AMAYA
TECHNICAL::
Working Title: Amaya
Estimated Duration: 90 minutes
Genre: Drama
Country of Origin: Puerto Rico / United States
Language: Spanish
Creative Team:
Screenwriter/Director/Producer/: Bernice González Bofill
Total Estimated Budget: $1.5-$3M US
Current Project Status: Development.
LOGLINE:
Desperate to stop her family’s move from Puerto Rico to Orlando, a 12-year-old skater forms an unlikely friendship with the daughter of an undocumented Dominican woman, but as both families face different kinds of displacement, she must confront the limits of what she can hold on to.
SYNOPSIS:
In a coastal town in Puerto Rico, twelve-year-old Nichole clings to her identity as a skater and dreamer as her family prepares to move to Orlando — a future she is determined to stop. Her days revolve around humid afternoons, the local skate park, and the familiar rhythms of the place she calls home.
On the last day of school, that world is ruptured when a migrant boat capsizes off the coast. Nichole witnesses the aftermath: bodies scattered across the shoreline, lives abruptly cut short. The image lodges itself inside her, something she cannot fully process or forget.
As her family begins packing up their home, Nichole’s mother hires Angelina, a Dominican woman, to help prepare for the move. Angelina brings along her daughter, Amaya. Though initially cautious around one another, the girls form an intense bond through long afternoons of skating, wandering, and shared escapes.
Desperate to stop the move and hold onto the life slipping away from her, Nichole begins pushing against the limits around her, drawing Amaya into increasingly risky situations. A chaotic night at a teenage pool party and a frightening attempt to steal illegal fireworks bring unwanted attention neither girl can afford. Fearing the danger — and the visibility Nichole’s behavior is creating — Angelina pulls Amaya away, fracturing the girls’ friendship.
When they briefly reconnect, their bond deepens in fleeting moments of freedom and tenderness. But on the night of Nichole’s farewell party, Amaya never arrives. A federal immigration raid tears through her home, and she disappears without warning.
Overcome by grief and helplessness, Nichole detonates the stolen fireworks in a violent release of everything she cannot control. She leaves Puerto Rico carrying the imprint of a friendship that was as brief as it was transformative — and a loss she is still too young to fully understand.
DIRECTORS STATEMENT
The inspiration for writing Amaya comes from a deeply personal place. As a child, I witnessed experiences similar to those portrayed in the story. While not every detail is true, I was profoundly moved by the courage and resilience of undocumented individuals who risked everything, crossing the sea in search of a better life. Their determination left an indelible mark on me, and through Amaya, I aim to honor their struggles and the enduring hope that drives such perilous journeys.
HONORS, LABS, GRANTS, AND RECOGNITIONS
Cine Qua Non Lab Storylines 2025 participant