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Cinematic Renditions of the Femicides in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

INTRODUCTION

Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a border city and neighbor town of El Paso, Texas, is notorious for its

countless instances of female abductions, rapes, and murders. Amnesty International (2005)

has estimated that over 370 women were killed between 1993, when the murders first started

happening, and 2005. The female homicides, also known as femicides, continue to this day,

and considering the number of women who have gone missing, there are surely many more

undocumented murders, justifying the city’s ominous nickname “the most dangerous place on

Earth” (Journeyman Pictures 2014; Quinones 2016)

It seems impossible to pinpoint the exact objective of these murders, although

numerous factors have been taken into account. Most of the murdered women were

maquiladoras workers; young women who were looking for a better life by working in the

factories located near the border. Nobody knows who is responsible for the murders; they

could have been the work of a serial killer at large, satanic cult, organ or drug trafficking,

gangs and their wars, a group of bus drivers, as well as corruption among the local authorities.

It is not uncommon for locals to believe that the women were asking for it, either by their

behavior, apparel, or simply because they were independent working women, enraging the

unemployed male population in the area and leading to a gender conflict (Serrano 2009;

Pantaleo 2010).

The mystery surrounding these murders has led to numerous films being made on the

subject in recent years. In this paper, I will analyze two fictional films based on the events in

Ciudad Juárez, Bordertown (2006) and El Traspatio (2009), the first of which is an American

production, and the second is a Mexican production. I will provide a short summary of the

films, analyze, and compare them based on the way they present the problem of femicide on

the U.S.-Mexican border.

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FILM ANALYSIS

1. BORDERTOWN

1.1. SYNOPSIS

In the American film Bordertown (2006) Jennifer Lopez plays the role of Lauren, an

ambitious Chicago journalist, who is sent to Mexico to report on the Juárez femicides.

Reluctant to undertake the investigation, but hoping to receive a foreign correspondent

promotion, Lauren agrees and travels south to the border. Meanwhile in Juárez, Eva, a

maquiladora worker has been kidnapped, raped, assaulted, and left for dead, but survives

the attack. Shortly after her arrival in Juárez, Lauren meets Diaz, a former colleague and

love interest who is currently working for the local newspaper, as well as Eva. Lauren is

determined to help Eva find her would-be killers and along with Diaz, the two women

begin their search. Lauren disguises herself as a maquiladora worker, successfully acting

as bait and enabling the women to identify the attackers. While Lauren returns to Chicago

to persuade her publishers to print the story, Eva, afraid to testify against the perpetrators,

attempts to escape to the U.S., but is deported back to Mexico. Meanwhile, Diaz is killed

in a drive-by shooting. Because one of the women’s attackers is closely tied with the

American investors of the maquiladoras, Lauren’s story is shut down, for fear of creating

a negative image of the factories and Free Trade Agreement. Lauren ends up quitting her

job in Chicago and returns to Juárez to work for the local paper. One of the perpetrators

comes after her there, but Eva comes to her rescue, killing him.

1.2. ANALYSIS

Bordertown deals with the reality of the city of Ciudad Juárez and the maquiladora

workers living there. The film not only condemns the atrocities committed against the

women of Juárez, but also NAFTA itself for its exploitation of Mexican workers and

subsequent role in the murders. In fact, there is no definite proof that politics are the sole
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cause of the violence. Although other possibilities are mentioned in the film, such as a

prisoner potentially masterminding the murders from within his cell, the bus drivers being

responsible for the assaults, and the local police being corrupted, the director ultimately

points a finger directly at the Free Trade Agreement.

Bordertown is not only about politics and murders though. It’s also about the people

they affect, in particular the women. Eva’s story provides a very real narrative of the

maquiladora workers, who leave their impoverished families at a young age to work in the

factories, hoping to help improve their families’ and their own conditions. Sadly, these

women usually become victims in the process. However, the maquiladora workers and

their families are not the only ones influenced by Juárez and its crimes in this film. Thanks

to Lauren’s flashbacks, we discover that she is in fact of Mexican heritage and was

adopted by an American family around the age of six. Although she is extremely

Americanized as an independent, career-driven reporter who does not speak Spanish, dyes

her hair blond, and fears no one, she is also in fact a strong Chicano woman. Having been

sent to the border, she is forced to face the demons of her past and everything she has been

trying to ignore or repress for so long. During her time in Juárez, she appears to rediscover

her true identity, coming to terms with her personal history. Only after she briefly returns

to Chicago and turns down the promotion she strived for, does it become apparent how

proud she has become of her background, and how strongly she identifies with the

Mexican women of Juárez.

2. EL TRASPATIO

2.1. SYNOPSIS

The Mexican film El Traspatio (2009) tells the story of Blanca Bravo, an officer who is to

take the position of the chief of police in Ciudad Juárez. With the help of the social

worker Sara, Blanca begins to investigate the femicides in Juárez. Meanwhile, the
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governor of Chihuahua is under pressure from the international companies that own the

maquiladoras in Juárez, as they do not wish to have their brands tarnished with the blood

of the murdered women, their employees. The police come to suspect a known rapist, who

was incarcerated and prematurely released in the U.S. on condition that he left the country

immediately. However, the femicides continue following the convict’s arrest. Blanca then

leads the police to perform a major crackdown, surrounding the entire downtown and

initiating a wave of arrests, locking up gangs and drug dealers, but this still does not solve

the city’s problem. Blanca befriends Victor Peralta, a committed journalist who repeatedly

criticizes the local police’s methods in his radio broadcasts, and when she agrees with his

criticism, the governor threatens to withdraw her from service. Before this happens

though, she is sent on a final mission with her colleague Fierro to track a shady nightclub

owner. The businessman is caught attempting to abduct a school girl and Blanca is the

first to confront him. Santos surrenders, as he expects to be treated with leniency by the

authorities, enraging Blanca and leading her to kill him on the spot. With only Fierro as

her witness, the man’s death is ruled a drug-related gang murder. Knowing that her career

is over and that she could face charges, Blanca leaves Juárez behind and crosses the

border into El Paso, Texas.

