Violet Perfume (Nobody Hears You) (Perfume de violetas [nadie te oye])

Running time: N/A

Heartbreaking and profoundly moving, Maryse Sistach's Violet Perfume (Nobody Hears You) captures both the pain of its characters as well as their beauty and unyielding spirit-in a world where these qualities should, seemingly, not exist. Setting her sights on the mounting problem of sexual assault in Mexico City, Sistach fictionalizes the true story of a friendship between two adolescent girls, torn apart when one of them is viciously raped. Rebellious tomboy, Yessica, is frequently in trouble. Yessica's life goes from bad to worse when her mother marries a bully, whose contemptible son, Jorge, arranges for one of his cronies to brutally rape the young girl. Terrified and ashamed, Yessica keeps silent but seeks solace in a friendship with Miriam, whose stable home life stands in stark contrast to Yessica's. Disaster hits, however, as Yessica lands Miriam in trouble. Miriam's mother forbids the girls' friendship, but the more Yessica encounters misfortune, the more she needs Miriam. Sistach paints a disturbing portrait of an ominous world of heartbreak and desolation, punctuated by glimpses of hope and courage. The subject matter comes alive in Sistach's capable hands, and under her direction, the actors-especially newcomer Ximena Ayala-give commanding performances. Reviewed by Al Owens