About the Exhibition

Real Women Have Curves (USA, 2002), directed by Patricia Cardoso, is celebrated as a cinematic landmark for its nuanced and sincere portrayal of a working-class Mexican American family. The independent film set in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, adapts playwright Josefina López’s story of Ana García, a young student caught between the needs of her family’s textile factory and a dream of pursuing higher education. With career-defining performances by America Ferrera, in her feature-film debut as Ana, and Lupe Ontiveros, as tempestuous matriarch Carmen, it is an unprecedented exploration of gender politics and the immigrant experience. In 2019, Real Women Have Curves became the first Latina-directed film to be included in the National Film Registry.

This gallery explored the groundbreaking film from multiple vantage points, with particular attention to script development and casting. Visitors also gained insight into how the intertwined processes of location scouting and production design helped transform real East Los Angeles locations into the film’s fictional locations.

The first iteration of the Significant Movies and Moviemakers gallery featured a six-gallery experience showcasing Citizen Kane (USA, 1941), Bruce Lee, Oscar Micheaux, Thelma Schoonmaker, Emmanuel Lubezki, and Real Women Have Curves.