Though the scenes from David's mother Yarima's childhood were fictionalized based on the typical things a girl like her might encounter growing up in the Amazon rainforest, the scenes of her coming to the U.S. were based on David's accounts. One of the main reasons half of the story revolves around her journey is because I felt her story was just as important as David's, and I wanted to explore and emphasize what she must have felt during her brief time in the states before ultimately deciding to go back. Both coming here and returning to the Amazon were most likely enormous life decisions for her. The wide cultural divide alone must have been a shock must of us can't even fathom.

Cheers.
-FLuX