Dulce

In a remote coastal village in Colombia, a little girl named Dulce is learning to swim. Her mother is trying to help her, but Dulce is scared and wailing inconsolably. Everyone in the village knows it’s vital to be able to swim, if only because many people in the village—and that includes Dulce and her mother—are dependent on the local cockle harvest.

With all the other kids having fun in the water, Dulce sits apprehensively on the dock. Her fear of the water is still too great, and she resists the encouragement of her girlfriends to join them. But what will she do, asks her mother, when the sea water rises up and threatens the village? Who will drown then? That’s right.

This poignant portrait captures a little girl taking a big step in life. In concise, observational scenes, it reveals an important moment of awakening in a child’s mind. Dulce realizes that, as she grows up, she has to start contributing to the community, just like everybody else. At the same time, she should be able to take care of herself in dangerous situations.