A new short film about self-deportation and family separation premieres in LA

On Saturday, March 14, a new short film for and by immigrants titled “Her Last Day in the U.S.” will premiere at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles. 

“Written and directed by filmmaker Armando Ibañez, the film tells the story of a 70-year-old undocumented single mother who decides to return to Mexico after nearly 40 years in the United States. The short film takes place in the course of one day in L.A., as the family and loved ones emotionally and mentally prepare to face a painful goodbye. 

The film promises to offer an intimate look at the emotional realities many immigrant families face when it comes to family separation and self-deportation.

Ibañez, who was born in Acapulco, Mexico, said this movie looks to reflect the humanity and complexities of the immigrant community, especially in the U.S., a country that he says often denies dignity to immigrants. 

“This story serves as both resistance and celebration, challenges the audience's overall perception of [immigrants] and ultimately makes people question, ‘Who is worthy of justice and happiness, and who is not?’” he said. “Through this story, I capture ‘imperfect’ immigrants who, despite the injustices and violence they face, do not give up and pursue their joy, pleasure and love. I choose to create a story to remind them how beautiful and powerful we are.”

Ibañez is also the creator behind the award-winning web series “Undocumented Tales,” which explores the lives of queer undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

In 2020, Ibañez founded Ibañez Productions with the goal to amplify stories from underrepresented communities in the U.S., while collaborating with local and national organizations, including Immigrants Rising, the Center for Cultural Power, the TransLatin@ Coalition, Familia: TQLM and Lush Cosmetics.

The 25 minute-long film was made possible through a grant that Ibañez received in 2025. The EastSide Arts Initiative grant was awarded to Ibañez to produce “Her Last Day in the U.S.”

The short film premiered at the Independent Santander Film Festival earlier this year in Colombia. 

With this film, apart from bringing light to immigrant stories, Ibañez has also focused on developing a creative team that brings representation to the communities and identities portrayed in the film. 

Intending to create meaningful opportunities for underrepresented artists, the movie's production demographics are 100% people of color, and 75% of the people behind the film are immigrants. 77% of the movie production team identify as queer and transgender and 59% of the crew are women. 

Apart from focusing solely on immigration, the film touches on topics including gender identity, addiction, mental health and survival. It was produced by​​ Bamby Salcedo, a transgender Latina activist and president and chief executive officer of the TransLatin@ Coalition. The TransLatin@ Coalition, along with The Center for Cultural, is organizing the event premiere. 

The screening of “Her Last Day in the U.S.” will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Nava Mau, the Mexican American actress known for her Emmy-nominated role as Teri in Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer.” Mau became the first transgender Latina to be nominated in that category. 

The movie screening is free with admission tickets available at herlastdayintheus.eventbrite.com.