My name is Sophia Herrera, I am a producer, writer, and director from New Jersey pursuing a B.S. in Television, Radio & Film at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, primarily working in narrative fiction as well as documentary work. Currently, I am raising funds for my senior capstone film Ingredients of Courage!

In this short film, I answer the question: What if two women who opened up a restaurant in 1970 are the reason that Roe v. Wade was enacted into law?

Ingredients of Courage is a coming-of-age / romance short film inspired by a true story. After getting unfairly fired from her job for being queer, Jill meets Alexander, and as they fall in love, they are building a women-run, activist restaurant where their relationship and political courage can truly thrive.

After an exposed secret gets Jill fired from her job, she finds herself facing a new reality. She meets Alexander, an aspiring chef, and as the two fall in love, her life is dramatically changed when she faces a battle with her own autonomy. When Alexander then introduces Jill to her friends, Jill finds out that she is not the only one who has faced the same threats. Motivated for change, Jill makes a decision that will impact the course of history forever.

With this film, I am not only creating a proof of concept piece for the story of Mother Courage in its longevity, but a proof of concept of all the skills and creative work that I have achieved during my time at Newhouse.

During my studies, I’ve found myself going down wrong paths or not quite fitting in amongst peers within my creative process when taking on positions in student films. For this passion project, I want to emphasize the importance of a story of being queer and creating spaces in our community that accept us, which would turn my reflection and my experiences into a creative piece that would signify my education here was worthwhile.

Donations will go towards:

Thank you so much for your support!

(Shooting dates for this film are March 6-8 and March 20-22)

Sophia Herrera is a director and cinematographer who uplifts narratives on community and culture. Taking muses from the authenticity of life, Sophia creates intentional and modern stories to capture intimate journeys and challenges from nature to society. Her visual style evokes similar feelings surrounding family home videos and photo albums, highlighting nostalgia while educating on history in fiction and non-fiction works. Using natural lighting, multi-media development, and organic performances transports the viewer into becoming an observer in vulnerable memories. With strong research and journalistic intentions, Sophia’s work on shortform content, films, photography, and documentary videos are primarily shared to community events and advocacy peers. Sophia’s creative drive stems from how there is always a story worth being told, a life worth living, and a world worth exploring.