Project Director since 2010 @
The Self Portrait Factory
Drawing on over a decade of community work, Llaima created a 13-step methodology. Collaborating with different crews, she has produced over 80 self-portrait short films that celebrate identity, boost self-esteem, and inspire authentic self-expression.
This project was founded in Berlin 2010, by Llaima Suwani and it has being possible thank to many collaborations with colleagues and directors and artists around the world.
THE SELF- PORTRAIT FACTORY IS NOW OPENING VIRTUAL SESSIONS EVERY MONDAY. ENROLL TODAY!
Current Projects
13.4 Seconds to Nowhere (In Progress) (22’ documentary)
Puerto Rico, 2026
Writer & Director
Log line: After a tumor diagnosis and relapse, a filmmaker builds a 100-meter track in the forest, transforming memory into a motor for the present. Through an intimate self-portrait, she navigates doubt and urgency, choosing to remain, to film, and exist now.
Awards:
Official Release @ TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL NYC 2026
Selected as a winner of ESPN & Tribeca Studios’ Intersections for Latino Filmmakers and Sports (2025–2026), recognizing innovative storytelling at the crossroads of identity, culture, and athletics, and supporting the development of original projects that expand representation and creative voices.
And Still The Seed (14’ documentary)
Puerto Rico, 2024
Writer & Director
Log line: 600 years of deforestation has change the soil and the biodiversity of Puerto Rico. This short explores those mayor events and how to recuperate the species by taking care of the seed.
Awards:
Best Short Documentary, PRFF 2024
Best Short Documentary, Isla Verde Film Festival, Cuba 2024
Best Short Documentary, International Human Rights Film Festival of Vieques 2024
Official Selection, Atlanta Film Festival 2024
OS-Natura Film Festival, Germany 2024
Rome & Sicily Environmental Film Festival 2024
Where The Mangroves Grow
Photography and Virtual Reality Installation
2024–2025 | MAC – Museum of Contemporary Art San Juan, Puerto Rico
Description:
Where The Mangroves Grow is a photography and virtual reality installation exploring memory, ecology, and urban nature. Set within the mangroves of Hato Rey, Puerto Rico’s economic center, the work reveals hidden ecosystems through immersive experience. Through virtual reality glasses, audiences hear and feel what it is to be there without being there. Commissioned by MAC San Juan, it follows years after developing and exhibiting a self-portrait series with youth from El Caño Martín Peña.
It all starts with a story.
Each story is an opportunity, a chance to explore, learn, and connect in ways we never expected.
Traveling the world with a camera has allowed me to listen, to witness, and to gather stories that still sit with me today.
Now based in Puerto Rico, I’m focused on building a body of work that reflects both time and love.
Llaima Sanfiorenzo
Photo @ ATlanta Film Festival 2024
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Self-Portrait Workshops
The Self-Portrait Workshop is an immersive, guided experience where storytelling, place, and personal narrative converge. Designed for small groups, each session invites participants to explore their identity through audiovisual creation, developing a self-portrait rooted in memory, environment, and emotion.
Modality: Virtual (6 meetings for 6 Mondays , 2hrs each day, between 10-12 am)
Groups are of 6-8 persons
*If you have a group we can schedule other timings also.
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Team Building trough storytelling
About the Experience:
Tailored for companies, teams, and focused groups
On-demand self-portrait workshop
Immersive, creative storytelling experience
Designed to come directly to your team
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Come to Puerto Rico
Immersive Experience & Filmmaking
(4 Nights / 5 Days) different places to stay:
Boho Beach Club, Boquerón, Cabo Rojo Boutique Hotel with Restaurant and pool, beach walking distance. 2 hrs from San Juan.
Activity Salon and Editing Sweet (with external editor)
Screening Night
other option available upon request, ecological houses in protected areas of Puerto Rico.