Private Project

Melina Turns One Hundred

Left behind amid a mass exodus, Melina, a girl in her twenties,
has one wish for her birthday: a new best friend. But the apocalyptic crisis plaguing her city once again threatens to ruin her last attempt to reclaim her stolen youth before she emigrates.

  • Mariana Rena
    Director
  • Luis Bremo
    Writer
  • Luis Bremo
    Producer
  • Sophia Bremo
    Producer
  • Mariana Rena
    Key Cast
    "Melina"
  • Michelle Farah
    Key Cast
    "Andrea"
  • Camilo Rodríguez Pérez
    Director of Photography
  • Fabiola Valente
    Executive Producers
  • Víctor Mayol
    Executive Producers
  • Valentina Misel
    Editing
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Melina cumple cien años
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 18, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Panama
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3 & 16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mariana Rena

Mariana Rena is a Venezuelan filmmaker & actress based in Madrid. Passionate about the performing arts since her childhood in Panama, she began her training in Dramatic Art, focusing her career in theater. Exploring more ways of experimenting with art, she discovered the empowerment of telling stories through film.

She graduated in Screenwriting, Editing, and Film Directing at Septima Ars School in Madrid. Since then, she has participated in a variety of audiovisual projects in Spain as Script Supervisor and Editor. "Melina Turns One Hundred" is her first film as a director and lead cast.

She is the founder of Vulvatown, a digital community about female sexuality and its taboos.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a filmmaker from Venezuela, this movie reminds me of the challenges people face in a country plagued by despair. In the midst of an exodus, where hopes seem distant and unattainable, Melina's story captures the harsh realities experienced by many Venezuelans and people of various nationalities.

She could be anyone—someone you met at a party, a neighbor, a childhood friend, a cousin, or even you. "Melina turns 100" exposes the reality that many among us face, and the ever-present fear that looms over us. This fear isn't some distant threat; it's here, gripping us with a chilling intensity.

The pain of losing family, the vulnerability that this brings in a country where power is more important than laws, the imprisonment and torture for fighting for your country, and the heartbreak when a loved one settles for a loveless existence—all for the sake of survival.

Melina embodies the essence of moral resistance against the country's social order, yet she carries the burden of the consequences we all fear. She's in a country that's remained stagnant since the late '90s, and opting for the 4:3 frame was the most fitting way to depict her life. It's a visual metaphor– confined, constrained, and suffocating. Yet, even in her challenging life, hope endures… And that’s what made me love this project.

As a filmmaker, I'm driven to tell raw stories, but always showing that little thing that keeps us going. And coming from a country of struggles, that’s the way I was taught to look at life—hard, challenging, hopeful, and beautiful.