Documentary premiere "Cobijo" in Barcelona

LGBTQ+ Cobijo, Survival and Refuge in Central America, arrives in Barcelona!

The documentary Cobijo, directed by Adrián Silvestre, will premiere in Spain as part of DocsBarcelona on May 8, after its run at international festivals such as Thessaloniki and Guadalajara.

The film focuses on the reality of LGBTQ+ people forcibly displaced in Central America, highlighting the human rights violations they suffer and the processes of rebuilding their lives in refugee contexts.

After being expelled from their countries of origin and deported in their attempt to reach the United States, four young LGBTQ+ people find refuge in a Cobijo in Guatemala City. In this safe space —marked by precariousness, but also by solidarity— they rebuild their lives amidst fear, resilience, and hope. Cobijo portrays this process, both intimate and collective, showing how spaces of transit can also become places of belonging.

The documentary is part of the international cooperation project "We Fight for the Rights of LGBTQ+ People in Catalonia and Central America," promoted by ACPP and ACATHI, which combines research, awareness-raising, and social action to denounce the structural violence affecting this community. After screening at festivals such as Thessaloniki and Guadalajara (Mexico), it will premiere in the Docs&Cat section of DocsBarcelona on May 8 and 14.

Sessions:

• Friday, May 8 | 6:30 p.m. | Renoir Floridablanca (with a discussion afterwards).
• Thursday, May 14 | 8:30 p.m. | Texas Space.

The film was born from a desire to reflect on the human rights violations experienced by the LGBTQ+ community in contexts of violence and discrimination in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. "Cobijo (Cobijo) arose from the need to listen to and support stories that are almost never present in the public narrative," explains director Adrián Silvestre. Similarly, Rodrigo Araneda, president of ACATHI, emphasizes: "This documentary reflects realities we see daily in our work with LGBTQ+ refugees."

Cobijo is the result of a research and fieldwork process that has allowed us to understand firsthand the vulnerability of the group: the lack of access to justice, the increase in social violence and the migratory consequences of forced displacements due to identity or sexual orientation.

The director: Adrián Silvestre

Adrián Silvestre is a Valencian filmmaker based in Barcelona. A graduate in Audiovisual Communication from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), in Film Directing from the ECAM Film School, and with a master's degree in Contemporary Art History from the Reina Sofía National Art Museum (MNCARS), his work lies at the intersection of fiction and documentary. He regularly works with non-professional actors, drawing on his own experiences.

His films have been selected for international festivals such as Rotterdam, San Sebastián, BFI London, Seattle, Outfest Los Angeles or Palm Springs, and have received various awards, including the Feroz Award, the FIPRESCI International Critics' Prize or the Jury Prize in Thessaloniki and DocsBarcelona.

Cobijo is her most recent work, following projects such as Thy Will Be Done (2024), My Emptiness and I (2022), Sediments (2021) and The Loving Objects (2016).

About ACPP

ACPP is a platform made up of people committed to building a more just, dignified, and equitable world. It operates both locally and globally, addressing challenges that transcend borders with the aim of transforming the structures that generate inequality. Its work combines international cooperation, community engagement, and public awareness campaigns, always from an independent, progressive, and secular perspective.

About ACATHI

ACATHI works to support and promote equality for LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees. Through services, activism, and education, it promotes their safety, well-being, and the full exercise of their human rights.

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