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Synopsis
Above the Desert with No Name is a short film that begins with the real-world issue of women fleeing into the United States to escape domestic violence in their own country. The story is seen through the eyes of twelve-year old, Silvia, who has already witnessed how sexual violence can shape the world around her. She is joined by her eight-year-old brother, Hector, and her young mother, Maria. After illegally crossing the border the trio end up at a cousin's apartment for safety and hopefully a new start. But soon old patterns begin to emerge around them. Silvia finds solace sitting alone on the balcony of their apartment building. One day Silvia secretly spies on a neighbor doing strange, poetic movements synchronized with breath-work. Silvia has an incandescent experience watching this Medicine Woman in what she and the audience learn to be a spiritual yoga practice. After mimicking along with the Medicine Woman on several occasions something awakens within Silvia that connects her beyond the limitations of her reality and syncs her with the magic realism of the natural world. The awakening of her divine femininity resonates on full display in the film's dramatic climax. This story at its core is about the intersection of trauma, yoga and mysticism and the profound effect on young girls who find self-realization and have the ability to break familial patterns for their future. It is story of hope.
Director's Statement
Finding a good script that evokes emotion is like finding gold. After my first reading of Above the Desert with No Name, I felt deeply moved. I was stuck by its sense of inspiration and hope. The story is rooted in the brutal reality that so many illegally immigrated Latina women experience. From within this reality, the story shows the experience of enlightenment through the eyes of a 12 year old girl. I knew immediately I had to direct this important story and share it with the world.
Above the Desert With No Name is primarily a movie about a truth seeker, a child in no man's land who finds radiance - or does it find her? Young Silvia is thrust from a troubled past into a troubling future. At the center is a completely apolitical and disoriented antihero searching for love, stability, and self-empowerment.
I want to work as much as possible in the recesses of the plot to observe the characters carefully. The life experiences of the people surrounding our protagonist have caused them to exist in survival mode. They are removed from their divine nature and their connection to their inherent animal spirit in the natural world. But Silvia is still pure and curious and is able to observe divinity and use it as a superpower to avoid repeating a life of misery. She is able to awaken the power of her femininity and break the pattern of abuse for her life going forward.
During the violent, dramatic scenes of the film, I chose to avoid an invasive camera that would focus on the pain of each situation, allowing it to become a story unto itself. Instead, I had the the camera serve as a compassionate, personal gaze, focusing tightly on Silvia and her emotional journey of awakening; from darkness to light.
Crew
Sonia Sebastian – Director
Based in Los Angeles, award-winning Spanish director Sonia Sebastian has a vast experience spanning theater, television, and film. Her passion for telling stories involving diverse and dynamic characters is a common through-line while bringing a personal cultural perspective to her work.
Before settling in the United States, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Royal Academy of Drama in Spain and then studied film and television at the prestigious International School of Film & Television in Cuba, where she met many students from across Latin America. Sonia has co-directed more than fifteen multi-cam episodes for Spain’s TV networks Mediaset and TeleMadrid. She was the showrunner, writer, and director of the first online web series in Spain, GIRL SEEKS GIRL, produced by Movistar (Telefonica).
Her feature film THE KISS LIST for Marvista Entertainment has been released on HBO MAX. Her third film, THE VIRGIN OF HIGHLAND PARK, an inspirational coming-of-age story, recently premiered on Pluto TV. Her feature film FREELANCERS ANONYMOUS, produced by Full Spectrum Features in Chicago, was recognized by ReFrame and IMDbPro with the gender-parity stamp. Sonia’s first feature film DE CHICA EN CHICA, is available on Amazon Prime Video. Her commercial work includes Netflix, Google Pixel, Google Home, Disney, Tinder, Roomba, Walmart, Nature Made, and PayPal. Sonia has served as a juror for the International Emmy® Awards competition to recognize excellence in international television programming, among other Film and TV contests worldwide.
