Traces of Home

Delving into the past and not shying away from the dug-up pain, a young filmmaker speaks to her Mexican mother and Palestinian father about their trying journeys into the United States. In a society with rhetoric increasingly vilifying Mexicans and Palestinians, the filmmaker picks up her camera in a bid to address the grief at the center of the generational trauma that has underscored her relationship with her family. A meditation on loss and grief, ultimately relieved through reconciliation.

DOC NYC 2025 Grand Jury Award for Best US Documentary

“A stunning debut for filmmaker Colette Ghunim.”
—Lapacazo Sandoval, Amsterdam News

“A poignant and emotionally resonant exploration of the multiple ways that unspoken pain transfers between generations.”
—Eleanor Bader, The Indypendent