Altares

Context

The El Mozote Massacre was one of the most severe human rights violations committed during El Salvador’s civil war. In December 1981, civilians in the rural village of El Mozote and surrounding communities were killed during a military operation—an event that was denied for years before being independently investigated and internationally documented. In 2012, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled the Salvadoran state responsible, ordering reparations, public acknowledgment of responsibility, and accountability measures for the violations committed.

As part of these reparations efforts, the Instituto Salvadoreño para el Desarrollo de la Mujer (ISDEMU)—an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights and development of Salvadoran women—commissioned a documentary focused on the lives of women affected by El Mozote. The film centers on their stories as told through surviving family members and close community voices, preserving historical memory while highlighting the long-term impact of the massacre.

Process & Outcome

We began by conducting in-depth conversations with four women without using any recording devices. This intentional decision helped build trust and ensured we fully understood the stories they wanted to tell about the massacre and the loved ones they lost.

Following these initial conversations, we traveled regularly from the city to the rural communities where the women lived, spending four days each week over a period of three consecutive months. This extended immersion allowed us to build meaningful relationships, understand their daily lives, and gain deeper cultural and environmental context before any filming took place.

Once trust was established and the narratives were clearly defined, we brought in the full production team. Filming focused on guided interviews, complemented by carefully staged, non-graphic recreated scenes that reflected the memories being shared. These scenes were designed to support the storytelling without dramatization or sensationalism.

After three months of production, the project entered an extensive six-month post-production phase, resulting in:

• 'Altares', the 80-minute feature documentary centered on the stories of six women who survived the massacre. The title references the Day of the Dead tradition across Latin America, where altars are created to honor loved ones through memory, and objects such as pictures, food, and flowers.

• Three short documentaries (under 10 minutes each), each focused on:

  • Después del Fuego, which narrates the days leading up to the massacre and its immediate aftermath.

  • Remembranzas, which reflects on the survivors’ most meaningful memories with the victims before their daily lives were altered by the civil war.

  • La última vez que la vi, a collection of short stories in which several survivors recall the last memory they have of their lost loved ones.

My Role & Contribution

Assistant Director of Photography & Principal Editor

• Collaborated closely with the Director of Photography to ensure the visual language aligned with the director’s vision, while advising on natural lighting, framing, and scene selection.

• Supported key cinematography decisions to maintain a respectful, intimate tone throughout the film.

• Served as principal editor, shaping the narrative structure and emotional pacing of both the feature documentary and short films.

• Worked in close collaboration with a co-editor, color specialist, and sound designers to ensure visual consistency, tonal balance, and clarity across all deliverables.

Reflection

This project reinforced the responsibility that comes with documenting collective trauma. It demanded patience, restraint, and a deep commitment to ethical storytelling—placing trust and human dignity above speed or spectacle. The extended immersion process reshaped how I think about narrative, emphasizing that meaningful stories emerge through empathy, care, and respect.

The experience continues to influence my approach to both design and storytelling, grounding my work in empathy, intentionality, and an awareness of the long-term impact creative decisions can have when designing products on behalf of others.