Private Project

Mateo's Story

"La Historia de Mateo" follows a family from Central America fleeing deadly gang violence with their two small children. When legally seeking asylum, one-year-old Mateo is separated from his father by U.S. immigration. Suddenly a journey to safety turns into a journey of trauma, fear and irreparable damage.

  • Malona P. Badelt
    Director
  • Malona P. Badelt
    Writer
  • Malona P. Badelt
    Producer
  • Erika Pinheiro
    Key Cast
    "Herself"
  • Olivia Caceres
    Key Cast
    "Herself"
  • Jose Demar Fuentes
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    La Historia de Mateo
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Drama, Journalism
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 7, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Mexico, United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Austin Film Festival
    Austin, Texas
    October 27, 2019
    North American Premiere
    Competition
Director Biography - Malona P. Badelt

Malona P. Badelt is an award-winning filmmaker who was born in Northern Germany. She received a B.A. in Sociology, with a minor in Film Studies from Smith College in 2002, and an M.F.A. in Producing and Directing from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California in 2005. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide, including Tribeca, Santa Barbara, and Sydney International Film Festival, among many others. She is married to film composer Klaus Badelt (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) and lives with her family in Los Angeles, California.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Whatever one’s position on immigration: families must not be separated. Children must not be taken from parents seeking safety. Deliberately enforcing pain on children and their parents as a political tool crosses the line to authoritarian tactics.

While this journey might be brutally honest at times, it is one that makes our respect for the fragility of human life come into sharp focus. The deeply personal, and thus universal, impact of institutionalized family separation we witness firsthand are not to numb, but to empower, and challenge the rise of man made tragedies in democracies through the lens of the most vulnerable.

Now is the time that we have a chance to capture a dark history unfolding in front of our eyes. It is now that we can make sure that what is being done will not go unseen. By not looking away, but shining our light on these crimes might even alleviate the grade of darkness it could potentially bear.