Plaza de la Soledad

Maya Goded's Plaza de Soledad is a documentary told in a vignette storytelling style, focusing on episodes of sex workers in Mexico City's "Plaza de la Soledad", a plaza right near the Temple of Solitude and the Holy Cross. There are five key women featured, all falling between the ages of 50 and 80. Carmen, one of the older women, is a caretaker-type figure, who supports the others; namely Lupe, a single mother. Another woman, Leticia, uses the money she earns to pay for her daughter's cancer treatment. Esther and Ángeles, two others, have been in a relationship for fourteen years, and finally, Raquel, the oldest woman, follows a plot of emotional development and romantic yearning. All five endure struggles throughout their lives, and these moments are shown throughout the documentary, tempered by tight familial bonds and a sense of humor used to cope. The film has been heralded for its intimate storytelling, something that was achieved in part by Goded's closeness with her subjects, as well as her emphasis on allowing the subjects to speak for themselves throughout the film. == Cast ==

• Carmen Muñoz as Herself • Leticia "Lety" Guzmán as Herself • Epifanía "Esther" Ruiz Lucas as Herself • Ángeles Álvarez Llorente as Herself • Raquel López as Herself • Carlos Pérez Ramírez as Himself == Reception ==

The film received widely favorable reviews from critics. The films critic aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reported 100% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 5 reviews, while IMDB gave the film a 7.5/10, based on 169 reviews. After its debut at Sundance Film Festival, the consensus amongst critics was that the film handled heavy subjects with an intimate level of honesty, allowing the women to tell their stories in full capacity. Wendy Ide, a Senior International Critic from ScreenDaily, wrote that "Goded lets the prostitutes have voices and hopes for the future, things which are routinely denied them by a culture which punishes women for victimhood." Likewise, the film's intimate shooting style and refusal to shy away from embracing the corporal sets it apart -- the women's bodies, though aged, are shown fully, and the details of their homes and surroundings are shown in a stripped back manner. Goded's background in photography influenced the film’s aesthetic style, ultimately emphasizing stripped-down portraiture and the extended close-up shots to create the sense of visual intimacy. "They’re older women, and I love to see how they feel about their bodies. The women who dedicate themselves to prostitution are very confident in their bodies and accept their age," Goded spoke. To achieve this, Goded noted in an interview with Remezcla that it helped that she had known the subjects for over 20 years before she had started to film them, allowing them to be their most comfortable and authentic selves in the film. The film was nominated for several honors, including at the 60th Ariel Awards in 2018, which recognizes excellence in Mexican cinema. At this awards ceremony, it was nominated for 3 categories, including Best Documentary and Best Film editing. == Themes ==

The film Plaza de la Soledad handles themes of aging, sexuality, and societal structures. Goded dives deep into the societal structure that enables prostitution and sex work and the violence that oftentimes comes with it, giving a voice to unsung stories that exist universally from city to city; it also handles the issue of being deemed past a desirable age by society, and how treatment shifts over time. At the same time, she places an emphasis on found families and the power of a woman's sensuality and physical body, as well as being in touch with it no matter your age. Gender and sexuality play an important role in defining the themes of the film, given there is a focus on women's experiences, but also representation of a lesbian couple in Esther and Ángeles' relationship without typical sensationalism. The project builds on past themes of Goded's photography work, representing society in Mexico. == References ==