WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHERE HOME IS?

For millions of immigrants, home is far more than a country. It's a lifetime of memories, traditions passed from one generation to the next, and the people who shape who we become.

Yet for many families, that sense of belonging can be challenged in an instant. The possibility of separation doesn't just threaten where someone lives, it reshapes how an entire family understands home.

Derretido explores that emotional landscape through the eyes of María, inviting audiences to experience the uncertainty, resilience, and love that exist alongside it.

At its heart, Derretido is a story about family, grief, memory, and the emotional weight of uncertainty.

Through the eyes of María, we witness the quiet devastation that ripples through a family when someone they love suddenly becomes vulnerable to being taken away. While the story begins with immigration, it ultimately asks a much more universal question:

How do we hold on to the people who feel inseparable from the idea of home?

Rather than focusing on politics, the film invites audiences to experience the emotional cost of separation through everyday moments of love, tradition, and care.

At a time when so many conversations reduce people to labels or paperwork, Derretido asks us to see one another differently. Through compassion, memory, and our shared humanity.

I wanted to tell this story through both realism and surrealism.

One moment places us inside the intimacy of a family kitchen, where raspados are made from scratch and ordinary routines become acts of emotional survival.

The next transports María into an imagined world where grief transforms into something communal, hopeful, and deeply human.

These two worlds exist side by side, reminding us that even in moments of fear, imagination can become a place of refuge.

By moving between grounded reality and dreamlike imagery, the film explores emotions that words alone often struggle to express. We hope audiences leave not only remembering what they saw, but carrying with them what they felt.

Derretido will be photographed on 16mm film.

For us, this isn't simply an aesthetic choice. Film carries an organic warmth that digital cameras struggle to recreate. Its grain, texture, and imperfections mirror the emotional fragility at the center of this story. Every frame feels tangible, like a memory you can hold in your hands.

Choosing 16mm allows the visual language of the film to reflect its themes of memory, family, and belonging. It's a slower, more intentional process that asks us to be fully present with every shot, and that philosophy extends to the way we're approaching this entire production.

Southwest Detroit is home to a vibrant Mexican community whose traditions, culture, and resilience have shaped the neighborhood for generations. This is why Derretido will be created right here in Detroit by a passionate team of local artists and filmmakers. Working with active community leaders and the people of Southwest will be a constant priority in the making of this film.

Detroit has always been a city built by resilient communities and powerful storytellers. Bringing this project to life here allows us to collaborate with talented local creatives while contributing to the city's growing independent film scene.

Supporting this project means investing not only in one film, but in an entire community of artists committed to telling thoughtful, visually ambitious stories.

WHO'S BEHIND THIS STORY?

I've spent my life inspired by the idea of creating art that can be felt long after the screen goes black. The kind of work that reaches beyond entertainment and reminds people that they're not alone. Stories that make people feel seen, heard, and understood.

Derretido is deeply personal to me-- not because it's my autobiography, but because I feel a responsibility to use my voice as a microphone for people whose stories are too often unheard. I believe film has the power to build empathy, and at a time when we're surrounded by division, I want this story to be an invitation toward understanding.

Preparing this film has been far more than writing a screenplay or organizing a production. It has been a journey of listening.

I've spent time revisiting my father's experience with immigration, ICE, and the uncertainty of trying to build a life in America. I've spoken with my mother about the sacrifices she made and the strength it took to stand beside him during the possibility of his deportation. I've listened to members of Southwest Detroit's Mexican community to better understand the heartbeat of the neighborhood that shaped this story. Those conversations naturally led me to the many other communities that make Detroit extraordinary-- the Yemeni, Senegalese, Indian, Native American, and countless others whose cultures and histories continue to inspire me.

That's what I love most about creating in Detroit. Every neighborhood holds a story. Every conversation has something to teach you.

The same spirit has carried into our production. Working alongside this incredible cast and crew has never been just about making a film. It's been about asking bigger questions, sharing lived experiences, and building something rooted in compassion, curiosity, and humanity.

My name is Andrés Guerrero, and I believe in this story with everything I have.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP BRING THIS STORY HOME

Independent filmmaking is a collective effort, and every contribution brings us one step closer to the screen.

Your support helps fund 16mm film stock, film processing and scanning, production design, locations, equipment rentals, meals for our cast and crew, and the many small details that allow a story like this to be told with care.

If this story resonates with you, we hope you'll consider becoming part of its journey. Whether you contribute financially or simply share our campaign, you're helping create a film rooted in compassion, memory, and our shared humanity.

Note: This is a very modest budget. Our crew will be small, but the time, care, and research going into this film are anything but. Because of the story we're telling and the responsibility we feel in telling it authentically, this project requires an extraordinary amount of preparation and collaboration.

If we're fortunate enough to exceed our $5,000 goal, every additional dollar will go directly back into the film—allowing us to better compensate our cast and crew, strengthen the production, and bring this story to life at the highest level possible.

Thank you for believing in independent cinema. Thank you for believing in this story!

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Selected Photography by Andrés

A collection of images that reflect Andrés' approach to composition, light, and emotion.

All original work by Andrés.