Art Competition

Karla’s Arrival

Year
2010
Country
Spain
Duration
90’
Director
Koen Siudgeest

A young girl’s negative sense of self-worth might prevent her from saving herself, but once she has chosen to become a mother, she will resolve to leave the streets for the love of her child. The documentary film Karla’s Arrival follows 19-year old mother Sujeylin Aguilar and baby Karla, who live as part of a group of kids in a small park in Managua (Nicaragua), as they struggle through the first year of the child’s life. The story starts three months before Karla’s birth and ends around its first birthday. Karla’s Arrival takes its audience on the intense personal journey of a young woman’s venture into motherhood under extreme circumstances. Narrated by the protagonist herself and told with gracious intimacy, the film offers a story full of hope, covering a universal issue we have not before been exposed to.

Production
El Rayo Films S.L, Koen Siudgeest, C/ Infantas, 21, 3?, 1?, 28004, Madrid, Spain, tel. +34 913604828, [email protected] , www.elrayofilms.com
Sales:
CAT & Docs (France), Catherine Le Clef, 18, rue Quincampoix 75004 Paris, France, tel. +33 1 44 59 63 53, mob. +33 6 33 64 86 02, [email protected] , www.catndocs.com
Director
Koen Siudgeest

Koen Siudgeest was born in 1967. He is a Dutch director residing in Spain working in the area of social and human rights documentary. He has travelled to all continents and lived long-term in four countries. He speaks five languages, of which three fluently. He holds a BA (Hons) in film production with a specialization in cinematography. He worked as a DoP for ten years before dedicating himself to documentary.

Selected Filmography

Casting (2006), El Color de un Voto (2007), Karla's Arrival (2010)

22 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
 6 — 13 
June 2025
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