
Londyn Marie Fox will play the younger version of Flora. This will be her film debut.
The film will also star Corey Weist as Roland Yount. Weist has studied at the Howey Acting Studio in Arizona.
Rick Howard will play Doctor Drossel. Howard trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Jeff Lane is the film’s producer and director. Lady Doctor was written by Jake Steven Rutigliano.
Cinematographers Dan Haynes and Mathew Straube are the duo behind the camera who will shoot the film.
More info can be found on the production team's Facebook page.
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