Our Story

Hi!  I'm Sandra Salas (writer/director).  Me and and my producer Stephanie Watanabe embarked on an adventure together in June 2009 to make an important feature documentary film, Recovering Irma.

Recovering Irma is a personal story about my familys journey to stop the cycle in the aftermath of domestic violence homicide.  

On June 5^th1995, my dad killed my mom and killed himself. My mom, Irma, was the heart and soul of our family and it was devastating when my dad killed her.  

Last year when my nephew Lorenzo called me and told me he had to attend anger management class because of a domestic dispute between him and his wife, my stomach sank and I thought to myself, just when does the cycle end? and I realized I didnt have the answer. At that moment, I made a decision to do something about it.

As a result, my nephew and I are taking a road trip from San Francisco to my parents hometown of El Paso. Along the way, were interviewing the people my mom loved and visiting her favorite places. Since, my mom truly loved my dad; were going to get to know him better too.

Were also meeting with perpetrators, survivors, & domestic violence experts and as the road trip unfolds my nephew will quickly discover this journey is a chance to see what he could become if he doesnt change. My hope is by going back to where it all began; well have a chance to be set free.

 

The Impact

Domestic violence is a worldwide pandemic.  The most recent numbers suggest that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.  1 in 4!  It's hard to even comprehend... 

This problem crosses all racial, socio-economic, and gender barriers.  And it affects not just those who experience it first hand, but entire neighborhoods, communities and towns.  We ALL need to come together, take a stand, and begin to openly talk about how we can stop the violence.

Our film has the potential to ignite a huge conversation around domestic violence.  The positive impact in communities around the country could be incredible and unprecedented.  Our message is one of hope, healing and change.  And we're bringing a young, male voice to the conversation, which we believe is an important step in helping men to become part of the solution (and not just "the problem").

By bringing a level of positivity, awareness and attention to a topic that is often shrouded in shame and silence, we hope to engage audiences around the country to stop the cycle and start a movement towards lasting change.

Failure is not an option here.  We WILL make this film.  We owe it to not only Irma Salas, but all of the other women, men, children and communities who have and continue to be affected by domestic violence.