Synopsis

Told through the voice of a 17 year-old girl in an impressionistic style of animation, this short documentary, Leaves of K. tells the story of the violence imposed upon her, her family and the people of Nicaragua by the government of Daniel Ortega, former leader of the Sandinista Popular Revolution (1979-1989), who mutated from a rebel fighting a corrupt and repressive government into a ruthless dictator whose iron fist now causes this girl to risk her life to protest injustice.

The poetic, powerful, and personal style of animation make the drawings and memories seem at times like they were taken out of K.’s own journal. The recurrent dreamlike atmospheres in the film blur the lines between reality and dream to give her the strength and resilience she needs to survive while imprisoned.

Based on interviews conducted with ten women who participated in the 2018 civic uprising against the government, this film recurs to animation while being true to the documentary form as a way to protect K.’s real identity, her family’s, and the women who candidly shared their stories with us.