Film Craft > Production
MEDIA.MONKS, Mexico City / GIRLS NOT BRIDES / 2023
Awards:
Overview
Credits
Write a short summary of what happens in the film.
A young policeman, a family man, is obsessed with solving a case. The search for a woman who has been missing for months and for whom her husband is very worried. But, with the help of the townspeople, they manage to find her safe and sound... to put her behind bars for the crime she committed.
Background:
In Guerrero, Mexico, more than 300,000 girls have been sold for marriage. Yo Quiero, Yo Puedo is an organization that designs and implements educational and health programs in marginalized communities that asked us to create a film for the World Children’s Day to raise awareness for the cause.
Provide the full film script in English.
Scene 1
Video
We see the courtyard of a house, in it there is a cage with a little bird that is singing, suddenly, someone arrives, our protagonist, a man about 30 years old, responds with whistles to the bird, greets him, yawns, and looks at himself in the mirror.
Audio
Music and birdie whistles.
Scene 2
Video
We cut to a black background, on it appears a title that says: I'M CRIMINAL and in the background, we hear that our protagonist begins to speak.
Audio
Music.
Police Man: Little Monkey! Wake up now!
Scene 3
Video
We return to the courtyard we saw at the beginning, our protagonist is washing his face because he has just shaved, he gets up and looks at himself in the mirror for a moment.
Audio
Music.
Scene 4
Video
We cut and see that our protagonist enters the living room of his house, stops for a moment and we realize that he is talking to someone. The camera follows him and we discover that he is talking to his wife, to whom he asks something, she answers him and he continues on his way, enters another room and suddenly stops and says something to someone. From another room comes a little girl, about 8 years old, his daughter, who walks slowly to the living room, where her mother is making breakfast. Her mother says something to her and the girl sits down to eat. Suddenly, our protagonist comes out dressed, talks to his daughter, says goodbye to them and before leaving, his wife stops him to ask him something.
Audio
Music.
Police Man: This girl turned out even lazier than her mother. Where's my shirt?
Wife: I left it hanging there.
Police Man: (Whispers something to his daughter).
Wife: Daniela, hurry up, it's late, and you know how your father gets.
Police Man: Are you up already? Take care of your Mom. See you later.
Wife: Hey, what about my kiss?
Scene 5
Video
We see another man, a policeman, his partner, sitting inside a van, doing nothing. In the background we see our protagonist, asking some people about someone who is missing, nobody gives him an answer. He, a bit angry, turns around and walks back to the van, where he hits his partner with a picture of the missing person and asks him to help him.
Audio
Music.
Police Man: Have you seen this person?
People: No, we haven´t.
Police Man: Are you sure? Have you seen her walking around? No? Nothing? Thank you.
Police Man: Stop Fucking around, get out and help me.
Partner: It's not a big deal.
Police Man: Not a big deal? Say that to her family. Get Out!
Scene 6
Video
The two policemen start walking around town, asking different people if they have seen the missing person they are looking for.
Audio
Music.
Police Man: Good morning Ma´am. Have you seen this person?
Woman: No, we haven't seen her.
Police Man: She´s been missing for almost two months.
Partner: Long Hair…
Man: No, I havent´s seen her.
Partner: Brown skin, no?
Police Man: You sure, chief? Take a good look.
Police Man: Keep it.
Scene 7
Video
We see the two policemen at the entrance of the house where the missing person lives, a woman opens the door for them.
Audio
Music.
Police Man: Hello, Ma´am, is your son here?
Scene 8
Video
Now, we are inside the house, the two policemen talk to the husband of the missing person, they tell him what is the plan they have to find her, but he gets angry, to the point of wanting to hit the partner of the policemen. They have no choice but to leave.
Audio
Music.
Husband: What the fuck are you doing here? You should be looking for her.
Police Man: We´re extending the search. We need a more recent picture.
Husband:Flyers? That's your plan? You should be knocking down fucking doors!
Partner: Easy!
Husband: Easy, asshole. What if it was your wife?
Police Man: Listen! I´m here to tell you that we´re going to find her. I can assure you.(Sigh) Let's go. Thanks.
Scene 9
Video
We cut to our protagonist, lying in bed, sleeping soundly, suddenly the phone rings, his wife gets up to answer it and apparently he is urgently needed somewhere else.
Audio
Music.
Wife: Hello! Yes, he's asleep. Yes, i´ll let him know… Juan, Juan..
Police Man: What!
Wife: They can´t get Gómez out of “La Llorona”.
Police Man: Aagh! Fucking Gómez.
Scene 10
Video
Now we see our protagonist walking, he is heading towards the bar where his companion fell asleep, he stops for a moment to say hello and continues his way inside the bar, his partner is asleep, and asks for something to wake him up. He picks him up, and pushes him out of the place, but before leaving, another man who is in that place, asks something to our protagonist and reveals a secret.
Audio
Music.
Woman: Hi Juanito.
Police Man: What´s up, babe?
Police Man: Give me a glass of water. What the fuck bro!
Stranger: Hey! Are you guys still looking for that guy's wife?
Police Man: Angélica yes. What do you know?
Stranger: Nothing.
Police Man: What do you know?
Scene 11
Video
We see a police patrol speeding through town, apparently heading to the place where the missing person is presumed to be.
Audio
Music intensifies.
Scene 12
Video
The two policemen get out of the patrol car and head towards an abandoned house where we can see that someone, a woman, is hiding. They approach, knock on the door, force their way in, search for her and finally find someone, on the ground, who is crying with her head in her arms. Our protagonist picks her up from the floor and rushes to take her out of the house.
Audio
Music.
Police Man: I finally found you, little cunt! You almost got away bitch!
Scene 13
Video
From inside the house, the policeman comes out with a missing person, and we realize that it is a girl, Angelica, a 13 year old minor, who was sold to marry a man much older than her.
Audio
Dramatic Music.
Scene 14
Video
We cut to the real news of this story and over the audio, we see images of Angelica's marriage.
Subtitles: Angélica was sold for marriage at the age 11. Three years later, in October 2021, she was arrested by the local police after escaping her 31 years old husband.
Audio
Music and News.
Scene 15
Video
We cut to black background.
Subtitles: Donate now, to stop thousands of girls being sold.
Yo quiero, yo puedo LOGO.
www.yoquieroyopuedo.org.mx
Girls Not Brides LOGO.
Audio
Music.
Is there any cultural context that would help the jury understand how this work was perceived by people in the country where it ran?
The story that is told in the film is based on events that occurred on October 18, 2021 in Guerro, Mexico. On that specific day the journalists Raymundo Pérez Arellano and Fernando Guillen, after an burdensome investigation, told the world the heartbreaking story of Angelica, a girl just 13 years old, that was persecuted and arrested by the community police for running away from her husband.
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