The Statues

“The Statues” is a short film set in Mexico City in which the famous statues of illustrious men on Reforma Avenue —which have been defaced by feminists in protest— share a conversation with one another about feminism, generated from hate comments by men on social media. The film’s script was written taking into consideration the statues’ gestures and expressions, playing with their possible concordance with the hate comments, to be read in voice over by actors. The story is divided into five segments during which the statues discuss the topics of feminism, feminicide, vandalism, abortion, and men’ rights. Passerby, cleaning and restoration personnel, street vendors and other characters on Reforma Avenue participate during brief interludes after each segment, including one where they suddenly freeze like statues in the middle of performing routinely activities. The film’s visual language will meditate on the topics of change and permanence through the constant opposition between movement and stillness. The arc of the story is the passage of time, seen from sunrise to sunset during the course of a day.

Funded by Awesome Without Borders (October 2021)