First Winter is an Official Selection at the MY HERO International Film Festival

In First Winter, a short animated film directed by Schantelle Alonzo, Ángel is a newly arrived immigrant experiencing his first winter in Chicago. As he navigates the unfamiliar landscape, he begins to understand what it might mean to be far from home for a very long time.

Drawing on her own family's immigration story, Alonzo explores the feelings of displacement, nostalgia and uncertainty that can accompany starting a new life in another country.

About the Director

Schantelle Alonzo

Schantelle Alonzo is a 2D animator and story artist based in Chicago, Illinois. A half-deaf Filipina-American, she is interested in telling stories that reflect the experiences of immigrants and other underrepresented communities. Her work has led to a TEDx talk, an interview on NPR and coverage in the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times and Chicago Reader. She graduated with a BFA in Animation from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she created six short films. Through her work, she hopes to tell stories that inspire a kinder world.

An Interview with Schantelle Alonzo

What inspired you to make First Winter? Your grandmother's story and your parents' experiences seem to have played an important part.

I grew up in a predominantly immigrant neighbourhood in Chicago, so I always knew I wanted to incorporate my community into my films, especially my graduation film at the School of Visual Arts.

During my junior year, I took an ethnography class and interviewed my dad about my grandmother's immigration journey. He spoke about adjusting to life in Chicago after growing up on the warm, tropical islands of the Philippines. Although he appreciated the opportunities living here had given him, he also expressed a deep longing for his home country.

At the time, the US was seeing a large influx of newly arrived migrants, and schools in my neighbourhood were welcoming many young children who had made this life-changing journey. My best friend was teaching theatre to some of these children in Spanish, and our conversations made me think about how art can communicate feelings that are otherwise difficult to express.

First Winter draws on my parents' experiences, told through the perspective of children experiencing migration today. Animation felt like a natural fit, combining my interests in visual art and theatre. It also gives you complete control over the setting, characters and visual details, allowing you to shape the emotions you want the audience to feel.

Ángel is experiencing his first winter in Chicago, but the film is about much more than adjusting to the cold. What does winter represent for him?

Winter is a colourless, unfamiliar landscape for Ángel. It represents everything he has left behind. When he chases the bus, it gives him a sense of being able to take action and go somewhere on his own terms.

When a family migrates, it isn't always by choice, particularly for the children. Winter becomes a reminder of a new landscape and lifestyle that Ángel has to learn to adapt to, whether he wants to or not.

Winter changes your daily routine, especially in Chicago. You have to learn to layer your clothes, you can't play outside for very long or go swimming, and if you're newly arrived, you may not even have gloves, hats or coats. At the same time, it's something that everyone around him has to adjust to as well.

You drew inspiration from conversations with your parents and from children arriving in Chicago from Central America. What did you learn from these experiences, and how did they influence Ángel's story?

These children are incredibly resilient. Many recognise that what they went through was hard and frightening. They spoke about crossing the Darién Gap and seeing dead bodies. Then, as soon as they arrive in Chicago, the harsh winter weather approaches.

Ángel could be coming from a long journey during which he's seen some difficult things, and I wanted to explore his nostalgia for an easier time. The way nostalgia is represented in the film was particularly inspired by how my parents described home: the warm sun, the red earth and the juicy mangoes.

Some of the children used theatre to express their experiences, which inspired the idea of Ángel using art to communicate something deeper than words.

As a Filipina-American artist, you're particularly interested in telling stories from underrepresented communities. How important is representation in animation, and what do you hope audiences take away from seeing these experiences on screen?

Absolutely important. When I was in high school, I was part of a social justice theatre company that translated the stories of immigrants and refugees into performance art. I found it incredibly moving and discovered the power a personal story can have to change minds.

Immigrants are just one of many underrepresented communities in animation, with a whole treasure trove of stories that can expand our perspectives. At a time when so much art feels as though it's being regurgitated in a closed loop, I want to challenge my storytelling and bring something fresh to the mix.

Seeing films such as In the Heights and The Breadwinner tell earnest stories about underrepresented communities through adventurous art really opened my mind. I hope to show audiences that their own experiences deserve a stage, too.

What do you hope viewers, particularly young people who may have experienced moving to a new country themselves, take away from First Winter?

That they are not the first, and they will not be the last. Fear and negative feelings can make you feel isolated, but it's important to remember that every feeling, both good and bad, has been experienced before, and has been survived. You're not alone, and you will survive.

My dad put it best during our interview: migration is not new. It's a cycle of human nature. If there's a better opportunity somewhere else, you move there. The same was true for Irish and German immigrants in the 1800s.

Today, migration is made more complex by country lines, capacities and borders. But at the end of the day, migration is not new. It's a natural chapter of the human story. You are part of it, and that's beautiful.

About the MY HERO International Film Festival:

The MY HERO Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing films that celebrate the power of the human spirit. The festival provides a platform for filmmakers to share inspirational stories of everyday heroes. Thanks to generous sponsors, prizes are awarded to elementary, middle school, high school, college and professionals in a variety of categories, including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more.

The festival aims to inspire audiences to recognize the heroism in their own lives and encourage positive actions in their communities. Learn more.