“Sisters” is an intimate journey, both emotional and geographical. This documentary short was born from a whisper — an intuition I couldn’t ignore — that somewhere in the world, I had a sister I had never met. That quiet, persistent feeling evolved into a quest, and ultimately, a life-changing reunion.
This film is not just about the discovery of a sibling; it’s about navigating the unknown, following signs, and trusting the power of instinct and human connection. Using layered visuals, textured sound design, and evocative music, I structured the film to mirror the way I uncovered the truth — piece by piece, clue by clue. Each revelation pulled me closer to Cecilia, a woman whose name and existence had long been absent from my life, yet somehow always felt just beneath the surface.
My journey took me from the familiar streets of Vancouver to the vibrant, chaotic heart of Caracas where, in a modest restaurant, I finally met Cecilia face to face. We sat in mutual, nervous anticipation, trying to understand what it means to become sisters in a single moment after a lifetime apart.
In uncovering Cecilia’s story, I also found myself re-evaluating my own. Making this film led me to a difficult realization: my father, though present in my childhood, had always felt just out of reach. He worked long hours and passed away young, and it wasn’t until I began this journey that I fully understood how absent he had been from my emotional life. This quiet absence mirrored the space where Cecilia should have been—and brought to the surface questions I had never dared to ask. At 94, my mother became the one I had to gently, yet urgently, confront. How had Cecilia remained a secret? How had no one known?
Alongside this reckoning, I came to recognize something quietly powerful — that throughout my life, my closest girlfriends had been my sisters. They had carried me through heartbreak and doubt, celebrated my joys, and given me the space to grow without judgment. Their presence, once simply cherished, now felt profound. In their love, I had unknowingly been gathering pieces of the sisterhood I was missing all along.
