[2] An armed group breaks the tranquility of the inhabitants of Bahía Portete in the Colombian Alta Guajira.

Locations in the city of Marabina served as the setting for the film, including Las Pulgas market, Las Playitas Shopping Center, La Cañada Morillo, El Callejón de Los Pobres, and the surroundings of Plaza Bolívar.

[3] The film is based on the real events of the Bahía Portete massacre, which took place in the Colombian Guajira on 16 April 2004.

"It was decided to make a fiction film to protect the identity of those affected who are still struggling to recover their territory," clarified Patricia Ortega, and added that the beginning of the story of El Regreso is based on those events.

Later, during the ending, the main character takes over the screen with the experiences of the transition between flight, survival, and the journey back home.