PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

Prodigal Daughter

Hija Pródiga

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Filmmaker and former punk artist Mabel Valdiviezo reunites with her family in Peru after 16 years of silence, confronting haunting childhood memories, her youth in war-torn Peru, and a troubled past as an undocumented immigrant artist in the United States.

“‘Prodigal Daughter’ poignantly explores a personal migration story, family dynamics, art as therapy, and Peru's complex history.”
Jay Waltmunson
Spanish Teacher, Lakeside School, Seattle
“‘Prodigal Daughter’ poignantly explores a personal migration story, family dynamics, art as therapy, and Peru's complex history.”
Jay Waltmunson
Spanish Teacher, Lakeside School, Seattle
“A powerful portrayal linking migration and mental health —the 'Ulysses Syndrome.'”
Xotchil Castañeda
Health Initiative of the Americas, UC Berkeley
“A powerful portrayal linking migration and mental health  —the 'Ulysses Syndrome.'”
Xotchil Castañeda
Health Initiative of the Americas, UC Berkeley
“An artful and evocative film about grown-up children and their parents coming to understand and reconnect with each other.”
Jennifer Parmelee
Arts & Wellness Educator
“An artful and evocative film about grown-up children and their parents coming to understand and reconnect with each other.”
Jennifer Parmelee
Arts & Wellness Educator
“An essential viewing for anyone teaching Latino Studies, as it boldly challenges stereotypes about immigrant women.”
Adriana Briff
Educator for Students with Special Needs
“An essential viewing for anyone teaching Latino Studies, as it boldly challenges stereotypes about immigrant women.”
Adriana Briff
Educator for Students with Special Needs
“‘Prodigal Daughter’ opens conversations on mental health in farmworker families and deepens our understanding of these issues.”
Mary Johnson Rockers
NC DHHS Office of Rural Health
“‘Prodigal Daughter’ opens conversations on mental health in farmworker families and deepens our understanding of these issues.”
Mary Johnson Rockers
NC DHHS Office of Rural Health

Synopsis

Prodigal Daughter / Hija Pródiga takes a deeply personal look into the immigrant experience through the eyes of filmmaker and former punk artist Mabel Valdiviezo.

During Peru’s Fujimori dictatorship in the 1990s, Valdiviezo fled to the United States, leaving behind her family and the life she knew. After 16 years of silence, she returns to a Peru she no longer recognizes, confronting haunting childhood memories, fractured family ties, and a troubled past as an undocumented immigrant in the U.S.

Blending intimate vérité scenes with her vibrant photo-paintings and youthful animation, the documentary explores belonging, identity, mental health, and the gendered dimensions of migration.

As a woman artist grappling with the choices she was forced to make, Prodigal Daughter challenges the “good immigrant” versus “bad immigrant” narrative, revealing a nuanced and complex perspective on migration and diaspora.

Impact Campaign

Want to bring Prodigal Daughter / Hija Pródiga to your community? Screening the film with your classroom, community, or workspace, offers a powerful way to spark meaningful, emotional, and thought-provoking conversations around the issues your community cares about most.

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