About the Film

What started as my undergraduate thesis film at DePaul University, Sueños de una Monarca blossomed into a three-year production built by a global team of talented young artists. Growing up in a Mexican-Belgian household, I was raised with an eye for the issues that affect the world around me. Inspired by the monarch butterfly migration and its vibrant presence in Chicago, I searched for a story at the intersection of environmental conservation and human immigration. I was quickly led to Claudia.

As I waited outside her butterfly-adorned home under a scorching Chicago summer sun, Claudia slipped through her front gate, greeted me warmly, and took me on a tour of Pilsen—Chicago's historic Mexican neighborhood. We walked through mural-lined streets and exchanged stories of our shared Mexican culture, all while Claudia greeted every passing neighbor. Suddenly, we arrived at a small community garden. As she showed me the dozens of native milkweed plants she had planted just the day before, two monarch butterflies began circling her, flapping with a youthful joy as if greeting their mother. In that moment, I felt Claudia's magic and knew a film was waiting to be made.

What followed were three years of long filming days, sleepless editing nights, and hours of interviews filled with shared laughter and tears. The journey even brought us to the monarch butterfly's winter home in the pine covered mountains of Michoacán, Mexico. Claudia's story has inspired me to continue documenting those fighting to save our planet, using my voice to spread seeds of impact. Seeds build gardens, and gardens spring movements.

Meet the Team

Julián Trejo Bax

Director/Cinematographer

Julián Trejo Bax is a Mexican-Belgian visual journalist based in Chicago and Mexico City. He specializes in stories at the intersection of climate change, immigration and human rights. He currently works as a freelance video journalist for the Associated Press filming and producing climate and environment related stories in Mexico. Julián also partners with human rights and environment defending grassroots organizations in Mexico as a documentary filmmaker. Inspired by the monarch butterfly's transcontinental migration, Julián is dedicated to stories that bridge borders and inspire communities across North America.

Claudia Galeno-Sánchez

Principal Participant

Claudia Galeno-Sánchez is the founder and Executive Director of Women for Green Spaces (Mujeres por Espacios Verdes). Claudia immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in her early 20s and after working at various low-wage, precarious jobs in the Chicago area, she founded Women for Green Spaces. Claudia, and the Mexican immigrant women volunteers who work with her, have created native plant gardens and pollinator gardens in seven schools in Latino neighborhoods in Chicago. Claudia lives in Pilsen, Chicago with her family and she received a George B. Rabb Force of Nature Award from the Chicago Wilderness Alliance in 2025.

Natalia Trejo Bax

Editor/Colorist

Natalia Trejo Bax is an Assistant Editor at Harbor Picture Company where she cuts commercials for broadcast and social media. Outside the agency world, she focuses on documentary editing and color grading. Some of the projects closest to her heart are short documentaries that highlight stories within Hispanic communities in Chicago. With a Mexican and Belgian background, she has always been drawn to different perspectives and the ways storytelling can bring people together.

Alonso Vidal

Cinematographer

Alonso Vidal is a Peruvian multimedia journalist, documentalist, writer, and photographer who focuses on immigration, cultural identity, housing, and social justice, often spotlighting underrepresented communities. He is a Toni Stabile fellow at the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, where he recently completed his master's degree. He is currently a reporting fellow for PBS FRONTLINE.

Dylan Martis

Animator

Dylan Martis is a filmmaker who specializes in marrying impressionistic painting and traditional character animation. He has worked for major studios as well as indie film projects, and strives to create an authentic vision tailored for each and every project.

Divyesh Sangani

Animator

Divyesh Sangani is an animator and filmmaker from India currently pursuing an MFA in Animation at UCLA. Professionally, he has worked on animated series, title sequences, and independent films. Over the years, he has created multiple absurd and funny comics and films, keeping his lifelong motto to make people laugh.

Karina Rivero

Score Composer

Karina is a composer, orchestrator and music producer from Mexico City. She has worked as a composer for independent films in North America and Europe, and in the production of orchestral albums, such as Mi Ciudad, from the Typical Orchestra of Mexico City and Mitote from Pasatono Orchestra. Her music has been performed by various orchestras and ensembles, such as the Vórtice Ensamble, the Stokłosa Collective Orchestra and the European Recording Orchestra. She's the co-founder of the Mexican School of Music for Film and has taught at college level at Tecnológico de Monterrey. She has received recognitions in contests such as the Young Talent Award (finalist, Krakow, Poland), Berlinale Talents (Latin America campus) and the Score Live Composer Competition (second runner-up, Spain).

Zach Scheitlin

Sound Designer/Mixer

Zach Scheitlin is a sound designer specializing in creating immersive, story-driven audio for film, media, and creative projects. With a strong ear for detail and atmosphere, he crafts soundscapes that enhance emotion, rhythm, and narrative impact. Zach's work blends technical precision with creative intuition, supporting stories from subtle realism to bold, expressive design.

Jeannel Romero

Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer

Jeannel Romero is a Mexican sound designer and re-recording mixer with experience in audio post-production for film, documentary, animation, and video games. He has collaborated on national and international productions, specializing in stereo and 5.1 mixing for cinematic formats. His work is characterized by attention to technical and narrative detail, ensuring that every sound element contributes to the viewer's experience. On this short film, he was responsible for the 5.1 music mix, adapting the score for immersive playback true to the project's artistic vision.

Jack Hoac

Graphics

Jack is a Vietnamese graphic designer based in Chicago, IL. He creates thoughtful brand identities and visual systems that connect strategy with storytelling. His multidisciplinary practice spans branding, typography, motion, and illustration, crafting expressive experiences across both physical and digital spaces.

Thomas McDonnell

Sketch Artist

Thomas McDonnell is a technology consultant from Michigan City, Indiana, with a background in computer science and two years of professional consulting experience. He builds web applications as a hobby. On Sueños de una Monarca, Thomas drew and developed the animation sketch and shot list, mapping out the visual language for the film's animated sequences.