Stories · Mexico and Central America · 2023–2026
Stories of cleft lip and palate.
Children, teenagers and families in Mexico and Central America, photographed and filmed with Smile Train, with Tess Unlimited and in our own personal work. The diagnosis is where these stories start, never what they are about.
01 · Personal project · Tess Unlimited · 2025–2026
Kintsugi
Honoring the stories we carry. Portraits inspired by the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold: the scar as part of a history worth recognizing. See the story
02 · Editorial · Tess Unlimited · 2026
Cleft Fashion
Vulnerability, turned into confidence. Teenagers born with a cleft lip and palate, styled and lit for high-fashion portraiture, in a place historically reserved for rigid beauty standards. See the story
03 · Tess Unlimited · La Antigua Guatemala · 2025–2026
It’s our Birthday
Eighteen years, one night on screen. Two documentaries, a live stream and every film on stage for Tess Unlimited's eighteenth anniversary. See the story
04 · Tess Unlimited · Huehuetenango · 2025
Jennifer
A story of strength and smiles. A short documentary for Tess Unlimited: a visit to Jennifer's school and home in the mountains of Huehuetenango. See the story
05 · Tess Unlimited · Guatemala · 2026
Lidia Pérez
Strength, inside and out. A seven-minute documentary for Tess Unlimited about a young woman who inspires everyone around her. See the story
06 · Smile Train · Collection · Mexico and Central America
See the collection
Smile Train
Celebrity visits, patient stories and educational films in Mexico, Guatemala and Panama. Photo and film.
