[OPINION] “Ojo de Ruinas”: The Memory of my First Queer Love that Inspired a Short Film

Editor's Note: This column is part of a fundraising campaign by Filmes Casa and Casa Comunitaria de Medios to produce the short film “Ojo de ruinas.”

I fell in love with another woman. I didn’t plan it; it just happened. This is my cherished memory of the first time I fell in love, some time ago. As time went by, I came to understand that it was a queer love. What I didn’t know was that this powerful memory would inspire me to write my first fictional short film titled “Ojo de ruinas”.

Just recently, I started to get into creative writing. I enjoyed crafting narratives from my most intimate memories and from my perception of them. When I was searching for a theme for a short film script, I quickly recalled the first time I felt euphoria running through my entire body as I looked into another woman’s eyes. My case, let’s say, was somewhat unique. I fell in love while I was in church, at a time when I was very devout and committed to God. Although rarely brought to light, these stories have been repeated for centuries. In my case, this event marked an awakening in my life and in my very being, as if I were undergoing a metamorphosis.

Indeed, this transformation is embodied by the main character of “Ojo de ruinas”, Carolina. Our protagonist is a devout young woman who, just days before her baptism, begins to question her feelings toward Arleene, a free-spirited adult woman. The short film explores themes of sapphic love, religious practice, and the exploration of identity during the transition from youth to adulthood. Crafting a narrative from this memory felt like a creative challenge for me, especially since it was the first time I’d written a screenplay. The magic emerged when I managed to give the characters—Carolina and Arleene—their own autonomy and  story to tell the world about queer love and desire. The story of their relationship is set in Aguirre, a neighborhood of Salinas. There, they explore their identities, searching for answers amid the ruins of an old sugar refinery.

The Central Aguirre takes on a vivid and central role in the narrative. The main characters find refuge in this historic site, turning it into a witness to their secrets.

Living in the community of Aguirre, the abandoned sugar mill became part of my afternoons, when the pink sky began to envelop the ruins. I would gaze at the sunset as I walked deeper into them. I spent a great deal of time within these structures. I imagined the stories that unfolded there during their operations in the 20th century, but I also dreamed of other stories. “Ojo de ruinas” also represents my way of inhabiting this space, through the possibility of creating and imagining tales that may never have had the chance to be told.

The community of Aguirre and its sugar mill are not only an oasis for me, but for many other people as well: families who visit on Thursday outings, fishermen who cast their lines from there, locals who pass through to observe the sea, and the grandchildren of those who worked in the sugar industry. For me, it’s important that the story took place in Aguirre and that it represents the community with dignity, along with all its wonderful southern landscapes. Many audiovisual productions have been made in Aguirre, yet it’s not made obvious they were filmed in this very place.

‍“Ojo de ruinas” names and acknowledges Aguirre, as the story of the short film is intrinsically rooted in this community.

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At the Casa Comunitaria de Medios, we understand the importance of creating alternative stories and perspectives rooted in the Global South that are not typically represented in the media. Our co-production with Filmes Casa stems from shared values, such as representing the stories of Black people, queer love, and geographically decentralized communities.

The project was made possible because, last year, I had the great opportunity to participate in La Residencia, a project incubator facilitated by the production company Filmes Casa. The program provided training and mentorship over the course of five months, culminating in the writing of this first draft of “Ojo de ruinas”.

The short film is directed by Samara Pérez Santiago, co-founder of Filmes Casa. Samara has brought the screenplay to life with her stunning audiovisual vision, grounded in a sensitive perspective on the region, highlighting the sounds of Aguirre as essential and central elements.The short film will emphasize details such as the colors, noises, and silences of this “abandoned” space, expressing the vitality of this structure and portraying it as an entity that actively listens within the narrative. In this way, it does not function as a mere backdrop, as it possesses a certain quality of omniscience, positioning it as an essential part of this story.

Both Samara and I share stories of love and queer identity, as well as of being people of color raised in a religious environment. Our shared experiences enrich the project’s creative process.

Would you like to see this short film come to life? We’re currently running a crowdfunding campaign for “Ojo de ruinas”, so we encourage you to make a contribution and help make this story a reality so we can watch it together on the big screen.

Author Coralis Cruz is passionate about writing stories based on her memories, with the aim of prompting readers to engage in profound reflection on issues such as race, gender, religion, life’s hardships, freedom, harsh realities, and spirituality.