Missing Young Woman (Senorita Extraviada)

Running time: N/A

West Coast Premiere Marina Flores, 1990; Norma Aguilar, 1991; Maria del Rosario Gomez, 1993; Olgo Carrillo, 1995; These are the names of young women, many working in the maquiladoras - assembly plants that line the Mexican-American border near Ciudad Juarez. All slender, dark-skinned, and long-haired, they begin to disappear in 1990. Victims of brutal rapes, their bodies, sometimes just skeletons surrounded by remnants of clothing, are discovered months and years later. A young woman who has escaped abduction accuses Sharif Sharif, an Egyptian. But after his arrest, the disappearances continue. Other accusations are made. A special prosecutor, Suly Ponce, is appointed, but the only forward motion is an absurd accusation that Sharif Sharif is directing further abductions from his cell. Official incompetence and corruption, revealed in epic proportions, are set against the courage, honesty, and initiative of relatives who, with no alternatives left, organize their own investigative and political group-Voices without an Echo. This gripping film by Academy Award nominee and Bay Area resident, Lourdes Portillo (The Devil Never Sleeps, Cinequest, 1996), is not only a tour de force of criminal investigation, social commentary, and political criticism but also a masterful work of cinema, both for its sensitive visual poetry and poignant musical score. Nicole Guillemet - Excerpts from the Sundance Film Festival 2002 program. Reviewed by Al Owens. Preceded by: The Victim (Doug Magee, 13 min., USA). In a bar, late at night, she sees a free drink. He sees his past. The drinks go down and the conversation smolders, but who is the victim? Starring David Strathairn (Matewan, Dolores Claiborne) and Patti LuPone (Life Goes On).