Juan Carlos Garcia
Reform Agency
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 | 08:46
Mexico City – There are thousands of stories of crime, injustice and abuse in Ciudad Juárez, but there are also those that, despite the pain they push, lead to hope; this is the case of Luchadoras.
This documentary feature film by Paola Calvo and Patrick Jasim, whose world premiere will take place on Wednesday at the South By Southwest 2021 festival, means for its co-director a representation of machismo rooted in Mexico and the desire of women to overcome a fate that only paints their fate .
“A friend went to live in Ciudad Juárez, she is a fan of Lucha Libre. Through her we started to know a different image of the city. It is a very strong sport, with a wide audience. We thought we could find stories to tell.
“I left and I was there, I found the protagonists. Juárez is very complex, very interesting, there is a lot of power struggle, it is a violent way of life and there are movements that are looking for a change, despite the fear,” said Calvo from his domicile in Germany.
Paola was born in Caracas, lived for a time in Mexico City and grew up in Barcelona, a population she left to pay for her film studies at non-stratospheric prices and which she managed to do at Berlin. He lived there for several years and there he found the co-production for this tranche.
The feature film follows Lady Candy, Baby Star and Mini Little Mermaid, who, in their parallel universes, face similar problems, such as men’s contempt for being women and a lack of decent wages for a proper life.
The director went from anguish to euphoria when he mentioned Ciudad Juárez. He says he finds it shocking that, in the face of the feminists who live, this situation has not been stopped and, above all, that the inhabitants live in fear, although many of them appreciate the benefits of the border population. .
“It’s something that doesn’t fit in my head, that talking about ‘Las Muertas de Juárez’ is something already everyday, from that day, which shouldn’t even exist,” the filmmaker argued.
In just under two hours, Luchadoras summarizes the Cross Stations that the protagonists live not only because of their profession, but because they cannot see their children because their father forbids them, another lives in a very conflicted area and still one, violence and abandonment, felt devastated when she returned to live with her parents.
Yes, Lady Candy is a funeral home employee and finds comfort in sports because of her pain; Baby Star puts on his mask to fight inspired to give his daughter a better life; and Lady Little Mermaid works in maquila, but does not have enough support for her mother’s medical treatment.
“We have a connection with the three, they are very excited about what is happening with the documentary. They saw each other on TV and shouted, “Aaaay, I was on TV! “There was an affinity, understanding with their story.
“We are already finishing the documentary and we are ready to present it. I can’t believe we’re presenting it at the world premiere and I want people to see it, anywhere, on their computer, on their mobile, on the screen. It is very rare to be in your home with the world premiere, but now! Everyone needs to see the Wrestlers, “Calvo said.
This film was shot in late 2019 and early 2020 in Chihuahua. Since then, a lot has changed: everyone has adapted to the pandemic and worked from home; Omar, the Baby Star tailor, died of Covid-19; and one of them went through other situations that tell a different story.