HóPe

Written and performed by Giullianna Martinez, HóPe follows 2 interwoven storylines: a woman facing her mother’s blood cancer diagnosis and the life of Colombian revolutionary Policarpa Salavarrieta. 
1817 Nueva Granada Viceroy of Spain (now present-day Colombia)

‘La Pola’ as she was commonly known, has been living with Andrea Ricaurte de Lozano, a noblewoman whose home doubled as a center of operations in support of the revolutionary movement. She finds employment as a seamstress and works in the homes of Spanish military leaders and authorities. Undercover, she alters and mends for them while collecting valuable intelligence, revealing the names of key royalists, and recruiting Spanish royalists to join the resistance.

Present Day.

Andy struggles to accept the reality of her mother’s multiple myeloma diagnosis and takes the reins to find her treatment. She immerses herself in learning everything she can about the disease. Afraid accepting her condition will mean she’s giving up on her, she goes on a journey of exploring the differences between true acceptance and giving up. In pursuit of her mother’s healing, she unexpectedly finds her own.

In a world where uncertainty is the only certainty, we have a choice to resist or accept. HóPe inspires us to reflect on our own meaning of freedom, and the ways in which we are bound. Whether from illness, oppression or fear, freedom can come in many forms.

HóPe is a beautiful reflection on how the ancestral spirit of those who came before us, such as La Pola, lives within us, through our protagonist and in turn through her mother.

Content warning: Swearing, there will be a gunshot sound effect

Minimum age 13+       Running Time : 50 mins