In these times of shifting immigration policies under the current presidential administration, Peruvian American filmmaker and journalist Kristal Sotomayor created the program Philadelphia Mosaic: Immigrant Film Showcase, which aims to celebrate and amplify the voices of Philadelphia’s immigrant communities through a presentation of short documentaries followed by a public discussion. The first screening took place on August 16 at Fleisher Art Memorial in South Philadelphia.

The program featured a short film by Costa Rican filmmaker María Luisa Santos titled A Film is a Goodbye that Never Ends, a 13-minute piece about her wait for a visa to reunite with her husband in the United States, accompanied by her loyal companion, Turbo.

The second film, Room 140 by Priscilla González Sainz, runs 12 minutes and shares the reflections of five undocumented immigrants recently released from detention centers, who are temporarily housed in Room 140 of a motel in Oakland, California. The third film, Expanding Sanctuary, directed and produced by Kristal Sotomayor, is a 21-minute documentary centered on Mexican activist Linda Hernández from the organization Juntos, who also participated in the post-screening discussion.

Linda is an immigrant mother who became a community leader during a historic campaign to end the sharing of Philadelphia’s police database with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She now facilitates healing circles in collaboration with Philatinos, while continuing her work with Juntos.

Following the film presentations, a Q&A session allowed attendees to learn more about the struggles of undocumented immigrants fighting for their rights.

All three documentaries are in Spanish with English subtitles and will be screened for free in other Latino neighborhoods across the city. Upcoming dates include September 6 at 6 p.m. at Making Worlds Bookstore and Social Center (210 S. 45th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104), and October 23 at 6 p.m. at Esperanza Art Center (4261 N. 5th St., Philadelphia, PA 19140).

Kristal founded her film production company to work at the intersection of investigative journalism and community media, challenging extractive narratives and reimagining who gets to tell the story. Her team is dedicated to creating films that promote social justice and amplify the voices of immigrant, queer, and underrepresented communities.