Winner of the Special Jury Prize, Documentary at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, this fearless record of the unsolved sexual assault and murder of over 350 women in Juárez, Mexico, stands as one of Portillo’s most empathetic, intricate works to date. Allowing the families of the victims to bear witness to her camera, Portillo also seeks to understand the apathy of local law enforcement and the ongoing epidemic of femicide in a city contending with rapid economic expansion alongside increased control by warring drug cartels.     

In Missing Young Woman (Señorita Extraviada, Mexico, 2001), Lourdes Portillo explores two intertwined themes central to her career: violence against women and issues at the Mexico–United States border. Unfortunately, these topics remain tragically relevant today. Click here for information offering a deeper dive into the current state of affairs at the border, resources related to gender-based violence, organizations working toward healing and justice, and outlets for coping with grief and loss. 

Para información en español, aqui.