Casa de Luz is a self-organised migrant shelter in Tijuana, founded and run by an LGBTQ+ community of Central Americans who have fled their countries. It is the only shelter in Mexico that is not run by the church or the government. Migration authorities often arrest people, confiscate their IDs and cell phones, force them to become illegal and deposit them at Casa de Luz. Those running the shelter face enormous challenges, such as the need for bureaucratic support, medicines for headaches, diapers, tea for upset stomachs, internet access so that refugees can communicate with their families and much more. A film, already in progress, will paint a picture of the many global crises faced by the migrants who take refuge at Casa de Luz: everyday life as a socio-political phenomenon. The film will also give visibility to an ordinarily marginalised group in positions of exceptionally demanding leadership and management.
Sofia Angelina Machado, born in Uruguay, graduated from the Universidad del Cine in Argentina in 2014. She works on film projects as an editor, dramaturge and consultant.
