Solëdad

Writer-director Jon Navarro’s Solëdad is a poetic essay on loss and the grieving process. It opens at the beach alongside Coney Island, where Solëdad (Jocelynn Catasús) walks along the sandy shore reminiscing about her lost soulmate, who lingers around her like a ghost. She expresses her feelings about finding love and then losing it as we walk with her through the final, tender moments of that love.

Solëdad tells the story of a woman who returns to the place of her happiest memories and most tragic loss. In her seaside solitude, she confronts the fears and traumas that have kept her captive and takes a leap of faith toward acceptance. Navarro, who also appears in the film as Michael, describes it as an “experimental mood piece” that explores the journey of love, loss, and grief and how we navigate time and the memories we choose to carry or leave behind.

Solëdad (Jocelynn Catasús) and Michael (Jon Navarro) walk hand in hand through Coney Island, recalling memories of their love.

“Solëdad walks along the sandy shore reminiscing about her lost soulmate, who lingers around her like a ghost.”

Filmed in just under 36 hours on one of the coldest days in October, Solëdad was shot on the iconic Coney Island boardwalk with a predominantly female cast and crew. Navarro notes that, coming from a matriarchal family, one of his greatest joys is contributing to the growth of talented female filmmakers. Having Marilyn Almonte behind the camera and Jocelynn Catasús embodying Solëdad gave the short a level of authenticity and softness that Navarro says he couldn’t have achieved on his own.

Ultimately, Solëdad is a beautiful reminder of what love is and the pain and quiet void it leaves behind. Having lived near the beach in my youth, I often found myself looking out at the waves, reflecting on the past, present, and future. This film captures that same meditative stillness—the space between holding on and finally letting go.

For more information about Solëdad, visit Allusion Pictures’s Facebook Page.