anima

LOSE YOURSELF

SYNOPSIS: FAMILY, DEATH AND COLOR

After a fatal argument with his mother and an even more catastrophic motorbike crash: spunky Colombian teenager, Santiago Diego Roja is absorbed into a glittering dreamscape - where Animas roam with identities that are beautiful, perfect, loved. Through the reflection and challenges Santiago faces in this opulent cage: this spirited but misguided boy finds imperfect beauty in his Latino identity - and discovers the undying love he holds for his family.

Director's Statement -

This year, I wanted to express my powerful yet conflicted relationship to my Latin-American identity - in a five minute short I called ANIMA.

Filmmaking is something that has given me voice and drive since an early age - rejuvenating me with focus and clarity as I try to find audiovisual ways to express myself.

Thus, what this project has given me is the gift of understanding.

Understanding the love and devotion I hold towards my Colombian - Venezuelan heritage, that inhabits things such as my culture and family.

As Santiago came to understand; it is difficult to grasp how much you value, how much you need something until its presence is threatened. We cannot know how much our cultures and family is core to our beings, until we are void from them. Hence, working on this film has affirmed to me that my identity and its roots is something to never forget.