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Prodigal Daughter

Mabel Valdiviezo
United States, 2024, 90 min.

In English with Spanish subtitles.
Includes violence and nudity.

AIFF Award Winner:
Best Documentary

Filmmaker and former punk artist Mabel Valdiviezo reunites with her family in Peru after 16 years of silence, confronting haunting childhood memories and a troubled past as an undocumented immigrant in the United States. Offering intimate access to the artist and her vibrant "photo-paintings" of the family, Prodigal Daughter is a cinematic exploration of family bonds, belonging, and the transformative power of art through the narrative of human rights, gender, and immigration.

Director's Statement

Prodigal Daughter is a parable of our time – a quintessential American story about the place of an individual in society and the profound journey of reuniting with the family one left behind. Our film illuminates the immigrant experience of what it means to belong, offering insight and empathy in an era marked by anti-immigrant sentiment. Prodigal Daughter explores and humanizes the nexus of family reconnection, gendered migration, mental health, and art as a source of empowerment. Creating counter-narratives is crucial, advocating for multifaceted immigrant depictions that embrace our complex humanity and drive conversations about what it means to be American.

Category: Feature Doc, Award Winner.

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