Rosa Sabido, a Mexican native, has not set foot outside of the United Methodist Church in Mancos, Colorado for over two years. She is living in sanctuary while her complicated legal process proceeds, and many see her as a symbol of hope and resistance for the immigrant community. Although Rosa receives generous support from the Mancos locals, she misses her home, her pets, and her cooking business.

Director's Statement

John Sheedy has spent much of his adult life straddling both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. He received a Masters degree in Education from Prescott College in 2005 after spending two years researching immigration and border issues for his Masters thesis in Tucson, Arizona. His time researching these issues inspired him to create two award-winning documentaries, El Inmigrante and The Tijuana Project, both of which paint a human face on the important topics of borders and immigration. His most recent documentary, Rosa's Sanctuary, is about a woman living in sanctuary in a church in Mancos, Colorado. In 2008, John met his wife Sandra in Alamos, Mexico and in 2011 they started an international film festival in Alamos dedicated to the many diverse voices of the borderlands. The festival continues to thrive and offers a space for sharing positive stories from both sides of the border. John now resides in Sedona, Arizona with his family where he teaches Film and Spanish at the Verde Valley School.

Category: Festival Alum, Documentary, Arizona Film, Short Doc.
Themes: Imagination, Human Spirit, Social Justice.

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