Bordertown, written and directed by Gregory Navas, and featuring Antonio Banderas, and Martin Sheen, among others, it’s an intense drama motion picture. The film is inspired by the story of the numerous female homicides in Ciudad Juárez and tells the story of Lauren Adrian (Jennifer Lopez), an American news reporter from the “ Sentinel”, who is assigned to investigate the brutal murder involving hundreds of young factory women (maquiladoras) in a Mexican bordertown. The story is heavy and the drama is intense. According to the movie director, Gregory Nava, his idea was to tell the stories of the killings in Juárez through “an exciting triller-drama”. Lauren heads to (Juárez) and meets Alfonso Diaz (Antonio Banderas) with whom she had worked before in the EUA. A Mexican worker Eva (Maya Zapata) is assaulted while going back home by a bus driver and another man. Unlike many others, she is able to survive and Lauren get in touch with her and listen what had happened. During the movie, Lauren becomes a different person: in the beginning, she just wants a good story for her journal. Afterwards, she gets involved with Eva’s story and drama and they create some kind of emotional bond. For instance, when she’s going to work in the factory to try to discover what happened to the young Mexican, Eva gives her a religious medallion and says” she protected me that night and she will protect you”. The movie reaches its climax when Diaz (Antonio Banderas) is killed inside his office and Lauren meets again Eva and help her to testify against the bus driver. For the meantime, Lauren quits her job in Chicago, showing that she’s more concern with Eva and the cause of the women in Juárez than with her own career. Bordertown is quite an intense and powerful drama. Because that’s the reality of many women in Juárez: their life is a real drama, full of suffering and tribulations. After 2007, some of the responsible for those killings were put to trial and jailed but the main problem was not erased. As Gregory Navas mentioned:” there are powerful forces involved…”. From both sides: Mexico and USA. According to the movie, “the indignation of the women of Juárez cannot be listened by anyone” but after this movie and some other similar initiatives perhaps their indignation can be heard.

Joaquim Vieira UFCD: LEI