I am Carlos Aquino, a USC student, and I’m raising funds to bring my student film, The Quiet Battlefield, to life. Set during the real events of the Mexico–Franco war, the film follows María, a resilient grandmother who discovers a wounded young French soldier on her land. Against her instincts—and amid her grandson Javier’s pleas for compassion—she chooses to shelter the boy. What begins as an act of mercy slowly unravels into tragedy as the shadows of war, trauma, and paranoia close in. The story explores generational love, the moral cost of violence, and the battle between humanity and fear. Told with emotional intimacy in Spanish and French.

I was inspired to create The Quiet Battlefield to tell a different kind of war story—one grounded in family, culture, and mental health, rather than soldiers and strategy. As a USC student, I wanted to challenge myself creatively—directing a multilingual film that reflects both the beauty and the pain of human connection in times of conflict.

The funds raised will help cover essential costs like renting locations for four days of ten-hour shoots, catering to feed our hardworking crew, and equipment needed to bring the film to life. Your support will help make The Quiet Battlefield a visually haunting and emotionally powerful film that speaks to the human cost of conflict and the strength it takes to forgive. Please consider donating and sharing to help us tell this important story.