madre luna

stop motion and audio composition, 00:01:44, January 2025

 madre luna is a charcoal stop-motion film that celebrates the existence of nocturnal plant and animal species in New Mexico. The moon serves as a guiding and protective force, illuminating a world where life flourishes. Through ethereal dream-like visuals and an ambient score, the film highlights the unique ecology thriving in rural New Mexico. Where indigenous and New Mexican communities have been tending to land for generations. In light of climate change and the continued erasure of indigenous people, this animation hopes to poetically remind viewers that indigenous people protect the majority of the world's biodiversity by existing.The closing scene, featuring the phrase "madre luna, where her light touches, life regains its rhythm" points to the theme of life protected by not just the moon, but by people who provide stewardship for the land. 

Written and Animated by Isabella Romero.  

Audio composed and mixed by Jaymien Perea. 

Showcased at the ARTSLAB Lunar Arts Show in January 2025.

In August 2025, “madre luna” was screened at the 2025 Madrid Film Festival, awarded “Best Animation”

Screened at the 2025 Next Gen Native Film Festival at the Lensic in Santa Fe, New Mexico.