In-Depth with a Filmmaker: Kristal Sotomayor
Journey Arts’ signature event the Table Sessions returns April 29th and 30th curated by award-winning filmmaker Kristal Sotomayor (she/they).
Centered on a screening of Kristal’s film Expanding Sanctuary, these multi-sensory evenings will feature a meal by James Beard award-winning Chef Christina Martínez of South Philly Barbacoa, and the joyful sounds of the kumbia-klezmer-punk collective Mariposas Galácticas.
Take your place at the next Table Sessions by securing a ticket.
Read on for a conversation to between Kristal and Journey Art’s Social Media and Marketing Coordinator Sweet Corey-Bey to give you insight on the artist behind the evening to come.
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Kristal Sotomayor photographed by ChristianHayden
SCB: I’m here with Kristal Sotomayor, the filmmaker behind Expanding Sanctuary and the curator of the upcoming Table Sessions. Introduce yourself!
KS: My name is Kristal Sotomayor. I was raised in western Pennsylvania, and I've lived in Philadelphia for over a decade at this point, and I love it here. My family's from Peru–I’m a second generation person in this country.
SCB: There is such a culture of people who live in Philly for a long time, and something about this place just kind of gets inside of you! I know one significant part of your story here is your film Expanding Sanctuary, completed in 2023.
Since that time, how has your relationship to the film changed? What resonates presently when you think about this film in your life?
KS: Making Expanding Sanctuary was a six year process. It was my first film out of college and I started basically the moment I graduated in 2017.
I first got connected with Juntos that year, and after months of talking to the organizers there, they let me come in with a camera in 2018–a lot of the events that happened in the film were documented then. We did more shooting in 2019 and 2020 to include more of Linda’s perspective, and eventually interviews with her in 2021 and 2022 to round out the film.
It took many years to get it done, and I've changed a lot as a person through the process of it all but I still treasure this film. It taught me how to build a team, how to work with an editor, and how to tell a story!
When Expanding Sanctuary won an award at BlackStar Film Festival in 2024, it was one of the best moments of my life! I cried when that happened because it was so many years in the making!
SCB: I feel so warmed thinking about you finishing the film, and taking home a recognition from BlackStar, a Philly rooted festival. It feels serendipitous that Journey Arts is intersecting with you as a collaborator at this moment: Expanding Sanctuary is still such a visible part of your work, but you have many projects and stories that you're stewarding. How has your approach to your films changed from that first process of creating Expanding Sanctuary to now?
KS: These days, I plan ahead significantly before I start shooting, and I hire a DP and a sound person and maybe a PA. I script the story out and write exactly what I think each scene is going to look like. I also have a lot more early conversations with the person I'm documenting.
When I shot Expanding Sanctuary, there were days and days and days of footage that I never used. I had many sessions with a consultant who actually ended up teaching me how to write the scenes–she really co-wrote the project because I had no idea what I was doing! I was unsure how to build a scene, or what was even needed in each scene.
Then, I was editing all of the footage and my edits were not great! Linda–she's seen so many cuts of the film and my god, the first cuts I did were so bad.
Because it took me six years to make Expanding Sanctuary, I really don't want to take six years again for another film unless it's a feature length project!
Krista Sotomayor (right), and Linda Hernandez (left) photographed by Christian Hayden.
SCB: The third wall was broken at our photoshoot because I actually got to meet Linda and spend time with you both. Could you tell me more about your relationship with her through the film, but also beyond the lens as well?
KS: Right now we've been super busy and texting about all of the upcoming film screenings! We live really close to one another, and sometimes we'll run into each other and have coffee.
I was invited to her daughter's quinceanera a few years ago and now her other daughter's gonna have a quinceanera like next year, and I'm like, please invite me!
Linda has really seen me from basically a baby, just graduated from college to now. From not being sure what I was doing with my life, to now! She's been so helpful and supportive, and given me good advice. It’s been a long, long time that we've known each other now.
