The Story
“WELCOME BACK” takes place in present day Venezuela, and is inspired by a compilation of true stories. The film centers around Rosa and her daughter, Sophie, who have been deported back to the extremely dangerous and communist Venezuela.
Prior to leaving Venezuela, Rosa was once an opposition student protestor, an act that is deemed unforgivable by the Venezuelan government. DEEPLY FEARING HER LIFE, Rosa was forced to escape to the United States—but now is being sent back to the country she fled from.
After arriving in Venezuela, and managing to obtain an illegal passport, Rosa is able to enter the country, but knows it is TOO UNSAFE FOR HER AND HER DAUGHTER to stay. Rosa and her daughter must find a way to escape to a nearby town in Colombia without getting caught by the Venezuelan government.
An insightful short story, inspired by real life events, observing one of the most oppressed countries, while exploring the incredible bond between a mother and her daughter.
"In its annual 2018 Global Law and Order Index, Gallup found that Venezuelans distrusted their police, felt unsafe walking at night andhad been robbed or assaulted at an alarming rate compared to therest of the world."
Miami Herald
Director's Statement
This is a deeply personal story for me. Being a proud daughter to a Venezuelan mother, it is a story I have yearned to tell since I began making films. Having my whole family in Venezuela has been one of the hardest things I have had to deal with, and has caused an immense weight in my heart. For years, I have felt helpless, watching I country I love, with people I love in it, slowly falling apart. I have waited years to tell this story, and the time has finally come.
We so often see films that follow people as they immigrate to America, or shows them on the cusp of deportation. However, we rarely see what happens once these immigrants have been deported back to their native land – a circumstance that can often feel like a death sentence to them. The story follows Rosa and her daughter, Sophie, after they have been deported back to Venezuela. The film is intended to offer A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON IMMIGRATION, while shedding light on the situation going on in Venezuela.
"WELCOME BACK" seeks to lend a voice to the people of Venezuela, while offering insight as to what often happens when we send our immigrants, “back to where they came from.” In its essence, the film is about love, sacrifice, and the strong bond that unites a mother and daughter. Rosa, our protagonist, has one simple goal in mind: to keep her daughter safe. We see her navigate her difficult circumstance with urgency and care, knowing her 5-year-old daughter, Sophie, is watching. I strongly believe that this story is a global issue, and is more than ever in need of being told.
“Colombia shares a 1,400-mile border with Venezuela and has absorbed the brunt of the South American immigration crisis."
USA Today
Overview
“WELCOME BACK” is a short film inspired by a compilation of true stories from people of Venezuela. The political and economic situation in Venezuela is incredibly dire. There is no food, no medicine, and the INFLATION RATE IS CURRENTLY AT AROUND 1,000,000%. People are eating out of garbage cans, and it has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world.
With this film, we hope to shed light on the current crisis going on in Venezuela, while offering a different perspective on immigration. This story is incredibly relevant, important and deserving of being told.
All in all, we need your help to bring this story to life. Whether it is by donating, sharing this page, or spreading the word, your contribution will go an incredibly long way.
We are set to shoot in the END OF APRIL, and are in desperate need of any help to make this film a reality. All funds donated will go directly to the production of this film—paying for travel, hotels, locations, production design, equipment, food, transportation, and all other essentials needed to bring this film to life.