Heather Older– Writer
Heather is an Oregon based screenwriter and producer who currently serves as the Executive Director of the McMinnville Short Film Festival in McMinnville, Oregon. Her credits include ABOVE THE DESERT WITH NO NAME and the award winning short, AC. Prior to this, she wore many hats and headsets on various film productions and served as Production Coordinator for Jon Favreau's DINNER AT FIVE, as well as the Project Manager in the Entertainment and Media Division at Korn Ferry International in Los Angeles. She holds a BFA in Communications Design from Syracuse University and attended Central St. Martins in London where her concentration was storytelling through fine art photography.
Maarten Cornelis – Producer
Maarten Cornelis is an entrepreneur and an entertainment veteran with over two decades of experience in the industry. He is an award winning producer, director, light designer, actor and film festival manager.
Maarten is the CEO of Gatehouse Entertainment (http://www.gatehouse-entertainment.com/), a company focused on film and theatre productions. Past credits of the company include DINNER FOR TWO, MUSIC GARDEN, and DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. Broadway productions include “The Importance of Being Earnest(ly) LGBT+” and all FunikiJam shows. He is the co-owner of Tin Mirror Studios (https://tinmirrorstudios.com/). Tin Mirror Studios is a creative studio on a 10,000 sq. ft. movie and TV oriented campus. Located in Kings Park, NY.
Mauricio Arrioja - Producer
Born in Mexico, Mauricio's passion for film began with making homemade films. His early studies at Sorø Academy in Denmark, alma mater of famous writer Hans Christian Andersen, sparked his interest in storytelling that spans cross-cultural divides. While living in Europe, he studied diverse film movements including Dogme 95, style and lighting techniques of film noir and German Expressionism.
Mauricio brings over 10 years of television, commercial, music video, and motion picture production experience. He has worked with Viacom, Univision, NBC, ABC, CBS, The Emmy's, The TV Academy, AFI Fest, Hola Mexico Film Festival and several award-winning directors and filmmakers. Arrioja specializes in increasing office efficiency, event planning, stakeholder/vendor outreach, safety, acquiring new projects and overseeing them from development to exhibition.
He holds a B.A. in Film and Television Arts from California State University, Northridge, an A.A. in Cinema from Los Angeles City College and is actively involved with Film Independent Los Angeles and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).
Tamara Santos – Cinematographer
Tamara Santos is a cinematographer from Brazil, based in Los Angeles. An UCLA Alumini, her passion to translate storytelling into cinematic visuals led Tamara to collaborate with artists such as Mark Ronson, Ana de Armas, Gisele Bündchen, Steve Aoki among others. Most recently she worked on the Second Unit crew of Academy Award winning film NOMADLAND, directed by Chloé Zhao.
Florencia Marano– Editor
Florencia P. Marano is an Argentinian-Spanish director and editor based in Los Angeles with a 20-year career working in the film and television industry. After receiving a dual degree in Fine Arts and Film Direction in Argentina, Florencia went on to receive a master's degree in screenwriting in Spain. After finishing school, she worked as a director of TV documentaries and short films in Barcelona at both the local and international level. In 2008, she received the Generations Award from Caja Madrid- one of the most prestigious visual art grants in the country-to fund her experimental documentary LE CORPS DE MOUHMADOU, which documented the migratory route from Senegal to Spain and screened at the International Art Fair Arco '08. Her documentaries have received selection and awards at festivals internationally. Her work has also screened at museums and art galleries internationally, namely the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Reina Sofia in Madrid and the HKW in Berlin.
Nico Borromeo – Composer
Nico Borromeo is an Argentinian composer, producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. His work in film has been showcased at Sundance, Tribecca, and Slamdance festivals. His first feature film, SOLEDAD, won best picture at the Barcelona Film Festival.
Contributing to the two-time Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla and Juan Luqui's work, he participated in the Sundance-awarded documentary THE FIGHT, and the Hulu series MONSTERLAND. His relationship with Tree Adams (CALIFORNICATION, THE 100) led to co-compose for GOD & COUNTRY and to work as his assistant in NCIS: HAWAI'I, among other shows.
His previous music projects have been played on major radio stations in South and Latin America, along with millions of online streams. He also won the Soundclash Competition and was awarded Best Producer/DJ in Argentina and 2nd in the world at the Las Vegas global finale
- Runtime15:00
- LanguageSpanish, English
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
Stream the curated UCLAxFilmFest 2025 Official Selections here!