SCB: This is another reason I’m looking forward to the talkback portion of your Table Sessions. It will be significant to hear you all in conversation, and for attendees to direct their questions to you both. What has the process of putting together the Table Sessions screening been like? When you saw the call for collaborators from Journey Arts, did you already have a vision for the evening?
KS: Oh, for sure! I've actually had a vision for years of a screening with music–with Las Cafeteras, the band who made some of the original music in Expanding Sanctuary but they're in L.A! So, I felt Mariposas Galacticas would be the perfect choice to bring the energy here in Philly.
As for Chef Cristina, I've always wanted to do something with her! I love Casa Mexico, and I love South Philly Barbacoa. I knew it had to be good Latino music, and Christina Martínez and her food! So I'm so thankful we're arriving at Table Sessions now, and I'm curious how the evening will unfold.
SCB: The magic of Table Sessions is always in the interplay of the meal, conversations, performance, with the overall artistic themes. What do you think all of these elements together will bring forward with your film?
KS: It will be a celebration! And I think it's what everybody needs right now.
The current political situation can just demolish your sense of joy. In my opinion we need happiness. And I feel so happy when I eat Chef Martínez's food! I've been going to South Philly Barbacoa for years and years. I take my family there. I go with my friends, and I just want people to share in that happiness.
We've had many screenings of Expanding Sanctuary, and some are really difficult. Some of the conversations that come up, some of the other films in the screening lineups, can all be really sad.
The tone of my film is on the happier side, but by the end of some screenings, everyone's devastated. I really don't want people to leave feeling the heaviness of the situation at hand–even though it’s a reality of I.C.E ramping enforcement in the country. I think we also have a lot to be happy and joyful about.
We're here together, and we're in a community here to support each other. I feel like that is going to outlive any presidential administration.
SCB: It’s all woven together. All of the emotions, all of the experiences and it takes on a different color when uplift the joyful notes, and resist telling a story in one type of way.
I share your hopes that the upcoming Table Sessions will be a space of joy, and connection. What is your hope for people when they encounter Expanding Sanctuary? What do you want folks to take away, or how do you want them to approach the work?
KS: When I have people watch Expanding Sanctuary, I always hope that they leave learning something new and feeling energized to help the immigrant community around them.
I also hope they reflect on the joy that lives in the face of a lot of really difficult realities. I think that's why people really like the film is because we get to meet Linda and fall in love with her, and her beautiful family. And in the end, we were able to change policy, and make a change.
Right now, it feels like we can’t make those same wins, but I think we actually can. I think there's a lot that can be done to support immigrant communities, queer communities, trans communities, locally, because that’s not happening on the federal level. We have way more agency and power than we think and it’s so important.
SCB: I'm excited for the community to receive your Table Sessions and to bring different folks to the table to share an experience. Is there anything else that you want to add to our conversation?
Kristal Sotomayor and Linda Hernandez photographed by Christian Hayden
KS: Well, I'm very thankful to Journey Arts for honestly making my dream come true, because this has been an actual dream of mine for years. In the six years of making this film, I always thought to myself my dream screening has to happen someday!
I would also say that I'm really happy we finally got to do a photoshoot, because I've wanted to do a photoshoot with Linda for years! That was also one of my dreams. And you remember Linda and I were so prepared— we had so many outfits. It was so fun! We had that vision, you know? And Linda also really loves the photos, and one of the shots is her newest profile photo.
SCB: I had so much fun on set with you all. The energy was infectious. Documentation is such an important part of the Journey Arts process and it really helps that our org tends to intersect with people who are ready to activate their dreams and visions with our nurturing support.
My anticipation has been building for the Table Sessions, from that day…and now Bartram’s is in full bloom, as opposed to literal blizzard the day after our shoot.
It’s been lovely being in this process with you. And beyond Table Sessions, I’m sure our paths will cross again!
KS: Absolutely! We always run into people. In South Philly, and in West Philly, too. On Baltimore Ave, you can always see everyone!
This conversation has been conducted, edited, and condensed for clarity by Sweet Corey-Bey
