Film: Prodigal Daughter, Screening with Director Q&A

Saturday, 10/17/2026
2:00 - 3:00

Suitable for:

Adults

A screening of Prodigal Daughter, followed by a live conversation featuring the film's director Mabel Valdiviezo.

Space limited. Reservations required: (415) 355-2810, email bhemgr@sfpl.org or sign-up at the reference desk.

Prodigal Daughter takes a deeply personal look into the immigrant experience through the eyes of filmmaker and former punk artist Mabel Valdiviezo. Escaping Peru’s Fujimori dictatorship, Valdiviezo fled to the United States, leaving her family behind. Sixteen years later, she returns to a Peru she no longer recognizes, confronting haunting childhood memories, fractured family ties and her troubled past as an undocumented immigrant. Blending vérité scenes, vibrant photo-paintings and youthful animation, the film explores belonging, identity and the transformative power of art—challenging the “good immigrant” versus “bad immigrant” narrative.

NR, 60 mins., English & Spanish. Subtitles in English and Spanish.

This film is supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission and program activities are sponsored in part by a grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission.

#SFACfunded

Mabel Valdiviezo is an award-winning filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist who creates immersive work across film, video art, mixed media and performance. Using a poetic visual language, her work explores migration, identity, belonging and healing justice. Her documentary Prodigal Daughter has received several awards and was recently nominated for the Cinema Tropical Award for Best U.S. Latinx Film of the Year.

Connect:
Website – Prodigal Daughter
Instagram – Prodigal Daughter
Facebook – Mabel Valdiviezo
Facebook – Prodigal Daughter

Descripción en español:

Una proyección de Hija Pródiga este evento comunitario será seguido por una conversación en vivo con la directora de la película Mabel Valdiviezo.

Espacio limitado. Se requieren reservaciones: (415) 355-2810, correo electrónico bhemgr@sfpl.org o inscríbase en el mostrador de referencia.

Proyección de la película (con sesión de preguntas y respuestas)

Hija Pródiga ofrece una mirada profundamente personal a la experiencia migratoria a través de los ojos de la cineasta y ex artista punk Mabel Valdiviezo. Huyendo de la dictadura de Fujimori en Perú de los 90, Valdiviezo emigró a Estados Unidos, dejando atrás a su familia. Dieciséis años después, regresa a un Perú que ya no reconoce, enfrentándose a inquietantes recuerdos de la infancia, lazos familiares y a su turbulento pasado como inmigrante indocumentada. Combinando escenas íntimas de estilo vérité con sus vibrantes foto-pinturas y animaciones juveniles, Hija Pródiga explora el sentido de pertenencia, la identidad y el poder transformador del arte, cuestionando la narrativa del "buen inmigrante" versus el "mal inmigrante".

NR, 60 min., en inglés y español. Subtítulos en inglés y español.

Esta película cuenta con el apoyo de la Comisión de las Artes de San Francisco, y las actividades del programa están patrocinadas en parte por una subvención de la Comisión de las Artes de San Francisco.

#SFACfunded

Mabel Valdiviezo es una cineasta y artista multidisciplinaria galardonada que crea obras inmersivas en cine, videoarte, medios mixtos y performance. A través de un lenguaje visual poético, su trabajo explora la migración, la identidad, el sentido de pertenencia y la justicia sanadora. Su documental Prodigal Daughter ha recibido múltiples premios y fue recientemente nominado al Premio Cinema Tropical a la Mejor Película Latinx de EE. UU. del Año.

Conecta:

Sítio web – Hija Pródiga
Instagram – Hija Pródiga
Facebook – Mabel Valdiviezo
Facebook – Prodigal Daughter

¡VIVA!: Latinx Interest

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Latinx community.

¡VIVA! at the Library is a celebration of Latinx heritage, cultures and traditions. San Francisco has a rich Latinx heritage that is highlighted in a diverse array of exciting programs for all ages, from Spanish/bilingual storytimes to cooking classes, author talks to art and cultural presentations.

Women's Interest

Programs spotlighting women's history, rights and current issues.

HERstory is SFPL's celebration of Women's History Month, spotlighting authors, thinkers, visionaries and artists during the month of March. Program offerings are for all ages.
sfpl.org/herstory

Español/Spanish

Programa en español. Program in spoken Spanish.

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.