← Return to PROJECTS
Julián De La Chica:
Dora
Release: Oct 30, 2023
Conceptualized, written, and directed by Julián De La Chica, Dora is an intimate and unflinching meditation on identity, survival, and life at the invisible margins of society. Set in Queens, New York, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film follows the emotional and psychological unraveling of a Latina immigrant and her trans partner as their already fragile existence is pushed to the brink.
Told through a raw and poetic lens, Dora reveals the quiet violence of otherness—the condition of being perceived as foreign, inconvenient, or disposable—and how crisis sharpens the fractures embedded in systems of privilege. With minimalist dialogue and stark, contemplative imagery, the film invites us into a space of silence, alienation, and unspoken truth.
The music of Dora is based on Los Silencios Fatuos, Op. 16—a piano cycle composed and performed by De La Chica himself. Hauntingly sparse and emotionally nuanced, the score becomes an inner voice in the film’s narrative, articulating what the characters cannot say and underscoring moments of intimacy, longing, and quiet devastation.
Widely praised for its experimental vision and emotional resonance, Dora has been selected by over thirty international film festivals and has received more than sixteen awards, including Best Experimental Film, Best Soundtrack, Best Actress, and Best Composer. It stands as a haunting portrait of love, identity, and the unseen battles waged in the shadows of crisis.
Dora on IMDb
Official TRAILER
Watch Dora on AMAZON PRIME
“Julián De La Chica has made a potent film, one that works on several levels simultaneously. Visually poignant, thematically relevant and artistically creative, Dora is a winner.”
— FiFF London
Synopsis
Dora, a young aspiring hairdresser from Colombia living in Queens (NY), suddenly finds herself at the heart of the pandemic’s epicenter. Alongside her trans lover, Ernestina, Dora searches for a way to survive in a city that relentlessly overlooks its most vulnerable residents. As the crisis unfolds, the two women take refuge together in Ernestina’s apartment, watching the world through their window as the once vibrant city that never sleeps succumbs to an eerie, deafening stillness—and their dreams are put on hold.
Dora & Ernestina
Photo by Julián De La Chica
Film NOTES
Set against the backdrop of Queens, New York during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dora is a meditation on isolation, resilience, and invisible lives. The film centers on Dora, a young Colombian immigrant with aspirations of becoming a hairdresser, and Ernestina, her trans lover and roommate. As the pandemic unfolds, the apartment they share becomes both a sanctuary and a confining space—a place where dreams are suspended, and silence grows louder than the city's usual chaos.
Through intimate framing, minimal dialogue, and a haunting score, Dora explores how crisis reveals the fractures in society—particularly for queer, immigrant, and working-class communities. The film does not sensationalize suffering; rather, it lingers on moments of stillness, glances, and gestures that speak volumes.
Dora is ultimately a love letter to survival, to the quiet acts of care between those the world often forgets. It asks us to reconsider who we see, who we ignore, and how much strength exists in simply staying.
Carolina Aponte &
Julián De La Chica
Photo by Junting Zhou
Carolina Aponte
Photo by Junting Zhou
The CREW
Written, directed by Julián De La Chica
Director of Photography Junting Zhou
Sound Ian Hunter
Assistant of Cam Bryan Berrios
Produced by Irreverence Group Music
Carolina Aponte as Dora
Ernesto Linnemann as Ernestina
Rocco Ancarola as Stefano
& the Special Appearance of Ramiro Meneses as Federico
The Music
The score for Dora, composed by Julián De La Chica, is as much a character in the film as Dora and Ernestina themselves. Brilliantly incorporating selections from his recent album Silencios Fatuos, Op. 16, De La Chica lets the deeply nuanced music speak for itself, underscoring the emotional weight of isolation in this 30-minute snapshot of love and sexuality, loss and despair.
Minimalist and haunting, the music follows the emotional rhythm of the story—sometimes as a whisper, sometimes as an aching cry—guiding the viewer through the silence of lockdown and the unspoken tensions between the characters. It’s not just accompaniment; it’s the invisible thread that ties together longing, vulnerability, and hope.
Listening to Silencio Fatuo, Op. 16, No. 5
The music has been recognized internationally, winning Best Original Score at the Athens International Art Film Festival and Best Composer at the Phoenix Shorts Film Festival, praised for its emotional clarity and unique compositional voice. It stands as an essential element in the film’s evocative storytelling.
Festivals & AWARDS
Official Selection
Amsterdam Short Film Festival
Barcelona Indie Filmmakers Festival
Berlin Flash Film Festival
Cinalfama Film Observatory
Chicago Indie Film Awards
Hollywood Best Indie Film Awards
Madrid Indie Film Festival
Montreal Independent Film Festival
Rome Prisma Film Awards
Toronto Film Awards
Finalist / Semi Finalist
Berlin International ART Film Festival – Semi Finalist
Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest Chicago – Semi Finalist Best Narrative Short
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival – Semi Finalist Best Actress
Rotterdam Independent Film Festival – Semi Finalist Best Actress
Rotterdam Independent Film Festival – Semi Finalist Best LGBT Film
San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival – Semi Finalist Best LGBT Film
Sweden Film Awards – Semi Finalist Best LGBT Film
Honorable Mention
New York Movie Awards – Honorable Mention
Winner
Athens International Art Film Festival – Winner Best Experimental Film
Athens International Art Film Festival – Winner Best Original Score
Austin International Art Festival – Winner Best LGBT Film
FIFF LONDON – Winner Best Actress
FIFF LONDON – Winner Best LGBT Film
Florence Film Awards – Winner Best LGBT Film
Lebanese Independent Film Festival – Winner Diversity Special Award
London Independent Film Awards – Winner Best Actress
London Movie Awards – Winner Best Experimental Film
Paris International Short Festival – Winner Best LGBT Short Film
Phoenix Shorts Film Festival – Winner Best Composer
Rome International Movie Awards – Winner Best LGBT Film
The IndieFest Film Awards – Award of Recognition LGBTQ+
Vesuvius International Film Festival – Winner Best Actress
Vesuvius International Film Festival – Winner Best Original Score
Vesuvius International Film Festival – Winner Best LGBT Film
The DIRECTOR
Julián De La Chica
Photo by Junting Zhou
Praised for his "meditative simplicity" [The New Yorker Magazine] described as "an extraordinarily deep thinker... able to take a listener into mysterious byways using very slender means" [Music Trust], and noted for his "spare and pensive" music [NewSounds], Julián De La Chica is an award—winning Colombian multidisciplinary artist and author (AWA), based in Brooklyn, NY. His influences range from minimalism and post—minimalism to the alternative electronic scene. His work often juxtaposes spiritual reflection with an exploration of humanity’s inner darkness, drawing inspiration from everyday images. His music mixes piano, strings, and classical voices with electronic keyboards and controllers, crossing genres from classical to ambient and electronic music. With a discography that includes six solo albums and over eighteen collaborative projects (between singles and albums), De La Chica’s music has been recorded and performed by artists worldwide and has been featured on Spotify’s Classical New Releases playlist. His work has also premiered at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Berliner Philharmoniker, and the Real Academia de Bellas Artes in Madrid.
Polaroids
by Junting Zhou
Press & LINKS
Review by FIFF London
Review by Rome Independent Film