The Current Summer 20

with an outside editor, Cristina Carrasco.
Otherwise, with her husband serving as
her cinematographer, Hidalgo directed,
produced and edited all her previous work
herself. Hidalgo mentioned that in the
beginning, a new filmmaker might have to
“adapt to the realities of funding and find
ways of still getting your work done, which
often means you have to take on some of
the roles that would usually go to others.”
This can always change though, as Hidalgo
now loves working with Carrasco and is
hoping to find ways to fund collaboration
for her future films.
She’s also overcome barriers by learning
to argue for the value of her voice and
why the unique experiences she offers are
important. A strong piece of advice Hidalgo
likes to offer others in difficult positions
is to “fight for your project. Believe in
it, send it out and tell everyone about it.
Anytime it goes into a festival, make it to
the festival and show up. Be there standing
by your film. … Make sure people see it.”
It is a long and difficult process, but it is
important for a filmmaker to be their own
proponent and believe in their art. Hidalgo
has always supported and advocated for
her creations and is now an accomplished,
award-winning filmmaker. Her film,“Teta:
A Nursing Mother Tells Her Story,” has
been an official selection to 27 film festivals
in 13 countries, and it has received eight
film festival awards, including Best Short
Documentary Film at Jaipur International
Film Festival in India, South Film and Arts
Academy Film Festival in Chile, and Five
Continents International Film Festival
in Venezuela.
Hidalgo’s audience fluctuates based on
the content of her films. Her 2014 feature
“Vanishing Borders” is meant for immigrant
women, where her 2017 short “Teta” is
designed for pregnant women. Regardless
of her intended primary audience, she
always hopes that her films will sincerely
touch secondary audiences too. While her
audience can encompass a wide range of
people, her themes stay consistent.
Hidalgo mentioned three key themes across
her work: personal experiences of women,
06 SUMMER 2020