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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
This week at South by Southwest (SXSW), many films hit close to home. On this list, Paola Calvo and Patrick Jasim’s Luchadoras was one of those films. This independent sports documentary centered on a group of Mexican women looking to make it big in a violent city. For those who don’t know, Ciudad Juárez — like many places in the world — will make you think that it is beautiful. However, in Calvo and Jasim’s depiction of the city, it is not all “rainbows and sunshine.”
In this review, I review their co-directed film. Although, in the importance of having seen this foreign language production, I may be lost in translation with Spanish-to-English interpretations of speech.
Plot Summary
The film sheds light on the abuses towards women — in the physical, emotional, and verbal senses. Not only is Ciudad Juárez a city of factories that contributes to global capitalism, but it is also a dangerous one. Dead bodies of women are discovered in the desert, and many of their lives are put at risk. In one instance, we have a character named Lady Candy. Her ex-husband fled across the US-Mexico border and settled in El Paso Texas with her children. After several months of not talking to them, she undergoes a visa process of meeting them once more.
In another story, we have Baby Star who prefers to wear a mask to hide her identity, compared to people who do not make this decision. She states, “[S]ome feel good without a mask, others need it.” She has her children to look up to her, most especially her daughter who wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Despite seeing her get hurt in the ring, this looks like a great choice that the child wants to make. Baby Star also has a younger sister joining her in wrestling named Little Star. The two were raised without brothers, setting them on a path without any male guidance (aside from their father).
Lastly, we have Mini Sirenita who gains her mother’s approval to leave her job at a factory to fight. Of course, a mother’s love and prayer are pure and can conquer anything. She learns, “If the final hit comes, you must know your path.”
Discussion
Luchadoras defines gender violence as the following:
…any physical or psychological violence against people because of their gender, and has a negative impact on their identities and social well-being.
The dialogue between the figures of the narrative easily passes the Bechdel Test, so there is no issue there. In one scene, Candy and Sirenita discuss the problems women face when stepping into buses. When a woman is being hurt, neighbors would lock their windows and look the other way. Women’s screams would be heard, and doesn’t this sound like the Kitty Genovese syndrome? The world is a dark place, but if we don’t continue to divert into a different direction, society will remain in that state.
Mexico reminds us that in its essence, it’s nothing to be seen as different from the United States. One country is seen for practicing Christianity, and the other is known for Catholic following. However, they both believe in God. The hills of the Mexican city has words that read: “CD Juarez: La Biblia es Laverdad Leela.” This is a translation for “Juarez: Read the Bible, it speaks the truth.” Believe in it or not, the book has many stories and lessons to offers, but there’s always more to the narrative than that.
Another juxtaposition noted here is the Mexican law enforcement corruption, just like how it is (but shouldn’t be) in the United States. In Candy’s story, she has had her father, brother, aunt, and uncle die within a four-year span, and the local police are not working in her family’s favor. Someone says, “It’s not nice to live like this. With the fear of not knowing if you are in the wrong place, fear to disappear from life, you disappear completely.”
Concluding Statements
The documentary felt as if it were set up for something big, and it does. Although, I was hoping for a big match between the women fighters. Perhaps, that’s not what the film is about. The women are not fighting each other. Instead, they are fighting something that is not themselves: machismo. They teach themselves and other women like them how to fight and feel empowered without always having men present to accomplish this.
Overall, Luchadoras is a powerful film that highlights the voices of young Mexican women. Some wear masks — physical and emotional — while others may not. One lesson is that they all hide their pains of being seen as weak/ inferior. In my interview with one of the co-directors, we discuss this a bit more in detail. There is so much you can take from this, and I hope more people are able to see this documentary.
Stay tuned for my Zoom interview with the co-director, Paola Calvo, which was filmed last week.
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
