Maquilapolis

Maquilapolis draws on many different sources in order to create the film’s final product. This amalgamation of footage from various women who were part of the “Maquilapolis” of Tijuana as well as the filmmakers creates an interesting aesthetic for the film in general.

The film is both polished and unpolished.

It is clear to see the difference between those scenes that were shot by professional filmmakers and the women who had just been trained in using cameras. It is not that the quality or effectiveness from the collaborators differs. The scenes that are shot by the women are powerful and the scenes that were most likely orchestrated by the professional filmmakers are equally as strong. There is no attempt by the film’s creators or editor(s) to mask the collaboration. The two styles of shooting (i.e. the more candid video diaries of the women of Factor X and the choreographed, time-lapse shots, and sweeping shots of Tijuana of the professional filmmakers) are seamlessly blended.

This combination of the collaborators work & filmmakers footage and the clear distinction between the two adds to the authenticity of the film. One cannot seem but feel as if the stories that are being told are those of the women. The camera isn’t being focused on what the filmmakers want. Footage was shot and turned over to the filmmakers or the women decided what they wanted focus on. An outsider isn’t tasked with accessing the situation in the factories. The women documented their lives and stories that are those that they deemed important.
With the filmmakers serving as facilitators to the women’s’ work Maquilapolis seems to demonstrate an effective way of collaborating, especially when dealing with issues of social change and human rights.