THE JOURNEY
The day Aura met the camera.
MY NOTES
Returning to the place called home is in the mind of every immigrant that must leave.
Aura Taibel is part of a generation whose parents had to leave Colombia due to the armed conflict and economic instability afflicting the country. Aura’s mom left with her then two-year-old daughter escaping the uncertainty of the homeland. After living in the United States for a long time,Aura circles back.
I met Aura drinking a cup of Colombian “tinto”. With the flavor of coffee that afternoon, I just listened while she told me the story of her life. I was captivated by her determination and resilience. I saw in Aura the reflection of my own grandmother, who never went to school and yet was determined to put her eight children through college. Totally engaged in her narration, I remembered that I had just finished reading a book called “Aura”, by Carlos Fuentes. Serendipity, the die was cast. I began diving into Aura’s story, inspired by the masters of Direct Cinema.
El Retorno/The Return is the closing of Aura ́s portrait, as she closes her New York chapter and joins the wave of Colombian returnees. The camera follows Aura and in the process, reveals the social fabric weaving underneath her path.
Luz