In La Arcadia, a shelter for teenage girls in Bogota, young women are invited to close their eyes to imagine the life story of a fictional friend named Alis. The exercise begins as an innocent game, Alis being a blank canvas on which they can project their own experiences.

The act of imagination opens up the possibility for them to step outside of themselves and see their own experiences through a different perspective. Creating this fictional companion permits the girls to break with the cycle of violence in which they have been immersed, and gives them a unique opportunity of dreaming with a better future.

As the second feature documentary directed and produced by Clare Weiskopf and her husband Nicolás van Hemelryck, it is a deep and powerful story full of laughter, love and music that happens in the least expected place.

“This film had its origin at the documentary workshops we’ve hosted at the school since 2016, where we witnessed how the young women appropriated the documentary language as a tool to reflect on their own experiences and express their emotions, and we discovered their own capacity for empowerment when given a chance.” Clare Weiskopf & Nicolás van Hemelryck

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