Plaza de la Soledad

Inviting us into a world we would otherwise never know, this richly textured portraiture jumps off the screen in vibrant, clarifying colors. Carmen, Lety, Raquel, and Esther​, each ranging in age from 50 to 80 years old,​ ​​work the streets of La Merced in Mexico City, where life revolves around a large town plaza. Age means nothing to these women, who still dance and seduce with the same energy they've held on to since youth. But with time comes a desire to seek out companionship and security, whether in the form of their fellow co-workers, older men, or their own deeply ​ingrained sense of self-reliance. Photographer-turned-filmmaker Maya Goded refuses to shy away from the painful aspects of these women's jobs - the abuse, fear, and discontent that come from years of selling intimacy​. She leads us into​ their histories, families, superstitions, and hopes, while allowing the camera to hone in on the contours of their well-worn bodies - beautiful and real.​ Plaza de la Soledad is a sumptuous ​visual celebration ​and ​a ​refreshingly honest ​exploration​ of physical and emotional ​self-determination against difficult odds. (Sundance Film Festival)