Background:

Against a background of extreme social inequality between a land-owning elite and the peasant working class, a civil war erupted in El Salvador in the late 1970’s until 1992. Left wing guerillas intent on a socialist revolution confronted the national guard and death squads who protected the interests of the wealthy class.

Arcatao, Chalatenango became a stronghold for the Guerilla groups. Many civilians were displaced escaping the crossfire. The United Nations (UN) reports that more than 75,000 people were killed between 1979 and 1992, along with approximately 8,000 disappeared persons due to the war.

The Story itself:

"Migaja" is the story of a girl who saves up money by buying and selling fruit and buys a sick cow with her own money. She nurses the sick cow to health, but when civil war breaks loose and her life and her family’s life is threaten she must escape her home and leave her cow behind.

I want to make a movie that reflects my country and my land; more specifically I want to make a movie that portrays the beauty of my country as well as the harsh reality that the civil war brought to the life of many people.

My mom is a fighter, and a savvy resourceful person. As a little girl she would sell fruit and save up to buy a little cow. Her hopes and dreams were to make profit from selling milk, cream and cheese and that the little cow would reproduce and give her more little cows. Migaja was a sickly cow, and my mom nursed her to health until she was a healthy beautiful fat cow.

Due to the civil war, she had to leave her home and her cow behind, and start anew with her sister in a new place. The civil war displaced a lot of people. My mom had only turned 14 when she had to abandon her home and leave her parents behind in order to accompany her sister whose life was under threat.

Director's Statement:

The world needs more stories like “Migaja”.

"Migaja" is a story that caught me from the very first time that my mom told it to me. It has all the elements that make a really good story. Delmy is an active protagonist with clear objectives. Things don’t only happen to her. She learns and makes decisions to better her life. She grows and overcomes and thrives regardless of the circumstances and adversities the civil war threw at her.

Why should I be the one to make this movie. Making movies has always been a dream of mine. I have studied the craft of dramatic writing, and I believe that I am ready to direct this short film. I have been part of other film sets, and I have been complimented for my ability to learn quick and being an effective leader whenever I am given a leadership role. No doubt I am a bit nervous about making the story justice, but I am confident that I can deliver a great movie. All I need is your support to bring in a quality team that can execute my vision. Film-making is a team sport, and a great team is needed to deliver a quality film. I want to find the best and most passionate filmmakers in El Salvador to collaborate and bring this vision to life!

Why now? My mom turns 60 this year. I want this to be a gift that I dedicate to her.

I returned to El Salvador a year ago after I graduated college with a degree in Electronic Media and Film. I had lived in the U.S for fourteen years prior to returning to El Salvador. When I graduated college the WGA and SAG-AFTRA went on strike. My heart was set on returning home to El Salvador and I made my mind up that El Salvador would be the next chapter in my film-making journey.

Due to visa restrictions, I won’t be able to visit my mom this year for her 60^th birthday celebration, but after having spent a year in El Salvador, I am sure that I took the right decision; and I want to honor both my parents love and support by making the best short film possible. I have spent all my life preparing for this. I am ready.

Inspiration:

Visually, this film takes a lot of inspiration from Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki cinematography in “Y Tu Mamá Tambien”. Story wise I am inspired by “Spirited Away”. At its heart Migaja is the story of a young girl facing a new dark world who faces her fears and gathers courage to protect her family.

Timeline:

The idea is to for principal photography to take place between August and October. We will need a full week or about 5 days to shoot this script.

Between May and August pre-production will take place. Securing a location may be one of the most challenging parts of pre-production as there aren’t that many houses that that preserve 1970’s essence and materials and are still in good conditions. Most houses from that era have been either modified to keep up with new technologies and modern materials or are in really bad condition.

Casting will also take place during this time. We need enough time to find the best actors possible for each of the roles and we need to give them ample time to memorize and rehearse the lines.

While there is already a script that is good enough to take into production, some polishing will take place concurrent with the crowdfunding campaign. Notes have been given to me to better the second act and to take a good script to a great script and great story. Scripts can always get better, knowing that I have a deadline and a budget to shoot the script will give me extra fuel to pour in the hours that it takes to dig deeper into the story and bring more meaning out of every line and every scene.

I believe that I have a story with layers and that it can be entertaining and meaningful at the same time. I don’t want to disappoint those who believe in me. I will do great work.

Budget:

 Making a movie requires a team of many people and a lot of resources. El Salvador has a tiny budding film industry, however due to COVID and the recent slowdowns experienced by the film industry worldwide, the film industry in El Salvador doesn’t have a lot of support. However, El Salvador does count with passionate artists and filmmakers ardent to tell our stories. EL Salvador has equipment rental houses and production teams with professional experience.

       Besides the film equipment, lenses, memory cards, batteries and lights. We will need a lot of production design. This is a period piece; 1979 was 46 years ago…and the wardrobe and furniture and even the roads of the time have changed significantly. The currency is different. Before the U.S. Dollar we had Salvadoran Colones. We have to take into account all of those tiny details and prepare for them.

       The production team will work for months to coordinate everything that needs to be ready for principal photography, actors, wardrobe, location, props, and set design.

       When principal photography begins, we will need money for food, transportation and lodging.

       I want to make sure that everyone is compensated fairly according to the amount of time dedicated to this project, their effort and their involvement. Even though production may take just a week, it will take several months to coordinate and prepare for those very arduous five days.

We need to reach at least 80% of our goal to receive the green light and receive the green light to go ahead and begin production. I hope that we reach over 100% of our goal. I am confident that our goal is enough to shoot a quality short film. After a film is shot, post-production costs have to be considered as well: Editing, sound design, music. When a film is out of post-production and into distribution, there are the costs to submit the film into festivals where it may be able to receive wider recognition. I have tried as best as I can to be modest and realistic at the same time about how much money and resources will be needed and spent to create this piece.

Please spread the word and consider donating as that will be the best way to reach the goal. We need as many people as possible to find it in them to contribute to the making of this piece of Salvadoran art. It takes a village to make a film. This film needs all of our help. Thank you!

Pictures:

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! From the bottom of my heart <3