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Logline

A queer young woman, René, returns home to Mexico as her beloved aunt lies suspended between life and death— drawing her into a spiritual limbo where love, grief, and letting go collide.

Synopsis

As René, a queer Mexican woman living in the United States, navigates her beloved aunt, tía Sara, not responding to treatment, she returns to her hometown in Mexico to attend the funeral of her childhood friend’s father. Forcing her to confront death and the complicated feeling of returning to a place that once defined her identity, she reconnects with childhood friends, struggles to reconcile the life she has built abroad with the unresolved grief and cultural ties she left behind. While Tía Sara remains suspended between life and death in the hospital, René begins to experience strange encounters with a mysterious Spirit begins to appear in quiet moments throughout the city. René slowly realizes the Spirit may be tied to the liminal space between the living and the dead.

As René spends time with her friends, she attempts to hide the emotional turmoil she carries. Beneath the surface, tensions among the group begin to rise. As her aunt’s condition worsens, the boundary between the living and the dead begins to fracture: the Spirit becomes distorted and René is forced to confront the consequences of her denial. Drawn toward a mythic threshold echoing the Mictlán, René must ultimately face the truth that love cannot prevent loss—and that release, not attachment, is what allows both the living and the dead to move forward.

Meet the Filmmakers

Ericka de Alexander (She/They) — Writer/Director/Actor
Ericka de Alexander is a Mexican-British writer, director, actor, and producer from Mexico living in Los Angeles. She obtained her B.A. in TV and Film Production from the University of Southern California in 2019. Ericka is drawn to themes of hopefulness, loss of innocence, and otherness. She co-wrote, produced, and directed the short film, The First Color, which was sponsored by the ALS Association, and premiered at LA Shorts. Her short documentary titled The Cleaning Lady, fiscally sponsored by Film Independent, had its world premiere at DOCNYC 2024. After its premiere, this documentary got picked up by PBS to join their POV Shorts Series Season 7, and later won a Telly in the Documentary Short Form category.

Ericka’s most recent short film, FLAMES, premiered at LA Shorts in 2025. Ericka is a new directing member of the Alliance of Women Directors and “But How Beautiful Life Is” will be her debut feature as a director.

Ashley Agren (She/Her) — Director of Photography
Ashley Agren (She/Her) was born in Sweden and raised in Santa Clarita, California. She fell in love with filmmaking from a young age while watching movies with her dad. Over time, she developed her skills behind the camera as a photographer and videographer. Ashley graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts with a B.A. in Film and Television Production, where she honed in on her passion for cinematography. Ashley is known for The Seven Neighbors (post-production, feature), Mare (2020, short), and Flames (2025, short). She has worked in the camera department on documentaries, such as Unsolved Mysteries (2024), New Wave (2024), and Driven (2022).

This will be Ashley and Ericka’s second collaboration together.

Tommy Santamaría (He/Him) — Producer
Tommy Santamaría (He/Him) is a Mexican producer with over 20 years of experience in independent filmmaking. He studied film producing and directing at Chicago Filmmakers, AMCI, and Nou Prodigi in Barcelona. He is the founder of the Production Company and Film School, “Luna Azul Producciones” in Cuernavaca (Morelos, Mexico), where he has produced over 80 short films. He has also collaborated with international film festivals such as the Festival Internacional de Cine Infantil y Juvenil Juna Kino.

Michaela Yelland (She/They) — Producer/Actor
Michaela Yelland (She/They) is an editor originally from Chandler, Arizona. After graduating with a film degree from Full Sail University, she moved to Los Angeles to start her career. She has experience editing multiple forms of content such as narrative, documentary, music videos, and commercials. Michaela has 4 years of experience as an assistant editor for network television shows such as Chrisley Knows Best, Restoring Galveston, and Daughters Of The Cult. She also edited the queer web series If The World Was Ending, which has gained over 200k views on YouTube.

This will be Michaela and Ericka’s 5th collaboration together.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.