My connection to Sheep and Wolves (Ovejas y Lobos) has evolved a lot since I wrote the first draft five years ago. I originally thought the film was about the Peruvian internal conflict or the pain of leaving home—both important themes. But in the edit room, something more personal began to surface. I realized the story echoed my own experience. As a child, I was surrounded by love and affection from my mother, but I didn’t always feel heard.

When Felix disappears, it felt painfully familiar. Rosa’s refusal to listen sets off a series of consequences that push her to the edge. As she fights to bring her son back, I saw myself in both of them—the lonely son and the desperate parent. I realized I was making this film in the hope that my mother might finally understand what I couldn’t express. In the final moments between Rosa and Felix, something shifted in me. I was finally able to forgive my own mother, because she loved me the best way she could.