Filmmaker Statement

I was the first in my family to be born in Miami, and my grandparents came to the U.S from Cuba and Puerto Rico. My identity has been shaped by the immigrant stories shared by my parents amongst many others. As a visual artist with this experience, I feel compelled to not only show the effect this has had on my life, but also emphasize the hypocrisy of what the U.S. is founded on and it’s rejection of immigrants fighting to build a life for themselves. These stories of resilience and persistence in a foreign land are deeply woven into American history and culture. The Castro regime shaped both Cuban and American cultures. Miami becomes the bridge between these worlds, interweaving our main character Rosa’s journey from Cuba 1994 to Miami 2016, as she pivots between past and present, dreams and reality. Tumba Del Mar highlights the complex relationships we, as immigrants, hold to our nation, new and native, including the love and hate felt in deciding to leave a country for a new one.