info
/
CLARA
TECHNICAL::
Working Title: Clara
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: $3-$10M US
Current Project Status: Development.
LOGLINE:
During a devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico, a young horse trainer must confront her murderous uncle who returns after 20 years in prison to steal her prized mare and newborn foal, forcing her to face the tragic truth about her parents' deaths while fighting to protect everything she loves.
SYNOPSIS:
The screenplay follows Clara, a young horse trainer whose peaceful life is shattered when Toño, her uncle who murdered her parents 20 years ago, is released from prison. During a devastating hurricane, Toño returns to claim Luna, a valuable pregnant mare, and her newborn foal. Clara, along with her lover Diego, fights to protect the horses while confronting the dark secrets of her past. The story culminates in a violent showdown at the stables during the peak of the storm, where Diego sacrifices himself to help Clara defeat Toño. In the aftermath, Clara finds the horses safely hidden in a cave that holds memories of her parents, and leads them toward a new beginning, carrying both grief and hope as she moves forward. The screenplay weaves themes of family legacy, revenge, redemption, and the unbreakable bond between humans and horses against the backdrop of a Puerto Rican mountain town.
DIRECTORS STATEMENT
Clara is a story about the unseen battles that shape us, the legacies we fight to protect, and the forces that seek to tear them apart. At its core, this film is a meditation on the struggles between resilience and fragility, the pull of heritage and the weight of history. Through Clara’s journey, we are invited to reflect on what it means to hold on to a place and identity that feels both steadfast and precarious.
The farm, surrounded by natural beauty and battered by storms, is more than just land—it embodies the idea of home, legacy, and the stories passed down through generations. Clara’s battle to defend it echoes the enduring struggle to preserve what is sacred in the face of relentless external forces that threaten to strip it away.
Toño’s presence is a manifestation of past shadows that resurface, embodying greed, power, and the erasure of connection. The hurricane, in all its chaos, becomes a living symbol of upheaval, the storms that test not only structures but spirits. Yet amidst the destruction, there are whispers of rebirth, of rediscovery, and of the hidden strength found in facing what has long been avoided.
The horses, powerful yet vulnerable, carry the essence of identity and spirit. Clara’s fierce devotion to them is not just protection—it is defiance, a stand against the theft of what is most vital. And within the depths of the cave, a sanctuary holds memories that refuse to be forgotten, safeguarding fragments of a past that yearns to be reclaimed.
Ultimately, Clara is a journey of revelation, exploring how internal and external conflicts mirror one another and how true courage lies in confronting them. It is about the quiet, unyielding power of holding on. Through Clara, we glimpse the timeless dance between survival and surrender, and the hope that endures when the storm passes. This film seeks to remind us that even when tested by the fiercest trials, what remains are the bonds, the memories, and the unwavering will to rebuild.