‘Rosa—These Storms’ to play Washington West Film Festival

It remains sobering that women and girls around the world often lack educational opportunties — often forcefully by their families or entrenched cultural strictures. The new documentary “Rosa—These Storms” follows the inspirational story of one young woman determined to better herself after a life of hardship.

All of it in 11 tidy minutes.

“We were so inspired by this dream of hers to become a nurse,” said producer Zach Ingrasci, whose previous film, “Living on One Dollar,” focused on Rosa Coj Bocel’s community in Guatemala. “And then when we kept going back every year after that film was shot and became very close with Rosa. She began to really open up. And as she began to trust us, we just realized we had to tell her story in just her words.”

In the film, Ms. Coj Bocel, now 27, speaks directly to the camera of her young life in one of Guatemala’s poorest communities, her wishes to become educated, the tragedies along the way — including being raped by a man who claimed he wished to help her — and her hopes to better the lives of herself and other young women.

“We made this promise five years ago that if she graduated high school we’d be there,” said co-producer Chris Temple. “And then she started nursing school this spring and has actually gone to nursing school on weekends, and she has a paid internship at a clinic during the week. She’s done incredibly.”

As part of the Washington West Film Festival, Mr. Temple, Mr. Ingrasci and Ms. Coj Bocel will attend screenings of “Rose—These Storms” at Bow Tie Cinemas in Reston, Virginia, Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m., and another screening Saturday at Gum Spring Library in Stone Ridge, Virginia, at 1 p.m.

Ms. Coj Bocel’s first language is Kaqchikel, a dialect of the ancient Mayan language family. She communicated with Mr. Temple and Mr. Ingrasci in Spanish, a second language for all concerned. Ms. Coj Bocel, who speaks no English, will be accompanied by an interpreter on this, her first trip not only to the U.S. but her first time ever having traveled anywhere on an airplane.

Mssrs. Temple and Ingrasci hope that her story will inspire other young women around the world to follow their dreams.

“One of the most amazing things is that we can support Rosa and others in her community to attend university, which might seem an unacheivable goal,” Mr. Ingrasci said, pointing out that people can donate to a scholarship cause in her name by visiting LivingOnOne.org/rosa.

“She got up in front of an audience of 300 Guatemalan students about pursuing your passion and never giving up in the face of challenges,” Mr. Ingrasci recalled of a recent speech she gave. “There wasn’t a dry eye in that audience.”