Film

Synopsis:

Above the Desert with No Name is a short film that begins with the real-world issue of women fleeing into the United States to escape domestic violence in their own country. The story is seen through the eyes of twelve-year old, Silvia, who has already witnessed how sexual violence can shape the world around her. She is joined by her eight-year-old brother, Hector, and her young mother, Maria. After illegally crossing the border the trio end up at a cousin's apartment for safety and hopefully a new start. But soon old patterns begin to emerge around them. Silvia finds solace sitting alone on the balcony of their apartment building. One day Silvia secretly spies on a neighbor doing strange, poetic movements synchronized with breath-work. Silvia has an incandescent experience watching this Medicine Woman in what she and the audience learn to be a spiritual yoga practice. After mimicking along with the Medicine Woman on several occasions something awakens within Silvia that connects her beyond the limitations of her reality and syncs her with the magic realism of the natural world. The awakening of her divine femininity resonates on full display in the film's dramatic climax. This story at its core is about the intersection of trauma, yoga and mysticism and the profound effect on young girls who find self-realization and have the ability to break familial patterns for their future. It is a story of hope.

Credits:

Cast: Mayra Batalla, Max Adler

Directed by Sonia Sebastián

Screenplay by Heather Older