Film on Women’s Rights in El Salvador Brings Issue to World Stage

Emmy®-Award winning director, Paula Heredia Premieres New Documentary at Oscar®-qualifying festival in Florida. “Imelda Is Not Alone” puts a spotlight on a Salvadoran teen’s Loss of Reproductive Rights and How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Change

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Heredia Pictures announced that their gripping documentary short, Imelda Is Not Alone, has been accepted to the Oscar®-qualifying 32^nd Florida International Film Festival(FIFF) and will be screening on April  18 and 21 in Winter Park, Florida. 

Imelda Is Not Alone, is the story of a teenager trapped in the complex legal system of El Salvador. After an obstetric emergency landed Imelda in a hospital, she was accused of having an abortion and arrested. A cautionary tale for countries where women’s rights are deteriorating, this film tells the real-life story of Imelda’s struggle for her freedom and the women who defended her following the rape and impregnation by her stepfather.

The film’s Executive Producer and Director is Award-winning Filmmaker Paula Heredia, a prominent voice coming from El Salvador. Previous documentaries under her helm include Animal Planet’s Toucan Nation, Africa Rising, and The Couple in the Cage which was recently acquired for the permanent audiovisual collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Paula was also honored with the ACE Eddie award for the celebrated Miramax documentary, Unzipped, and won an Emmy® for Outstanding Picture Editing: In Memoriam: New York City, 9/11/01 which aired on HBO (2002). 

Paula Heredia, stated, “Imelda, and women in her position, have truly compelling and important stories to share. My team and I documented her life closely for four years, as well as the organizations helping her to get out of prison. Audiences will be inspired by the impactful and successful actions of ordinary citizens, and national and international organizations. These stories give me hope about the future of humanity and that’s the common thread in my films.” 

Prominent activist, and character in the film, Morena Herrera added, “Vulnerable women whose reproductive rights have been stripped away is a common reality for young girls living in poverty around the world. Our wish is that this film gives insight and hope to women fighting to maintain their basic human and reproductive rights. Imelda Is Not Alone shows how ordinary people can create extraordinary change.”  

Imelda Is not alone, reflects a deeply unjust reality faced by young women living in poverty in El Salvador. This documentary film shows the path of resilience of Imelda and the support of many people who played a fundamental role in getting her freedom and in continuing the fight to change the law. 

Even though, Imelda’s fate was changed by the fearless work of organizations that support her and many other women that fall in the legal system under similar circumstances; this is a cautionary tale that can happen in any country where women’s rights are being diminished.   

Premiering at the Florida International Film Festival  LINK FIFF premiers the best in current, independent, and international cinema. Through 10 days of 160+ films, movie lovers can experience incredible films at Enzian Theater and around Central Florida.

Showtimes for Imelda Is Not Alone: 4/18 @ 4:00 PM & 4/21 @ 4:00 PM
Venue: Regal Winter Park Village, 510 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, FL, 32789
Tickets: go live on 3/22 at 7:00 PM
Trailer:  LINK 
Headshots:  Paula Heredia, Executive Producer & Director; Imelda in her jail hospital bed, Official Film Poster with Credits, Film Shooting at women’s prison with Director Paula Heredia 
Production stills: For more information, interviews with characters, director and producers, contact:
Victoria Reyes/Paula Heredia: [email protected], 1-917-838-7525

SOURCE Heredia Pictures