Inspired by interviews with undocumented immigrants from Latin America living in New York, Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes) takes the form of a fandango, a community celebration where stories are brought to life through live performance, music, and dance. On the eve of city-wide ICE raids, a group of immigrants gather in an undisclosed community center in NYC for a fandango. As fear encroaches — fear for family left behind in their home countries, fear for loved ones in the middle of their dangerous journey to New York, fear of leaving the sanctuary of the community center simply to get a bag of ice — a sense of camaraderie builds between the participants. Strangers become friends, friends become family, and the fandango plays on.
Photo Credit: Maria Baranova