HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL 2023 REVIEW! In Omar Deneb Juárez’s short film, Isla Soledad, a mother finds herself alone in a world crumbling around her.
Sonia (Leidi Gutiérrez) is carrying the burdens of the world on her shoulders. Recently divorced, Sonia has limited custody to see her son, Lucia (Alejandra Gollas). To make matters worse, social services is dragging its heels to send social workers out to inspect her home. Sonia hopes that once done she’ll be granted part-time custody. To make matters even more worse, Sonia’s grandmother is sick, and she is her only family who can care for her.

“…she has to take care of their grandmother and then rush across town for Lucia’s birthday…”
In Isla Soledad, Sonia’s life is being held together by a very loose thread, and it’s about to snap. Because she has to take care of their grandmother and then rush across town for Lucia’s birthday, she has to give up hours at work and scrounge up money for rent, electricity, and food.
Filmmaker Juárez masterfully lays out Sonia’s life establishing her as a flawed but sympathetic character. We feel her journey as she barely holds on to her sanity and slowly builds up to a moment of hope and peace. The visuals are beautiful throughout Isla Soledad, and Leidi Gutiérrez gives a powerful and understated performance in the end.
Isla Soledad screened at the 2023 HollyShorts Film Festival.