“PAN DULCE” unfolds as a psychological drama and period piece set in the rural landscapes of Durango, Mexico.

The story follows Dulce, a young ranchera woman caught in a relentless cycle of grief and guilt. As the eve of her 18th birthday aligns with the haunting anniversary of her mother’s death, a Spirit in white begins to follow her. Strange events unfold, with haunting whispers urging her to confront the guilt of being alive. In a moving resolution, Dulce must confront the weight of survivor’s guilt, navigating the caverns of her loneliness to ultimately unearth peace within her own life.

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 I wrote the PAN DULCE TV pilot at a time of my life when I was moving through healing the woman wound

that had loomed over the women in my lineage. The wound where femininity and spiritually had been

suppressed and dictated by societal norms.

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The short film adaptation features the main themes of guilt and grief.  The guilt of simply

being alive and existing in the world. In my personal experience, I had felt deep guilt that my

ancestors had to endure so much pain in their lives in order for me to stand where I am today, as well as
a tremulous amount of grief for not having the opportunity to know my maternal grandmothers.

My intent with the short is to illustrate that guilt and grief but in a different form.

Dulce’s mother passed away while giving birth to her and that guilt manifested into a haunting spirit.

The grief Dulce holds is the longing to know her mother; the longing of not knowing where she comes from. 

I also wanted to illustrate the shared grief between Dulce and her grandmother, Telefora,

who deeply misses her daughter and is moving through grief in her own way. An important piece

of their heart is missing but in the end they have one another. I wanted to show the beautiful soft

and loving connection between a granddaughter and grandmother; perhaps as a way to

commemorate mine who I spent very little time with. The story also ponders if one can keep the

weight of expectations and duties balanced by the heaviness of the sorrows that one may hold.

How can one continue their daily life if their emotional world is in shambles and how can the

healing journey commence if we’re not ready to face those sorrows?

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The psychological drama plays with reflections, deep depth of field, shadows, extreme details, overhead angles, obscured and abstract frames, as well as vast empty spaces. We follow the eyes as our main guide to understand the characters on a more subconscious level. I took inspiration from THE MILK OF SORROW and BELOVED for how they both speak on trauma and the manner in which it manifests and affects our surroundings and connection to others.

 

LOGLINE

In the isolated Mexican Sierra Madres, a young ranchera baker is confronted by an unwelcome spirit just before the anniversary of her mother’s death, unearthing mysteries that connect the living and the otherworldly.

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The short film is currently seeking investors, funding, and principle crew members.