Beyond the Line

Beyond the Line is a story about sacrifice, about being displaced from those you love. A woman from Ecuador migrates to America, alone, leaving behind a four year old son. Fifteen years later, she has built a life in America, raising three first generation children who have never met their brother.

Zoila, an immigrant from Ecuador, has not seen her son in fifteen years. In her mind, she still imagines him as a four year old child.

In the years that have passed since she left him with her mother in her birthplace of Cumbe, she has remarried and given birth to three American children, who have never met their brother.

For three months we worked together to create a book for her son Sebastian, inspired by the family’s desire to connect and understand the other’s lives. The completed book included photos, corresponding messages written for Sebastian, and photos the children took with Fujifilm Disposable cameras. After the book’s completion, I traveled to Ecuador to meet Sebastian, and we created a second book with the same format to give to his mother Zoila.

The project is intended to create a portrait of South American migrant’s identity. To offer intimate insight into their sacrifices in a time of divisive rhetoric and misinformation about the motivations of those who risk their lives in search of the American Dream. The collaborative nature of the books and videos we created is founded on the family commanding control of their own portrayal. We hope that in publishing this work, people from all backgrounds can see the love they have for own children, grandchildren, parents, and their values reflected in the story of Zoila’s family.