Review of Senorita Extraviada 'missing young women'

In 1999, when the United States' FBI crossed the border to enter the Mexican town of Ciudad Juarez, the story exploded in the media. Major newspapers and television shows blared the horrors of young girls and women dying in the desert. Even singer, songwriter, and RAINN guru Tori Amos wrote a song about the events. When the FBI found little more than 8 bodies (attributed to the drug trade) not only did the agents leave to never return but so did our attention. Supposedly, our interest has been redirected across oceans to the women of Afghanistan and other Islamic nations but just miles from our southern border the killings continue.

Lourdes Portillo's bleak film takes those news stories one step further, into realms our media never delved. Instead of covering the mere sensationalism of a desert full of bones, she digs deeper into the societal issues and a corrupt government that lets the crimes of Juarez continue. The case is inspected, including the local police that encourage these acts of violence through everything from tacit acceptance to implied involvement and the American companies that often employ these now missing women with no thought of their well being.

Visually, the film is stark. Interviews are spliced with scenes of the desert and children playing in the dirt. Repeatedly, young girls are asked if they know what is going on in Juarez and if they feel scared. Portillo lets the parents speak for themselves on their grief and absolute anger towards a system that has repeatedly let them down. Señorita Extraviada maintains it's message without becoming preachy and manages to convey the darkness of a shifting town in the desert without losing its focus.