“This is indeed a film about losing a piece of yourself, or your identity, in exchange for a meal.” Jorge Thielen Armand’s Sundance short film debut is a stunning glimpse of the lives of many Venezuelans, searching for ways to survive while sacrificing a part of themselves. Adapted from the short story “Tijeras” by Venezuelan author Karina Sainz-Borgo, “Pasta Negra” (2025) is a fifteen minute short film of three Venezuelan women who cross the Colombian border to buy a packet of pasta.
Shot on 16mm film, “Pasta Negra” created, in Armand’s words, “a separation from the harsh reality of our country,” showcasing a contrast between the beauty of film and the tense nature of what the film is trying to tell its audience. While Armand claims he didn’t intend to explain the Venezuelan crisis, showcasing these women selling their hair–a historically vital symbol of one’s femininity or identity, for something as small as a packet of pasta– raises questions and allows the audience to think beyond what is shown. Hair has been a representation of femininity, individuality, and dignity in Latin American and Venezuelan cultures. These women view cutting it off as a painful act of sacrifice, a metaphor for losing parts of themselves in the struggle for survival, rather than merely a financial choice.
“I show how it affects the people that live it—inside or in exile—in the case of Pasta Negra I set out to depict how the crisis affects our bodies with fear and deprivation, our trust in one another, and our dignity,” Armand explains.
The film carries another layer of authenticity that can be felt while watching. Armand made the choice to cast non-actors with stories of their own, an impressive choice that pays off in the film. The decision wasn’t just an artistic choice–it was to bring real experiences to the screen. The audience can not only see the sensibility but feel its emotional weight through the screen. By casting women familiar with Venezuela’s political struggles and economic collapse, Armand ensures that the performances feel deeply personal—more than just acting, but a reflection of their own lived experiences, “A sensibility, a connection with their own emotions, and they were able to bring this to the film,” as Armand puts it.
Sundance, a festival known for spotlighting independent and emerging voices, has long been a platform for filmmakers who challenge mainstream narratives and shed light on urgent social issues. ‘Pasta Negra’ joins a legacy of films that use cinema as a tool for activism, Armand tells Jane Owen PR the encouraging support “Pasta Negra” received upon its release. Although films that highlight the lives of individuals affected by political crises tend to receive criticism, for Armand, sharing his film matters more. He acknowledges that the film isn’t for everyone, but insists that the crisis must be reflected in contemporary Venezuelan cinema, as it profoundly shapes the lives of its people. Armand claims that if a Venezuelan film omits this critical topic, the filmmakers are “complicit with a regime that wants to pretend everything is nice and normal.”
“Pasta Negra” has done its work, creating impactful art to bring awareness to a larger message. While most might see three generations of Venezuelan women crossing the Colombian border to sell their hair for food, its deeper meaning lies in the details. It is a much bigger story—one of a crisis that has weighed on Venezuelans for generations
Armand leaves us with one final thought: “Our work as artists has been done. The articles were written, the books, the films have been screened, the photos have been displayed, the testimonies have been shouted in every corner of the world, the voting happened, the protests, the deaths, the stunts, Juan Guaido’s parallel government happened, the attempted coups… I guess now we sit and wait for a war?”
