Comparsa Film: A joyful, strategic fight against violence
Tax deductible
Welcome to the world of Comparsa, where sisters Lesli and Lupe inspire the girls of Peronia to break their silence and reshape their futures.
Your Contribution will support:
ACTION IN GUATEMALA
- Lesli and Lupe's work empowering girls
- Peronia Adolescente's creation of safe spaces for youth in peripheral communities
- Lesli's hands-on initiative to create green spaces with youth in Peronia
- Policy change for sustainable youth development funding
- Mental health support for our team in Peronia
ACTION AROUND THE WORLD
- Comparsa's festival and community screenings tour
- New educational materials sharing Lesli and Lupe's "artivism" methodology
- Partnerships & film events with women-centered organizations to spark local action by and for women and girls
WHO WE ARE: We are a team of award-winning filmmakers and changemakers from Guatemala and the US, working together to reveal the lives, art and civic action of intrepid young women in one of Guatemala's most dangerous barrios.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Comparsa immerses audiences in the intense, vibrant world of Ciudad Peronia, where sisters Lesli and Lupe use art to rally the youth and heal deep wounds. Over the course of the film, they reveal how an insidious power structure permits and commits femicide and rape. In the wake of these horrors, the girls' exuberant methods for strategic changemaking promote healing and joy.
OUR APPROACH: Predicated on a 15-year creative friendship with Lesli and Lupe, our producer Anna Hadingham has been the glue between our US and Guatemalan contingents. We are collectively inspired to tell a story of women working on solutions in a media landscape dominated by seemingly insurmountable crises and victim narratives.
Comparsa is being co-created by all of us. In that spirit, we’ll share a translated note from one of our protagonists:
“Comparsa is a project by people who care deeply about one another and who believe that the work we are doing to empower youth in Ciudad Peronia should be widely shared. Telling my story has given me strength….It means a lot for us to be seen, to feel we have something to teach the world despite our circumstances.” -Lupe Canela
OUR IMPACT: Lesli and Lupe's story serves as a blueprint for breaking the silence that surrounds violence against women and taking creative actions to heal and rebuild. Comparsa is an intimate portrait of Central Americans on the leading edge of relational infrastructure work--a direct counterpoint to the harmful, often false narratives about Central Americans and migrants that dominate the news cycle.
THE TEAM:
Director Vickie Curtis, Emmy-winning writer of The Social Dilemma
Director Doug Anderson
Producer Olivia Ahnemann, known for Oscar-nominated film Porcelain War
Producer Anna Hadingham
Co-Producers Lesli Canela Pérez & Lupe Canela Pérez
Cinematographers Edgar Tuy & Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers
Editor Carolina Siraqyan, known for Oscar-nominated film The Eternal Memory
Executive Producer Jeff Orlowski-Yang, known for his Emmy-winning films Chasing Coral and The Social Dilemma
Executive Producer Jayro Bustamante, known for his Oscar-shortlisted film La Llorona
OUR ASK:
Connecting with our audience isn't cheap, but we need human stories, not just Marvel movies, if we want things to change...
Ultimately, this is a triumphant story about the power of art and the bonds of sisterhood. With your support, our impact producers are ready and waiting to host community screenings and share our action toolkit throughout Guatemala and beyond.
If you're interested in joining the team as an Executive Producer at a higher funding tier, please use the contact provided here to get in touch!
Abrazos,
The Comparsa Team
Co-organizers (2)
Victoria Curtis
Organizer
Portland, OR
Peronia Adolescente
Beneficiary
Anna Hadingham
Co-organizer
Doug Anderson
Co-organizer