Comparsa Film: A joyful, strategic fight against violence

Welcome to the world of Comparsa, where sisters Lesli and Lupe inspire the girls of Peronia to break their silence and reshape their futures.

Please consider contributing to the finishing phase of our feature documentary, now five years in the making. All donations are tax-deductible, thanks to the collaboration of our fiscal sponsor Peronia Adolescente.

For us, finishing the film is really just the beginning—once it's complete, we have seed funding to launch a dynamic impact campaign to empower women and girls throughout the Americas with the art-driven methodologies showcased in our story.

WHO WE ARE: We are a team of award-winning filmmakers and daring 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 as a Trojan Horse to fight gender-based violence. 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.

**Watch the COMPARSA TRAILER **

https://www.papermoth.media/comparsa-trailer

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 problems 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: We believe sharing this story can have positive ripple effects in many different directions. 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. In addition, the film offers an intimate and multifaceted portrait of Central Americans on the leading edge of relational infrastructure work--a direct counterpoint to the harmful, often false narratives about Central Americans that dominate the current news cycle.

THE TEAM:

Director Vickie Curtis, Emmy-winning writer of The Social Dilemma

Director Doug Anderson

Producer Olivia Ahnemann, known for the 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 the 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: After our final weeks of editing, we'll embark on the finishing phase of filmmaking.

Filmmaking isn't cheap, but we need human stories, not just Marvel movies, if we want things to change...

$500 funds a day of editing

$700 funds of week of post production management

$5,000 funds recording the film's original score

$10,000 funds finishing color

$20,000 funds the film's sound design and mix

Ultimately, this is a triumphant story about the power of art and the bonds of sisterhood. Our impact producers are ready and waiting to host community screenings and share our action toolkit throughout Guatemala and beyond. We are thrilled to be this close to bringing it to film festivals and audiences across the Americas.

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