As Puerto Rican government officials send hundreds of their citizens to the states for unlicensed drug and mental health treatment, a Puerto Rican woman in Chicago uses her own past with addiction to help those who end up on the streets.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Siyan Huang and Taylor Goebel

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Originally, we wanted to center the story around the hundreds of Puerto Ricans sent to the U.S. mainland by government officials for unlicensed substance abuse treatment. Without proper care, they often end up homeless and have their documents taken from them by the unlicensed groups. We heard about this through Melissa Hernandez, who runs the Chicago-based Puerto Rico Project. Melissa, who is Puerto Rican herself, provides harm reduction supplies, food and clothes and refers her clients to licensed treatment centers when they are ready. The more time we spent with Melissa, learning about her own past, we realized we were filming the Puerto Rico Project through her story, her struggles and her utter toughness. She is a survivor, and we wanted to show that in the film.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Substance abuse affects millions of us. It is a scary and frustrating reality that can destroy lives, families and careers. But addiction can also permanently etch into survivors a will to live, thrive and serve. “Segunda Vida” shows how one woman uses her past with heroin addiction to help others similarly affected. This is a woman who voluntarily goes into crime-heavy neighborhoods at night, to serve homeless people home-cooked meals, harm reduction supplies, hugs and ways to get help.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Melissa’s story is one of resilience: She is a survivor of rape, human trafficking and substance abuse. She was able to move past addiction and onward to raise her kids, receive an education, work full time and run a Chicago-based NGO. Her organization is also about community and grassroots-level advocacy.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Our biggest challenge was the way we presented “Segunda Vida.” Some publications we pitched to said they wanted to see more of the investigative side of the story: How do the groups make money? Is this still going on? Who has jurisdiction over the groups? While we wanted to answer these questions, in the few short weeks we had to shoot, the documentary unfolded itself as Melissa’s story, and that’s the way we are pitching it now.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Initially, the feedback from publications we pitched to forced us to rethink the film’s structure and center it on Melissa, which we have since done. At the American Documentary Film Festival, we received positive feedback, including from a fellow filmmaker who called the documentary “powerful”. People really like Melissa: One viewer called her “fabulous” over and over.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

It challenged the way we pitch the film and the kind of reaction we want from our audience. It was also further proof that Melissa’s story is one worth telling.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We would love to gain more visibility and get noticed by news outlets (Chicago-based, Puerto Rican-based, national) since we are working to get our film published. Our film premiered at American Documentary Film Festival, which was an awesome experience, so we’d love to show at more film festivals as well.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We need to get producers, film festival directors and publishers on board to amplify our film’s message and make it more accessible to viewers.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

We want people to keep following Melissa’s story through the Puerto Rico Project and to think about substance abuse and homelessness in a different light, as in, everyone has a story of how and why they are where they are now.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

This film takes us into the lives of people who both struggle with substance abuse and are far from home, and it calls into question where we decide to spread both our compassion and judgment. Melissa was addicted to heroin, and now she helps people in her situation. Where will the people she helped – those folks on the street we usually pass right by – be 10 years from now? We’re certain people will also ask, “Why is the city of Chicago allowing this to happen?” which could be a completely different film about jurisdictional issues, bureaucratic loopholes and government officials not having time to care.

Would you like to add anything else?

You can follow Melissa here: https://www.facebook.com/ThePuertoRICOProject

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Taylor is digging into housing affordability and redevelopment issues as a reporter for USA Today. She also wants to make a documentary about the U.S. healthcare system through the lens of her brother, who has a rare genetic disease.

After graduation, Siyan worked as a production assistant at Kartemquin Films. She's currently a freelance visual content creator based in Chicago.

Interview: April 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Segunda Vida

Length: 17 minutes

Director: Siyan Huang and Taylor Goebel

Producer: Siyan Huang and Taylor Goebel

Writer: Siyan Huang and Taylor Goebel

About the writer, director and producer:

Siyan Huang is a video journalist and documentarian from Shanghai, China. She received her master's degree in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Taylor Goebel is a reporter for the USA Today network and a freelance photographer. She received her master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Looking for: Producers, film festival directors and a permanent home for our documentary!

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/segundavidafilm/

Twitter:@segundavidafilm

Instagram:@segundavidafilm

Funders: Partially funded by Medill Justice Project

Made in association with: Medill School of Journalism