The Self-Portrait Factory
A film workshop by Llaima Suwani
ABOUT SPF
The Self-Portrait Factory is an international film project that brings together six (6) people, with a common denominator. Each group lives a unique experience, both individually and collectively. The workshops are accessible to everyone, with or without prior experience in video production. This workshop is for anyone to tell their story, in a short film.
“As a filmmaker, my aim is to stepback and let the people represent themselves, but serve as a tool and guide through the process.” Llaima Suwani
Series Title: ALAS
Year: 2020
Duration: 37 minutes
Series: #9 in the Autorretratos series
Location: Women’s Prison in Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Description: A powerful self-portrait project created in collaboration with incarcerated women, exploring themes of freedom, identity, and resilience from within the prison walls.
Title: Matria
Year: 2016
Duration: 62 minutes
Series: #5 in the Autorretratos series
Collaborators: Matria & WIPR
Description: A powerful collection of 10 short films created by women survivors of violence. Through their own voices and stories, Matria becomes a collective self-portrait of strength, healing, and resilience in the face of trauma.
Title: Mi Rincón
Year: 2010
Duration: 48 minutes
Series: #2 in the Autorretratos series
Collaborators: Laboratorio Público
Location: Caribbean Coast, Colombia
Description: A series created with 12 children, exploring their daily lives along the Caribbean coast. Through their eyes, the film delves into themes of home, belonging, and community, capturing the essence of growing up in this vibrant coastal environment, while reflecting on nature’s rhythms and personal connections.
Series Title: In Tour with Eco D’Tour (2024)
Number of Shorts: 5
Artist Residency: Para la Naturaleza Organization
Location: Puerto Rico, 2024
Description: Young scientists in Puerto Rico share their daily lives and commitment to environmental conservation and awareness.
Title: Loíza Mía
Year: 2018
Duration: 22 minutes
Series: #7 in the Autorretratos series
Location: Boys & Girls Clubs, Loíza, Puerto Rico
Description: Created in the aftermath of Hurricane María, this self-portrait captures the voices and resilience of young people in Loíza as they navigate recovery, identity, and community through storytelling and reflection.
Title: Queer & Beyond
Year: 2012
Duration: 40 minutes
Series: #4 in the Autorretratos series
Collaborators: Ballhaus Naunynstraße
Location: Berlin, Germany
Description: A collective self-portrait exploring queer identity, migration, and belonging. Created with LGBTQ+ participants in Berlin, the film challenges dominant narratives and celebrates diverse voices at the intersection of gender, culture, and resistance.
Title: Revolución Latina
Year: 2018
Duration: 24 minutes
Series: #8 in the Autorretratos series
Location: Revolución Latina – New York en Puerto Rico
Description: A collaborative self-portrait with artists from the Revolución Latina movement, exploring cultural identity, resilience, and the power of artistic exchange between Puerto Rico and New York.
Series Title: Ensayando el Fin
Collaborators: Camila Marambio
Number of Participants: 14 ecofeminist women
Location: Tierra del Fuego
Description: Fourteen ecofeminist women from around the world come together to protect the peatlands of Tierra del Fuego—sacred, endangered lands vital to the planet’s climate and ecological balance.
Title: Refugee, Strike and Beyond
Year: 2014
Duration: 28 minutes
Series: #5 in the Autorretratos series
Collaborators: Ballhaus Naunynstraße & EPIZ
Location: Berlin, Germany
Co-directed with: Simon(e) Paetau and refugees in Berlin
Description: A collective self-portrait co-created with refugees in Berlin, this film documents the refugee protest movement and explores identity, resistance, and belonging from the perspective of those living in political and social limbo.
Title: Mi niñez en Vieques
Year: 2017
Duration: 20 minutes
Series: #6 in the Autorretratos series
Location: Boys & Girls Clubs, Vieques, Puerto Rico
Description: A self-portrait told through the eyes of children in Vieques, reflecting on their experiences, memories, and dreams—capturing the essence of childhood on an island marked by history and hope.
Title: Sin Título
Year: 2010
Duration: 15 minutes
Series: #1 in the Autorretratos series
Collaborators: Instituto Superior de Arte
Location: Cuba
Description: A reflective and intimate self-portrait, created with students from the Instituto Superior de Arte. The film explores identity, culture, and the intersection of personal and artistic expression in Cuba.
Title: Saharauis
Year: 2012
Duration: 90 minutes
Series: #3 in the Autorretratos series
Collaborators: Escuela de Cine del Sáhara
Location: Sahrawi Refugee Camps, Algeria, Africa
Description: A self-portrait documentary created in collaboration with Sahrawi youth and filmmakers, capturing life in the refugee camps of Algeria. The film reflects on exile, identity, and resistance through the voices of a stateless generation.
Contact us.
The Self-Portrait Factory
Organic Cinema
P.O. Box 00839
Aguas Buenas, 00703
Puerto Rico