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Señorita Extraviada, an excerpt

Señorita Extraviada, by Lourdes Portillo, is a frightening documentary about the assault, rape and murder of women in Juarez, Mexico. This clip opens with the face of a victim’s sister as she paints a cross in a pink square onto a wood post, the raw texture of which ripples beneath like the secrets below the surface of Juarez. We come to trust the victims and their families above all and there is little attempt on the part of the filmmaker to complicate this with a more “objective” approach. Their voices and faces form the skeleton of the documentary. The cross in the square is an unmistakable symbol of the victims, but there are many unanswered questions. Is it a memorial, or a political statement emblazoned on public property? We are left with our own sense of mystery.

This segment also demonstrates the importance of pace. The posts are still as the world of Juarez speeds around them. Life hurdles forward, but the pain remains. Time slows, and the camera hovers above traffic and lingers on the face of a young girl. When we return to real time during the conversation with the two girls, time seems to stop. There is a sense of paralysis. How can they proceed with their lives? How can they know this story and live with the fear of one day becoming its protagonists? The end of the clip evokes the same feelings of suspension, with the woman talking about futility in the search for justice.

~ editorial intern Sarah Sherman

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The narrator here does not work.
Too slow, dragging, puts the viewer to sleep.

Posted on Jul 3, 2010 by URs jakob

I am an Indian based in Mumbai and India is a vast country and much worst crimes happening all the time in some part of India but thanks to TV media and free press , any such issue becomes a national shame…public voice is strong and effective , thanks to media who spares no one.This film tells a lot in 90 seconds but needs an aware sensitive minds to understand the gravity of the crime. In India repeated telecast of the crime in all channels gets justice to victim, even if it is too much stretched and delayed in the present judiciary system of India.

Posted on Jul 27, 2010 by Amit

about 90SC

Each month MediaRights.org will select a video clip from a social-issue piece of media and present it to its visitors to watch, comment-on and forward to their peers. Clips will be no longer than ninety seconds. As social-issue media increases on television, in theaters and on-line, we want to highlight the art of this important content. Stay tuned each month to see which film and what scene we are highlighting!