GABRIELA

It's the summer after high-school graduation and Gabriela, a young undocumented Guatemalan woman, pursues her dream of swimming for an illustrious Country Club swim team. Despite her single-minded determination, Gabriela is continually confronted with her over-protective mother’s fears, limitations on her economic and legal status, and her own self-judgment. As she questions her self-worth against the structures of contemporary American Southern life, Gabriela embarks on a quest towards personal freedom and self-acceptance.Gabriela is a visually captivating coming-of-age story, with a poetic reflection on identity and personal resilience – and the liberating power of water. The short was the recipient of the Netflix and Latino Film Institute's Indigenous Latino Fellowship.