Brainstorm #5 - Paul Druta

Paul Druta

Senorita Extraviada dispels the representations of the victims being responsible for their own death by exposing the systematic abuse of rights and lack of justice within the Mexican police system and other institutions. Politicians claim that the women put themselves in danger by going out at night or wearing provocative clothing, but the documentary shows that the victims were simply hardworking young women who went missing after leaving work. The film and the reading reveal that these murders and disappearances cannot possibly be the result of a single criminal entity; rather they are the result of a patriarchy that ignores the fundamental rights of women. In “Toward a Planetary Civil Society”, Fregoso writes “In fact the various feminicides in Mexico make evident the exercise of power across the social spectrum: the power of the state over civil society; the rich over the poor; the white elite over racialized people; the old over the young; men over women” (Fregoso 2). The brutal feminicides of Juarez demonstrate the “social death” of lower-class Mexican women: these women have been oppressed and targeted to the point where their safety and rights are simply ignored by the government. In the face of these tragedies and the inaction of the governmental institutions, family members are forced to take action into their own hands. Towards the end of the documentary, we see the family members of the victims banding together to raise awareness for the crimes. The families organize public marches and share their stories to let the public know the truth and give a voice to women. Crosses are often seen being painted in public spaces throughout the film. These artistic crosses remind everyone in the city of the injustice all around them, subverting the government’s attempts to cover up its own corruption and injustice.