Isabel lives in a small wooden house in the Costa Rican countryside, with her two daughters and her husband. She spends most of the day attending to their needs and working on sewing orders. The little money she makes is kept in a box for her husband to manage. Her husband and family pressure her to have another child, the little boy that everyone is expecting. Between yarns and fabrics, Isabel fantasizes about designing her own clothes and opening a store. Her habits, the heat, her long hair, the insects that invade even the most intimate spaces, and the pressure of her family begin to distort Isabel’s imagination, forcing her to confront herself, her environment and her family.

“The filmmaker leads her audience on an exploration of society, family and female sexuality, presenting a beautifully intricate and yet recognisable story of growth and empowerment.” (theupcoming.co.uk)

More information: https://www.figafilms.com/el-despertar-de-las-hormigas

Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, born in San José/Costa Rica in 1986, has a Bachelor in Media Management and a degree in Audiovisual Production at the University of Costa Rica. During her professional development, she showed strong inclination for the visual arts. In 2015, she began the transmedia project HORMIGAS, which seeks to explore sexuality in the vital stages of women. In 2016, she premiered the project’s short film, LA NIÑEZ, which participated in festivals in ten countries, won the Award for Best Central American Short Film at Festival Ícaro 2018 in El Salvador and was acquired by Central American, Antilles and USA television stations. Her first feature film HORMIGAS premiered in the “Forum” section of the Berlin International Film Festival 2019 in Germany.