Dear Soul: A Short Film Anthology
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully let go of things not meant for you.
The pandemic became a season of loss and longing.
The quiet moments we once shared, with ourselves, with the people we hold dear, with the living pulse of the world were forever altered.
In the midst of tragedy, war, and death, our souls have grown more intricate, layered with unseen defenses. We have taught ourselves to keep moving, to work, to learn, to live, while carrying the weight of grief.
This endurance has a name: resilience.
But perhaps, hidden beneath those layers of protection, we are also discovering a different lesson:
how to love in the presence of pain.
The stories of our ancestors, our families, and our generations whisper the same truth: persevere.
Dear Soul is our love letter to the human spirit—to its resilience, its sacrifice, and its irreducible individuality.
A short film anthology. This is Dear Soul.
Episode One was honored with selection for Film Diary NYC’s Winter Film Festival, January 2024.
Full Film Series
Watch the trailers
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Artist Statement
Gabriela Peralta is a Colombian-American New Media Artist based in NYC.
She’s an animator, filmmaker, and spoken word performer who offers a glimpse into her Colombian culture, passion for family, and individual identity in a world where vulnerability and emotion are rare in a digital age. She uses her story and experiences as a young woman to inspire the next generation of creatives to be resilient, love the skin they’re in, and advocate for social justice and change.
Her work creates a perception and understanding of human identity that produces a connection of emotional intimacy that is mediated by a screen, a bridge that unites openness and emotion in intergenerational storytelling. Her first animatic was a deep dive into animation, a love letter to her younger self who grew up as a plus-size Latina in the wake of the body neutrality movement.
She uses spoken word as an instrument, the timbre of her voice engaging minds and spaces to foster conversation, spark audience interactions, and serve as a reminder that you’re truly not alone, and that your story deserves to be shared.