Synopsis
Above the Desert with No Name is a short film that begins with the real-world issue of women fleeing into the United States to escape domestic violence in their own country. The story is seen through the eyes of twelve-year old, Silvia, who has already witnessed how sexual violence can shape the world around her. She is joined by her eight-year-old brother, Hector, and her young mother, Maria. After illegally crossing the border the trio end up at a cousin's apartment for safety and hopefully a new start. But soon old patterns begin to emerge around them. Silvia finds solace sitting alone on the balcony of their apartment building. One day Silvia secretly spies on a neighbor doing strange, poetic movements synchronized with breath-work. Silvia has an incandescent experience watching this Medicine Woman in what she and the audience learn to be a spiritual yoga practice. After mimicking along with the Medicine Woman on several occasions something awakens within Silvia that connects her beyond the limitations of her reality and syncs her with the magic realism of the natural world. The awakening of her divine femininity resonates on full display in the film's dramatic climax. This story at its core is about the intersection of trauma, yoga and mysticism and the profound effect on young girls who find self-realization and have the ability to break familial patterns for their future. It is story of hope.
Director's Statement
Finding a good script that evokes emotion is like finding gold. After my first reading of Above the Desert with No Name, I felt deeply moved. I was stuck by its sense of inspiration and hope. The story is rooted in the brutal reality that so many illegally immigrated Latina women experience. From within this reality, the story shows the experience of enlightenment through the eyes of a 12 year old girl. I knew immediately I had to direct this important story and share it with the world.
Above the Desert With No Name is primarily a movie about a truth seeker, a child in no man's land who finds radiance - or does it find her? Young Silvia is thrust from a troubled past into a troubling future. At the center is a completely apolitical and disoriented antihero searching for love, stability, and self-empowerment.
I want to work as much as possible in the recesses of the plot to observe the characters carefully. The life experiences of the people surrounding our protagonist have caused them to exist in survival mode. They are removed from their divine nature and their connection to their inherent animal spirit in the natural world. But Silvia is still pure and curious and is able to observe divinity and use it as a superpower to avoid repeating a life of misery. She is able to awaken the power of her femininity and break the pattern of abuse for her life going forward.
During the violent, dramatic scenes of the film, I chose to avoid an invasive camera that would focus on the pain of each situation, allowing it to become a story unto itself. Instead, I had the the camera serve as a compassionate, personal gaze, focusing tightly on Silvia and her emotional journey of awakening; from darkness to light.
Crew
Sonia Sebastian – Director
Based in Los Angeles, award-winning Spanish director Sonia Sebastian has a vast experience spanning theater, television, and film. Her passion for telling stories involving diverse and dynamic characters is a common through-line while bringing a personal cultural perspective to her work.
Before settling in the United States, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Royal Academy of Drama in Spain and then studied film and television at the prestigious International School of Film & Television in Cuba, where she met many students from across Latin America. Sonia has co-directed more than fifteen multi-cam episodes for Spain’s TV networks Mediaset and TeleMadrid. She was the showrunner, writer, and director of the first online web series in Spain, GIRL SEEKS GIRL, produced by Movistar (Telefonica).
Her feature film THE KISS LIST for Marvista Entertainment has been released on HBO MAX. Her third film, THE VIRGIN OF HIGHLAND PARK, an inspirational coming-of-age story, recently premiered on Pluto TV. Her feature film FREELANCERS ANONYMOUS, produced by Full Spectrum Features in Chicago, was recognized by ReFrame and IMDbPro with the gender-parity stamp. Sonia’s first feature film DE CHICA EN CHICA, is available on Amazon Prime Video. Her commercial work includes Netflix, Google Pixel, Google Home, Disney, Tinder, Roomba, Walmart, Nature Made, and PayPal. Sonia has served as a juror for the International Emmy® Awards competition to recognize excellence in international television programming, among other Film and TV contests worldwide.
