Maquilapolis: Making Objects, Subjects.

What struck me most about “Maquilapolis” was, surprisingly, what I learned in the last minute of the film: not only was Maquilapolis shot by Tijuanian female factory workers, but these same women had decided how the film was conceptually going to be conceived. While I knew that Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre had given these women video cameras, I was not aware of the extent that the directors had included these women in on the creative process.

Originally, I was annoyed by the performance pieces that sprinkle “Maquilapolis”. I believed these scenes were simply the byproduct of arrogant directors making “artsy” arrogant work. These scenes, however, have such vital meaning when it is revealed that they are collaborative conceptions of the Maquiladoras and the directors. They are the expressions of the women. I was impressed by how willing the directors were willing to step back to facilitate creation. Director Vicky Funari expresses her desire to relinquish control: “As a filmmaker, I know how to structure a film; a factory worker, on the other hand, might not know how to structure a film, but she knows what she wants to say about her life.” (POV Production Journal)

The Maquiladoras wrote narrations for the film, created the concepts for the key artistic per formative, and filmed. By giving these women the control, Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre produce a successful, insightful documentary.