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Jonathan, a boy who wanted to be a soccer player, had to leave his dreams, and wield a rifle
to survive when he was recruited by the guerrilla, a survivor of the war in Colombia, tells his story.

The objective of this project was to create animated audiovisual pieces based on the narratives of former
combatants from Colombia's armed conflict. A series of 24 animated shorts depicted the horrors of forced
recruitment and the participation of children and adolescents in over five decades of armed conflict in
Colombia. These animations sought to promote reconciliation and contribute to peacebuilding efforts. These
stories carry truths that are difficult to confront but are crucial for clarifying the truth, preventing, and ensuring
the armed conflict in Colombia does not repeat itself. Also for this particular project animation was the perfect
medium as it allowed testimonies to be portrayed in experimental ways with raw materials without the need
to worry about censorship or the protection of the people who provided their testimonies. Furthermore, the
courage of the storytellers was invaluable as they shared their life experiences with the world, revealing the
reality through their raw past and war memories. This massive project was funded by a Global Challenges
Research Fund grant, awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom, in
partnership with the University of Leeds, Universidad del Rosario, and Colombia's Truth Commission.