Leche

by Jesahel Newton-Bernal
Feature Screenplay

Eighteen-year-old Alma’s purposeful and happy life is disrupted when she must cope with the shock of intrafamily sexual abuse. Alma’s love for her close-knit family forces her to maintain the facade that nothing has changed, resulting in the absolute loneliness that comes with pretending.

Born and raised in Ecuador, Jesahel Newton-Bernal is a writer/director with a love for magical realism. Her work has always been informed by her unique life experiences and cultural and artistic background. Now, having recently graduated with an MFA in Film Directing and Screenwriting from Columbia University, she is working towards developing her first feature film. Jesahel strives to use film as a means of collaborative social change, of enriching our understanding of the world and our role in it.