“Don’t end up alone like I did.” Tatiana is haunted by this plea from her late grandmother, Teresa. Now a single, 40-year-old documentary filmmaker filled with questions about what it means to not end up alone, Tatiana explores Teresa’s life and creates a portrait of an imposing woman who owned an iconic movie theater, divorced three times, and challenged the Dominican social norms of her era. This journey through family archives, old films, and hundreds of letters, constructs—and deconstructs—a story about love, expectations, and solitude.

I am my Grandma’s Granddaughter was supported through the 2023 Research & Development Grant.