They say great things come in threes. And this seems certainly so in the rise of female Mexican filmmaking.

‘Dandelion’, ‘Esperanza’ and ‘A Very Nice Guy’ are three films, written and directed by Mexican female directors that featured among the 16 finalists in this competition, designed to shine a light on women’s rights around the world.     

“Leave education for people with a brain. Make yourself useful and be a good woman.” (from Lorena R Valencia’s ‘Dandelion’ the winning film). 

'This attitude was instrumental in the existence of this competition, that highlights female filmmakers and women's rights.  Inspired by the UN Women campaign ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence’, these final 16 films were selected from hundreds of submissions on this theme.

As actor Golda Rosheuval said: “The ‘16 days 16 films festival’ provides a platform for women to share their stories, giving them space and empowerment to come forward. Art has the ability to challenge and provoke, and sometimes discomfort and is necessary to drive meaningful transformation. Pushing back against social norms and advocating for change is essential in creating a safer and equitable world for everyone.”

In 2022,  it was another Mexican filmmaker, Melissa Elizondo,  who carried away the winning prize with her film ‘Hilo Rojo’.  Mexico is a complex country. It is the second most populous country in Latin America with 122 million people, just over half of which are women, and at least 16 million of those, belong to no fewer than 68 different ethnic and linguistic groups.

'Esperanza' Jiménez with her son Rodrigo and husband Luther

For years we have read painful stories of violence against women in Mexico, but despite the country having made significant progress, the fight for greater equality continues. A lack of education and endemic machismo has slowed women’s emancipation to financial and political independence, leading to a link with unpaid work and women being trapped by poverty.

It is no surprise then, that this annual short film competition, ‘16 days 16 films 2023’, has three Mexican films among it 16 finalists. This year’s Jury includes Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief of the Ending Violence against Women Section at the UN- Women in New York, and Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and Women’s Right’s campaigner Patsy Stevenson, to name a few.  Alongside the Raindance Film Festival, ‘16 Days 16 Film’s also hosts interviews with women and non-binary persons from the film industry.

The three Mexican films in the final are “A Very Nice Guy” by Minerva R. Bolaños, “Esperanza” by Mayra Veliz, and ‘Dandelion (Cuanacaquilitl’) by Lorena R. Valencia that won the first prize.

‘Esperanza’ and ‘Dandelion’ both deal with the abuse and problems that women face in Mexico, while ‘A very Nice Guy’ comes at the theme from the male point of view. An interesting juxtaposition. These films are sensitive and moving, and, despite the underlying message, they are not ‘in your face’, and very accessible and interesting.

DANDELION : ‘Dandelion’ is the story of a young teenage girl who is married off to an unpleasant man by her father when her mother dies. He only wants a maid, and sex slave, and criticizes her relentlessly, complaining that he does not want to eat beans every night. She, meanwhile, is desperately trying to search for remedies to stop an unwanted pregnancy, regardless of the risks. Despite being just young teenagers, she turns to her girlfriend to help and your heart goes to out to this abused girl trapped in a loveless marriage.

The lead, Abril G Montiel, with a stunning indigenous profile and appearance, plays Ingrid. She dreams of finding a way to return to school, although the possibility does not look that promising.   Her only consolation is the time she can spend with her girlfriend, played by Alejandra Herrera. There is not much joy to be found at her local church either. She desperately tries all the methods she can, to stop her pregnancy, including, drinking what looks like a very unpleasant boiled tea, totally unaware of what might be in it. There is a simplicity in the way the story unfolds, that is in keeping with the conditions in which she has to live. Her options are few and it is hard to see how she can cope and create a better future for herself. There is an intimacy to the filming that is effective and even shocking to full effect.

As Valencia says “Around the entire world, people are still fighting for basic rights such as making choices over their own bodies. My short film “Cuanacaquilitl” (Dandelion), aims to keep having conversations about the dangerous conditions that thousands of people with a capacity for pregnancy face practicing clandestine abortions. This film portrays, through a fiction scenario, the lives of many females around the world who lack the resources to decide over their own bodies but it’s also a film that honours the power of hope, resilience and sisterhood. “Cuanacaquilitl” comes from the Nahuatl language, venerating my roots and my ancestry, and it means “Dandelion” in English. This narrative short film is written in honour to my grandmothers who despite living in tough conditions, showed strength and resilience raising a large number of children, and it’s dedicated to all the people with a capacity for pregnancy who feel overwhelmed during these uncertain times.”  

ESPERANZA : Written and directed by Mayra Veliz, ‘Esperanza’ is dedicated to Veliz’s own grandmother Esperanza Jiménez. It is in the form of a documentary with a moving voice over by Esperanza herself, telling the story of her extraordinary life.  

Kidnapped and married by force at a young age, she suffered years of abuse from her unloved husband, Luther.  Luther had obsessed about marrying her since he was a teenager and she was only 10. Upon meeting her again, when she was 19, despite her protestations, he literally carried her off and married her against her will. She had no one to turn to for help as her own (estranged) brother was in on the plan. Esperanza’s despair abated when she had children and her intense love for them helped her get through the traumas. 

But Esperanza was no push over, and with the love of Manuel, whom she met at the local store, she eventually was able to rebuild a life for herself against all odds. This is a heart-warming and moving tale of survival and determination. The voice over is so evocative and frank, she could be in the room, and although we only see her, in person, right at the end, her powerful presence pervades the film with an amazing intensity.

A VERY NICE GUY: Finally, there is “A Very Nice Guy”, by Writer/director Minerva R Bolaños.  The lead is Rodrigo Fierro (Roberto Duarte) a famous filmmaker. He challenges the assumption that an online rape accusation has substance. The girl who posted it, ‘GABY’, had been a member of one of his film crew, and had never taken the legal route, instead choosing to denounce him on social media, long after the alleged event, accusing Rodrigo of raping her. He, being a famous celebrity, realizes that he has to respond to the accusation or it could affect his career, his friends and his family.

To defend his innocence, he decides to make a mockumentary to tell his version of the story, maybe to also start a #mentoo: “I want my voice to stand for all those who have been wrongly accused.”

Given that no legal process was instigated, Rodrigo thinks that this is the best way to stage his own denial and declare his innocence.  Friends, colleagues and family are interviewed and the alleged events are reconstructed.  But we can ask, is the damage already done, regardless? Once accused, is true innocence ever to be believed?

‘DANDELION’

Writer/Director Lorena R. Valencia/ Prod Lorena R Valencia, Aaron Rodríguez, Dulce Rodríguez and Ricardo Ramírez/ Editor Marta F. Tenorio/ Sound Joel A. Argüelles/ Music: Charlie Lavin/ Cast: Ingrid: Abril G. Montiel/ Brenda: Alejandra Herrera/ Husband: Jesús Islas Ambríz

‘A VERY NICE GUY’

Writer/Director Minerva R/ Bolaños/ DOP:  Marta Moreno/ Sound Liliana Villaseñor and Olivia Lagunas/ Editor Fernando Méndez Arroyo / Original Music Karina Rivero López /Cast: Rodrigo: Roberto Duarte/ Mariana: Denisse Corona /Laila: Laila García Guerrero/ Olivia: Olivia Lagunas/ Bruno : Gustavo Proal/ Diana TV Hose: Diana Aboukian.

‘ESPERANZA’

Writer/director: Marya Veliz/ Production: Denisse Castellanos / DOP: Castillo Carlos/ Editor Mayra Veliz/ Music: Juan Pablo Miramontes and Héctor Madrigal/ Cast: Esperanza Jiménez as herself.