Heather Older– Writer
Heather is an Oregon based screenwriter and producer who currently serves as the Executive Director of the McMinnville Short Film Festival in McMinnville, Oregon. Her credits include ABOVE THE DESERT WITH NO NAME and the award winning short, AC. Prior to this, she wore many hats and headsets on various film productions and served as Production Coordinator for Jon Favreau's DINNER AT FIVE, as well as the Project Manager in the Entertainment and Media Division at Korn Ferry International in Los Angeles. She holds a BFA in Communications Design from Syracuse University and attended Central St. Martins in London where her concentration was storytelling through fine art photography.
Maarten Cornelis – Producer
Maarten Cornelis is an entrepreneur and an entertainment veteran with over two decades of experience in the industry. He is an award winning producer, director, light designer, actor and film festival manager.
Maarten is the CEO of Gatehouse Entertainment (http://www.gatehouse-entertainment.com/), a company focused on film and theatre productions. Past credits of the company include DINNER FOR TWO, MUSIC GARDEN, and DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. Broadway productions include “The Importance of Being Earnest(ly) LGBT+” and all FunikiJam shows. He is the co-owner of Tin Mirror Studios (https://tinmirrorstudios.com/). Tin Mirror Studios is a creative studio on a 10,000 sq. ft. movie and TV oriented campus. Located in Kings Park, NY.
Mauricio Arrioja - Producer
Born in Mexico, Mauricio's passion for film began with making homemade films. His early studies at Sorø Academy in Denmark, alma mater of famous writer Hans Christian Andersen, sparked his interest in storytelling that spans cross-cultural divides. While living in Europe, he studied diverse film movements including Dogme 95, style and lighting techniques of film noir and German Expressionism.
Mauricio brings over 10 years of television, commercial, music video, and motion picture production experience. He has worked with Viacom, Univision, NBC, ABC, CBS, The Emmy's, The TV Academy, AFI Fest, Hola Mexico Film Festival and several award-winning directors and filmmakers. Arrioja specializes in increasing office efficiency, event planning, stakeholder/vendor outreach, safety, acquiring new projects and overseeing them from development to exhibition.
He holds a B.A. in Film and Television Arts from California State University, Northridge, an A.A. in Cinema from Los Angeles City College and is actively involved with Film Independent Los Angeles and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).
Tamara Santos – Cinematographer
Tamara Santos is a cinematographer from Brazil, based in Los Angeles. An UCLA Alumini, her passion to translate storytelling into cinematic visuals led Tamara to collaborate with artists such as Mark Ronson, Ana de Armas, Gisele Bündchen, Steve Aoki among others. Most recently she worked on the Second Unit crew of Academy Award winning film NOMADLAND, directed by Chloé Zhao.
Florencia Marano– Editor
Florencia P. Marano is an Argentinian-Spanish director and editor based in Los Angeles with a 20-year career working in the film and television industry. After receiving a dual degree in Fine Arts and Film Direction in Argentina, Florencia went on to receive a master's degree in screenwriting in Spain. After finishing school, she worked as a director of TV documentaries and short films in Barcelona at both the local and international level. In 2008, she received the Generations Award from Caja Madrid- one of the most prestigious visual art grants in the country-to fund her experimental documentary LE CORPS DE MOUHMADOU, which documented the migratory route from Senegal to Spain and screened at the International Art Fair Arco '08. Her documentaries have received selection and awards at festivals internationally. Her work has also screened at museums and art galleries internationally, namely the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Reina Sofia in Madrid and the HKW in Berlin.
Nico Borromeo – Composer
Nico Borromeo is an Argentinian composer, producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. His work in film has been showcased at Sundance, Tribecca, and Slamdance festivals. His first feature film, SOLEDAD, won best picture at the Barcelona Film Festival.
Contributing to the two-time Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla and Juan Luqui's work, he participated in the Sundance-awarded documentary THE FIGHT, and the Hulu series MONSTERLAND. His relationship with Tree Adams (CALIFORNICATION, THE 100) led to co-compose for GOD & COUNTRY and to work as his assistant in NCIS: HAWAI'I, among other shows.
His previous music projects have been played on major radio stations in South and Latin America, along with millions of online streams. He also won the Soundclash Competition and was awarded Best Producer/DJ in Argentina and 2nd in the world at the Las Vegas global finale
- Runtime15:00
- LanguageSpanish, English
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
