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Logline

Lucca (10) faces his mother’s manic-depressive episodes with an innocent instinct to help. Determined to make the world see her as he does, he embarks on a tender, heartbreaking journey, only to realize her happiness is beyond his control.

Synopsis

“Tell me how much you love me, and I’ll be okay,” Sonia (42) says to her son, Lucca (10). Raised backstage in theaters, Lucca shares a unique and beautiful bond with his mother, who has always encouraged him to embrace emotions freely, without judgment. Their relationship, however, becomes fragile when Sonia’s manic-depressive episodes start affecting her career as an actress.

Lucca’s grandparents grow concerned about his well-being and propose separating him from Sonia. Determined to prove that his mother is not just “okay” but “perfect,” Lucca takes it upon himself to protect her. His life takes a new turn when he’s selected for his school’s Theater Club, a chance to step into the art form his mother taught him to love. Lucca starts to build connections, especially with Nina (10), while also relying on Sonia’s boyfriend Ariel (45), whom he sees as a father figure.
Ariel, overwhelmed by his inability to support Sonia in the way she needs, reluctantly steps back, leaving Lucca feeling responsible for her well-being. The roles between mother and son shift as Lucca takes on the role of caregiver, isolating them from any outside help. As Sonia’s mental health deteriorates, Lucca’s sense of stability and his new friendships begin to unravel.

In a moment of deep realization, Lucca understands that he cannot carry the burden of his mother’s struggles alone. Through the theater they both love, Lucca and Sonia come to terms with the fact that they need support beyond what they can give each other. Sonia receives the professional help she needs, and Lucca, while staying with his grandparents, embraces the truth that his mother doesn’t need to be perfect—just herself. This allows Lucca to step into his own story and find his place in a world of empathy, art, and unconditional love.

Meet the Filmmakers

Camila Zavala — Director/Writer/Producer
Camila Zavala is a Peruvian writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles. She holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University and a BA in Theater Arts and Communications. An alumna of the Sundance Creative Producing Lab and Film Independent Producing Lab, she also participated in the Coofilm Residency for Female Filmmakers in Spain. Her productions have screened at Telluride, Tribeca, Palm Springs, and other international festivals.

Camila wrote and produced The Longest Breath for Hulu and The Catch, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2020, receiving the Katherina Otto-Bernstein Production Grant, the Bertha Tamayo Grant, and the Richard Brick Award, and winning Peru’s National Short Film Award for Best Screenplay. Her short film A Hole in the Stomach premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Austin Film Festival and won the Hollywood Short Film Festival.

Camila is the CEO and founder of PLAY | Storytelling, a story studio based in Peru, dedicated to the development and production of stories across multiple platforms. She is currently in pre-production for her first feature-length film as writer/director, Dime Cuánto Me Quieres, winner of the Peruvian National Production Film Fund 2023, the Ibermedia Program Fund 2024 and the co-production forum PROYECTA.

Giancarlo Nasi — Producer
Giancarlo Nasi is a film producer, political scientist, and intellectual property lawyer. Founder and President of the Chilean Academy of Cinematic Arts, and a university professor at various film schools in Chile and abroad. Specialized in international co-productions, working with over 17 countries in more than 15 films, through his company Quijote Films in Chile. Advisor and panelist in some of the most prominent festivals worldwide, such as Rotterdam Lab, Sundance CoLab, and South by Southwest. Among his films stand out Land and Shade by César Acevedo, winner of the Camera d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Oblivion Verses by Alireza Khatami, premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival where it won the Lion for Best Screenplay, Lina from Lima by María Paz González, part of the Discovery Section of the Toronto Film Festival, and White on white by Theo Court, winner of the Lion for Best Director in the Venice Film Festival.

Enid Campos — Producer
Born in Lima, Peru in 1976, she studied Communications at the University of Lima, graduating in 1998. After gaining experience as an assistant director and working in various film and advertising productions, she took on her first general production role in 2002 with the filming of Días de Santiago, the debut feature by Josué Méndez.

Since then, she has been involved in the production of over 30 films, including many of the most significant Peruvian films of recent years: Paloma de Papel (Fabrizio Aguilar, 2003), Madeinusa (Claudia Llosa, 2005), Dioses (Josué Méndez, 2008), Paraíso (Héctor Gálvez, 2009), Climas (Enrica Pérez, 2014), Magallanes (Salvador del Solar, 2015), Retablo (Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio, 2018), and Canción sin nombre (Melina León, 2019), among others.

She has also produced international services like Oliver’s Deal (Barney Elliott, 2016) and Icaros (Leonor Caraballo & Matteo Norzi, 2016). In 2023, she has three upcoming releases: El Caso Monroy, Muerto de Risa, and Soltera Codiciada 2. She is currently in soft pre-production for Sobre el Acantilado and La Otra Orilla, and wrapping up development for Dime Cuánto Me Quieres (Camila Zavala) and El Regreso (Joanna Lombardi).

She has also produced the Netflix series Tijuana in Mexico, and three series for Movistar Latam: Un día eres joven, El día de mi suerte, and Ruido capital.

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Contact

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