Doc World

Sands of Silence: Waves of Courage

By Chelo Alvarez-Stehle. A Production of Innerlens Productions.

SANDS OF SILENCE: WAVES OF COURAGE shares the 15-year quest of world-reporter Chelo Alvarez-Stehle as she exposes the underworld of sexual exploitation and trafficking from Asia to the Americas. Her journey leads to the windswept beach where her childhood ended, and family secrets began. As she documents the transformation of sex-trafficking survivor Virginia Isaias — a Mexican American woman whose past is engulfed in a cycle of sexual exploitation — into an inspiring advocate committed to break that pattern, Chelo undertakes a parallel journey of healing and introspection and sets out to shatter the silence about sexual abuse in her own life.

Produced/Directed/Written by Chelo Alvarez-Stehle, the film has won numerous awards, including Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Press Club Awards, Best Humanitarian Documentary from the Women’s International Film and Television Showcase, and Best Documentary and Audience Choice Award at the Malibu International Film Festival.

Watch SANDS OF SILENCE and a whole collection of films as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Join the conversation with us on social media using the hashtag #WeAreLatinX/#SomosLatinX. And engage with family & friends using our downloadable Social Activity Toolkit.