Diego Contreras Reflects on the Immigrant Experience in Short Film 'LAMENTO'

Director Diego Contreras returns to his roots with LAMENTO, a poetic reflection on time, memory, the immigrant journey, and the looming impact of climate change. The film stars Grammy-winning artist Gaby Moreno and actor Tony Revolori (SPIDER-MAN, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL).

Set in the abandoned ruins of Turicentro Likin - a once-popular Guatemalan beach resort now partially reclaimed by the sea - LAMENTO follows Moreno who plays a woman returning to a place from her childhood, now nearly gone, as she attempts to preserve what’s left before it disappears completely. She's joined by a quiet fisherman (Revolori)and a hovering drone-like companion, Finitor, who helps digitally capture the memories of the place.

As a Guatemalan immigrant who moved to the US over 20 years ago to pursue filmmaking, Diegos has always wanted to tell stories from the place that shaped him. The film was inspired by childhood memories of visiting Turicentro Likin with his family in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. When he shared the script with Moreno, she revealed she had similar memories of the same beach. That connection helped shape the collaboration and emotional depth of the project.

The film opens in Los Angeles, where Moreno’s character has built a new life - but her heart is still in Guatemala. As the story unfolds, she and Finitor digitally reconstruct the beach resort’s remains and bring them back to LA in the form of a 3D-printed model. For Contreras, that final image is about holding on to the places and stories that shape us, even as we move forward.

“Turicentro Likin, to me, is more than just a place,” Diego says. “ It’s a symbol of home,
family, culture - the essence of who we are. As time passes, those memories eventually fade. LAMENTO is about preserving them before they disappear.”

Despite its small scale, LAMENTO is technically ambitious, blending natural light, practical location work, aerial photography, and detailed visual effects. Contreras wrote and directed the film. He also composed the original score and coloured the film, as well as co-edited along with Sabra Stratton from Cabin Edit. Collaborators Ernesto Abrego (co-director), Jon Chema (cinematography) and Parliament VFX teamed up to bring the vision to life.

Gaby was fully immersed in the process. “She climbed crumbling buildings, woke up before dawn for a week straight, and navigated boats through mangroves in the heat - all in the name of storytelling,” Contreras says. “Her commitment matched the emotional weight of the film.”

Gaby Moreno adds, “Lamento is a deeply personal story to me - a tribute to the places and
memories that shape us, even as time and distance pull them away. Having left Guatemala over two decades ago to build a life and career in music in the US, I know the feeling of being caught between two worlds, of chasing new dreams while holding on to the echoes of home. This musical short film is my way of honouring that immigrant journey and capturing the beauty of all that’s been left behind.”

LAMENTO has already been recognised on the festival circuit, winning Best Sci-Fi, Best
Cinematography, and Best VFX at Indie Short Fest LA. It has also screened at Venice Shorts, Absurd Film Festival Milano, Yeti Film Festival in Iceland, and others.