SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UC Berkeley's 10th Summer Institute on Migration and Global Health welcomed filmmaker Mabel Valdiviezo of Haiku Films to present and discuss the work-in-progress of her documentary Prodigal Daughter.

The feature-length film reveals the hardships and trauma incurred by Latino women who pursue life as undocumented immigrants without safeguard or path to citizenship. Using her own life story to change the narrative, Valdiviezo allows us an all access pass through her 16-year journey from undocumented Peruvian to her eventual transformation into empowered U.S. citizen, cancer survivor, and Silicon Valley woman in tech.

Haiku Films co-founder Cesar Viana Teague and Mabel Valdiviezo also announced the launch of the Kickstarter crowd funding campaign, backed by Artists Services of the Sundance Institute. "Kickstarter can really help introduce people to our movie, and raise the visibility as well as awareness of immigrant health care reform," Valdiviezo says. With principal photography almost complete, funds raised will be used for post-production to bring the film to life.

"The deep resonance and parallels between Valdiviezo's story and those of other immigrant women, reinforces the link between migration and mental health – also known as the 'Ulysses Syndrome'," says Xotchil Castañeda, Director at the UC Berkeley's Health Initiative of the Americas and visionary behind the Summer Institute.

The film explores art therapy, journaling and a 'Digital Quilt' as healing mechanisms, which release the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Further supporters of this narrative are the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Ella Institute, Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit, and FWD.US.

Valdiviezo is an award-winning filmmaker and alumni of the Sundance Producers Conference who creates visually compelling films on socially relevant contemporary issues.

About Haiku Films

Haiku Films is a San Francisco-based video & film production company. Prodigal Daughter is its feature-length documentary production. The video and information are at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/324277195/prodigal-daughter-a-documentary-and-reconciliation or http//www.prodigaldaughterthemovie.com