A Colombian Family

When a peace agreement between the FARC rebel movement and the Colombian government looks like it will put an end to half a century of conflicts, 30-year-old Yira visits her mother in Colombia after spending 10 years in exile in Cuba. Yira has herself become a mother and wants to give her daughter the family she never had. She confronts her mother, Ruby, with a neglected childhood in the shadow of her parents’ political struggles and persecution. She wants her mother to join her in exile in Canada, so that they can finally be together in safety. But Ruby can’t let go of her political ideals and choose her family instead. It is not just Yira’s childhood that has been sacrificed. She has also sacrificed her own life and safety to such an extent that she has to drive around in an armoured car, constantly protected by armed guards. As the peacetime death toll continues to rise, Ruby is faced with a difficult dilemma. If she chooses her daughter, she gives up on her people.

• A Colombian Family