FILMMAKERS’ STATEMENT
Femicide, domestic abuse and sexual exploitation have become endemic in Mexican society where government statistics report around 10 women are murdered every day in gender based attacks. Add to those, the tens of thousands of females who have been ‘disappeared’ and those grim statistics seem to underestimate the crisis in ongoing violence against women.
In the face of this, courageous and determined women have sought to become organized to protect themselves and lobby the authorities to take action against the ongoing violence, yet doing this brings more danger as they often become targeted themselves.
Against this backdrop and during many long research trips to Mexico, the filmmakers met some of these women and became inspired to create a film about one of them.
Ana Paula is the story of a young woman seeking to retrieve her dignity, become a mother and – after a life of exploitation and abuse – learn to trust a man who loves her.
OUR PRODUCTION STORY
ANA PAULA was written, developed, produced and shot in the city of Durango, Mexico.
Accordingly, with the exception of the Director, DOP and some key Department Heads from Mexico City; all crew was assembled in Durango to shoot a non-professional local cast.
ANA PAULA is essentially a film, produced, crewed and cast in Durango. While the project philosophy dictated that 99% of crew and cast were Mexicans from Durango, the producers strived to ensure that heads of department were equally split between genders (see credits).
All cast and crew members were paid properly for their work.
