This is Alma Editorial’s youngest collaboration to come out of this time of quarantine. We’re very grateful to Lorenza Ybarra for sharing this emotional and significant experience through her beautiful short film, Somnium.
Just like everybody else, I have smiled, I have cried, I have shouted, I have shone, I have lived inexplicable things, but I have never experienced anything like what we’re going through now. This pandemic has taken many things away from me but all in exchange for something else; it has taught me a lot.
In March when all this started I felt totally lost, the only thing I wanted was to be with my friends and family. I had so much free time that I could have travelled the world. Until I decided to do something. I decided to search for myself. I looked everywhere until I did it.
I started this project with the simple purpose of getting a good grade at school, but during the process I realised that it meant much more. Through this short film I learned to express myself, I told my experience of the pandemic, how I felt trapped between four walls and how my dreams helped me out. In my dreams I was free and it took me a while to realise that in reality, I’m also free.
The title is Somnium which is Latin for ‘dream’. I decided to put it in another language for the simple magic of not knowing what will happen. My sister acted and I directed and operated the camera.
Now that I have the opportunity to show it, I love being able to convey my feelings about this pandemic and my goal is to help us live every second, to not lose anything as a result of being isolated. Because after this I’ll be able to say that I have lived much more than I ever imagined.
