Most Venezuelans who have the fortune of making it to Colombia find the things that they lack in their home country: food, safety, employment and the list goes on. But sometimes, even when life’s basic necessities are fulfilled, you can still feel a void. This is the story of how an immigrant from Caracas filled his void through sport—and helped dozens of other Venezuelans fill theirs too in the process.
This video is part of the Uprooted multimedia project:
As a whole, Uprooted documents the effects of Venezuelans forced to flee to Colombia as a result of the political and economic crisis in their home country.
I worked with my team to share the story of Vinotinto Fútbol Club, a soccer team of primarily Venezuelan immigrants. Although the story is about soccer on the surface, following the players for a week and a half allowed my team to uncover the unexpected rewards that soccer brings them.
The project includes four other documentaries, photo stories and five written stories accompanied by infographics.