2.2 ANALYSIS

El Traspatio is a film that successfully paints a picture of the reality of Juárez, but a

reality dissociated with the murders taking place there. The film contains scenes of

everyday life – children playing, busy streets, people going to and from work; images that

allow the viewer to see the city for what it is, without the stigma surrounding it. It turns

the hell most people imagine into a potential hometown, a place we can all recognize and

possibly identify with.

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El Traspatio presents the murders in Juárez very matter-of-factly, suggesting the many

of the women were killed for organ harvesting, others were victims of sexual assault,

some possibly the work of a single serial killer, others were killed for their involvement in

drug gangs. There is no clear motive depicted in this film, rather all of the theories are

equally plausible. It is, however, clearly depicted how the lack of resources and

subsequent fear led the local authorities to turn a blind eye to the tragedies and violence

taking place in their own backyard. One of the most chilling moments of the film must be

the scene when the governor meets with international investors and maquiladora owners

to discuss the possibility of higher financial contributions to help solve the city’s

problems, but instead is faced with the reality of Juárez only being used for its cheap

labor. He is forced to comply with their vision, as there is a risk of the investors taking

their business to even cheaper Asian countries, which happens in the end anyway.

Surprising though it may be, this film is not solely about the femicides of Juárez. The

very end of the film, filled with statistics of femicides in both Americas, is the most

shocking and significant moment of the film. The numbers show how femicide is not only

a local problem, limited to Juárez or other maquiladoras-filled border towns. Femicide is a

global problem, with the highest statistics taken from New York City.

CONCLUSIONS

Both Bordertown and El Traspatio attempt to present realistic, although significantly

divergent images of Ciudad Juárez and the female homicides there. Bordertown presents the

facts as we expect them, shining a light on the source of the problem and making a very firm

statement regarding the link between the government and the murders. The film concentrates

solely on the problem of the U.S.-Mexican border, the maquiladoras, and their impact on the

local societies. El Traspatio on the other hand draws attention to the impossibility of finding

an explanation to the murders in Juárez, the likeliness of accusing the wrong culprits, and the
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inexactness of the number of victims and investigations conducted. Ultimately, the film

portrays femicide as a global problem, still very real in the patriarchal world we continue to

live in.

I found it very interesting that these two films carried such contrasting messages,

especially considering their countries of origin. Initially, I would have thought that the

American film would try to neutralize the problem, globalize it, and avert people’s attention

away from the border where such a significant amount of American business thrives on the

exploitation of cheap Mexican labor and female workers. Yet, it was the Mexican film that

took this approach, apparently in an attempt to normalize the situation in Juárez and show

people that this is not only a Mexican problem, but it can affect anyone anywhere. Both of

these messages are equally important, as many fail to recognize the political factors that have

influenced the current situation on the U.S.-Mexican border, as well as understand that this is

not an isolated problem to be overlooked.

Bordertown and El Traspatio are films that I would highly recommend to anyone

looking to learn more about border issues. Although these films are works of fiction, they

contain significant amounts of factual information and deal with a disturbing issue that is

frequently ignored and rarely appears in popular media. They carry clear messages and leave

the viewer heavily impacted by their content. Regardless of the current political situation,

someone will hopefully find a positive solution to the problems of the U.S.-Mexican border

soon, and it may just be someone whose eyes were opened by films like these.
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REFERENCES

Carrera, Carlos, dir. El Traspatio. Paramount Pictures, 2009.

Gochicoa, Frankie. “Behind The Scenes: The Making of Bordertown - Exposing the Juarez

Murders.” YouTube. 19 June 2014, accessed 17 January, 2017,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=twSQUXONzrg.

Journeyman Pictures. “Juarez: The Most Dangerous City For Women On Earth.” YouTube. 28

Nov. 2014, accessed 17 January, 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJxVl64p4Iw.

"Mexico: Justice fails in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua." Amnesty International

USA. 27 Feb. 2005. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

Nava, Gregory, dir. Bordertown. THINKFilm, 2006.

Pantaleo, Katherine. "Gendered Violence: An Analysis of the Maquiladora Murders."

International Criminal Justice Review 20.4 (2010).

Panther, Natalie. Violence against women and femicide in Mexico: the case of Ciudad Juarez.

Thesis. Oklahoma State University, 2007.

Quinones, Sam. "Once the World’s Most Dangerous City, Juárez Returns to Life." National

Geographic (June 2016).

Serrano, Samantha. "Femicide in Guatemala and Ciudad Juárez: The Underlying Causes that

Have Spurred an International Phenomenon." Mujeres Iniciando en las Américas. 20

Mar. 2009, 17 January 2017.