La Mami

After working in nightlife for over 40 years, Doña Olga is now La Mami: the caretaker of the women’s restroom at the mythical Barba Azul cabaret. Night after night, she cares for the dancers working to the rhythm of live music. The restroom is a bubble of trust inside Barba Azul. Today, a new woman stops by the restroom: she has a sick son and is looking for work.

Violence and judgement toward women are a heavy burden that Melissa lifts every time she trains. She lives in a macho society that punishes women who choose to break with their traditional role. Both on the street and on the ring, she is constantly met with demands, harassment, and guilt. But she will continue fighting and answering back: “Come on, are you going to shout at me or what?” 

Pedro is a farmer who defends his identity and his dreams; his sister Esther strives for a better future for her daughter as she shares her world through the lens of her small camera. They live in El Remolino, a tiny riverside community in Chiapas, Mexico, which is affected by strong floods every year. To them, life is like a swirl that spins them across the journey of their internal cycles and of the greater natural cycle of the river.