Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Irma is at the door. Her daughter won’t let her in.
When Melissa’s unstable mother arrives at her new home and desperately tries to get inside, Melissa is forced into an impossible position: protect herself and her young daughter, or open the door to the woman who raised her.
As fear, guilt, and love collide, Melissa must confront what it means to set a boundary with someone you may never stop caring about.
Inspired by the filmmaker’s own childhood experience, Irma is an intimate family drama about generational trauma, motherhood, and the painful reality that sometimes loving someone isn’t enough to keep them in your life.
Written and directed by Roger Torres
Starring Christina Maruo
A 2024 Dodge College graduate thesis film.
SUBSCRIBE for Your Daily Dose of Inspiration ➠
youtube.com/channel/UCpa2QppVwCuivaWe5qfVY_Q
SUBMIT your film ➠
filmshortage.com/submit
From the filmmaker:
“When I was seven, my grandmother tried to break into our home. What stayed with me was seeing my mother’s devastation afterward and wondering what it means to protect yourself while still feeling empathy for someone you love.”
A FILM SHORTAGE SELECTION
#FilmShortage #DramaShortFilm #FamilyDrama
FILM SHORTAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: instagram.com/filmshortage
Twitter: twitter.com/filmshortage
Facebook: facebook.com/filmshortage
Website: filmshortage.com
Film Shortage is home to the next generation of filmmakers, premiering some of the best and diverse short films online
Irma is at the door. Her daughter won’t let her in.
When Melissa’s unstable mother arrives at her new home and desperately tries to get inside, Melissa is forced into an impossible position: protect herself and her young daughter, or open the door to the woman who raised her.
As fear, guilt, and love collide, Melissa must confront what it means to set a boundary with someone you may never stop caring about.
Inspired by the filmmaker’s own childhood experience, Irma is an intimate family drama about generational trauma, motherhood, and the painful reality that sometimes loving someone isn’t enough to keep them in your life.
Written and directed by Roger Torres
Starring Christina Maruo
A 2024 Dodge College graduate thesis film.
SUBSCRIBE for Your Daily Dose of Inspiration ➠
youtube.com/channel/UCpa2QppVwCuivaWe5qfVY_Q
SUBMIT your film ➠
filmshortage.com/submit
From the filmmaker:
“When I was seven, my grandmother tried to break into our home. What stayed with me was seeing my mother’s devastation afterward and wondering what it means to protect yourself while still feeling empathy for someone you love.”
A FILM SHORTAGE SELECTION
#FilmShortage #DramaShortFilm #FamilyDrama
FILM SHORTAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: instagram.com/filmshortage
Twitter: twitter.com/filmshortage
Facebook: facebook.com/filmshortage
Website: filmshortage.com
Film Shortage is home to the next generation of filmmakers, premiering some of the best and diverse short films online
