Vanesa Moreno

Losing my uncle in 2020 drove me to want to write a story about grief and helped pave the way for me to deal with his passing. The experience of losing a loved one is so real and relatable to all of us living in a pandemic. I had to express my immigrant experience in my film. The need to want to be there with your family but the odds just are not in your favor. The film touches on coping mechanisms and things like journaling, meditation, religion and spirituality which are topics I was interested in exploring during quarantine.

When a young tomboy film photographer yearns to create again after working at the photo lab, she discovers a secret memory just outside her home.

In the heartwarming tale of self-discovery and slice of life film, a spirited young tomboy with a passion for film photography finds herself longing to reignite her creative spark. When she stumbles upon a lens cap concealed just beyond her doorstep, she embarks on a poignant journey of exploration, uncovering truths about herself and her continuous dreams of her childhood best friend Manuela, who unknowingly lives in the same neighborhood. As she delves deeper into this clandestine world, she learns valuable lessons about resilience, identity, and the transformative power of embracing one's true passion - creating art.

Through soft gestures, shared reflections, and a single phrase spoken in sincerity: “you are beautiful”, the visually-driven short film explores the emotional inheritance of girlhood.