Congrats to Claudia Escobar on receiving grant funding for her documentary film about Márcia Treidler, Mestra Cigarra from the San Francisco Arts Commission.
When The Cicada Sang is a documentary-in-progress about Márcia Treidler, an artist, activist, and capoeira master. Her life’s work has challenged gender norms in the capoeira world, paving the way for future generations in the art. Márcia is a local leader who continues to make a positive impact on the lives of San Francisco residents and capoeiristas around the globe.
Escobar has long envisioned capturing Treidler’s exceptional journey. Through years of training, filming her capoeira teachings, and interviewing her students, the filmmaker witnessed the capoeira master’s profound impact. In 2023, as Escobar traveled to Treidler’s homeland, Brazil, she confirmed the global reach of her influence. As a capoeira practitioner, immigrant, and artist, Escobar is deeply connected to Treidler’s narrative. It is her heartfelt mission to share her story, celebrating her as a symbol of resilience and love for her community.
Trained as an architect in her home city of Medellín, Colombia, Claudia Escobar takes both a poetic and critical approach to her work; each film, illustration, or photo is an opportunity to experiment, ask questions, and take risks. She is the director of the documentary Dear Homeland about the Mexican singer Diana Gameros. Escobar has been nominated for three Emmy awards, won one, and earned two Webby awards for her work as co-creator and producer of the If Cities Could Dance series, produced by KQED. As an artist who has lived outside of her home country, she is drawn to stories about migration that challenge the artificial divisions we have invented around power. We are thrilled to be working with her.