Wednesday May 28 | 9:00 pm | Vancity Theatre

Directors: Alejandra Sánchez & José Antonio Cordero, Mexico, 2007, 96 minutes

Spotlight on Mexico, Part 2 | Curated by Victor Martínez Aja

In the Mexican city of Juárez, close to the American border, a striking number of young women have disappeared in recent years. Many have remained missing, but the discovery of several bodies has attested to the fact that the women were murdered. Bajo Juárez: The City Devouring its Daughters follows these unsolved and highly publicized crimes against women along the Mexico-U.S. border.

How can it be that most of the murders have remained unsolved and the perpetrators unpunished?

Directors Alejandra Sánchez and José Antonio Cordero bravely forge a new understanding of the enormous dangers still facing women in the malquiadoras factories, where hundreds of murders go unsolved. Using a narrative approach unique to a woman’s point of view, Bajo Juárez integrates testimony from family members, journalists, factory workers and police officials. The film commands attention to the horrors perpetrated against grieving parents still desperate for answers.

The film also introduces two journalists who refuse to accept the vague explanations from the police and government officials, and instead dig deeper into the hundreds of disappearances. The documentary points toward a disturbing corruption that reaches to the highest levels of the Mexican government.

Directors' Biographies

Alejandra Sánchez graduated from the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematograficos. Her credits include the multiple award winner Not One More, and I Bet, I Win. Bajo Juárez is her first feature film.

José Antonio Cordero graduated from the Centro de Capacitacion Cinematográfica. Stage director, filmmaker and video artist, Cordero’s film, The Fourth House, was nominated for best documentary by the Mexican Film Academy in 2002.

Director in attendance

Curator’s Biography

Victor Martínez Aja was born and raised in Mexico City and has lived in Vancouver for ten years. His passion for the arts and experience as a cultural promoter has led Victor to collaborate with different Latin American events, as well as various film festivals in the city. Victor is the co-founder and director of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival.

Read the essay: Notes on the Mexican Documentary

Community Partners

CoDevelopment Canada is a BC-based non-profit agency working for social change in Latin America and here in Canada. CoDev believes that solidarity is at the root of global justice. CoDev builds partnerships to protect workers‚ rights, defend public education, strengthen grassroots, engage Canadians and promote fair trade.

Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (VLAFF) is a non-profit cultural promoter that strives to entertain audiences, provide insight into Latin American social issues, and celebrate the rich traditions of these diverse countries. This annual, non-competitive festival promotes dialogue between cultures and explores historical and social issues through the eyes of filmmakers.