In El Salvador, a sweeping state of emergency has led to the widespread detention of young women connected to the gangs MS-13 and Barrio 18. Many are taken into custody in large-scale operations aimed at regaining control of communities long marked by gang influence.

Inside one of the country’s prisons, Andrea, Mayte, and Gamez – each tied to rival groups – now share the same cell. What began in confrontation slowly shifts as daily routines, structured activities, and the guidance of figures like Dolores, the prison director, help them navigate life together. Through this fragile co-existence, they begin to find moments of calm in a place built on separation and control.

As they speak openly about their pasts and channel their dreams into improvised rap verses, the young women imagine a life beyond the prison walls. Yet uncertainty hangs over every hope: they do not know when – or if – they will be able to reunite with their families under the country’s new security policies.

A film by Fatima Lianes