A grandmother, Alma, secretly explores a new relationship online, rediscovering her identity beyond the roles of mother and grandmother. When her hidden life collides with her family, Alma faces a transformative journey of self-love, desire, and liberation.

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The short film, CAPTURADA, follows the nuanced narrative of a widow, her daughter, and granddaughter while posing the question of when is it an appropriate time to move on after the death of a spouse. The characters are relatable to many families, which makes this such an endearing film.

Alma is a bit insecure after the death of her husband, especially since she’s not sure how her daughter will react to her meeting someone new on Facebook. Her daughter is concerned for her mother’s safety, while struggling with the idea that her mother has already found someone new since her father’s death. This theme is a dynamic in many households all over the world. Many children struggle with their parents finding new relationships after a death, but for Alma’s daughter, the dynamic of their relationship is what makes this film feel natural. 

When parents get older, their adult children have a bad habit of treating them like children. Alma doesn’t appear to show any concerning health problems, yet her daughter scolds her like she’s a teenager caught breaking the rules. She is concerned for her mother’s safety on the internet, but the way she treats her causes Alma to be insecure. It’s clear that her daughter isn’t meaning to make her mother feel this way, as it is depicted through the character to come from a place of love, but Alma has to find the confidence to speak up to her own child.

It’s Alma’s granddaughter that seems to be able to understand both of the other women. Her grandmother wants to feel beautiful again, but struggles with taking photos of herself. The film ends in a sweet bonding moment as the three women join in taking the pictures. The man that Alma is talking to might be everything that her daughter is worried about, the audience doesn’t have enough information to decide. What the audience does know is that a widow is finding someone new that makes her happy and she wants the approval of her family. She doesn’t need to be treated like a child, she just needs to feel like she’s still wanted and beautiful. 

CAPTURADA is a beautiful film. It has great characters and is written in a way that the story will stick with anyone that has aging parents. The story cleverly shows every side of the story without Alma ever leaving the scene. The realistic portrayal of the themes, from internet safety to the way people treat elderly family members, makes this a remarkable film.