#25N Day of struggle against gender violence

It’s been a long time since I last wrote on this blog. Today’s Sunday, I’m working at home, but I keep thinking about our struggle, our everyday struggle against gender violence. It’s the international day for the elimination of violence against women, but I’d rather speak of gender violence, since it’s a much broader concept.

I’m writing this in English, so that other people can read and know about my story, or rather, my mom’s story. My mom, María Elena Gómez, was a 53-year-old Argentinian English language teacher whose partner killed her on July 19th, 2005, in Buenos Aires.

Screenshot of the documentary Femicide. One case, many struggles.

In 2014, as María Elena’s daughter and as a Communication Sciences student at the University of Buenos Aires, I decided to make a documentary called Femicide. One case, many struggles (Femicidio. Un caso, múltiples luchas, in Spanish) to tell the story of the years that followed my mom’s femicide and how I could make sense of it thanks to a collective struggle.

Screenshot of the documentary Femicide. One case, many struggles

 
The documentary has been supported by the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA), among other Argentinian institutions and organizations. I have worked together with awesome professionals, and I’m thankful to all the people who have taken part in the film and who have made it possible.

Not only does this first-person documentary deal with the question of femicide and gender violence in Argentina, but it also reflects on topics such as mourning, justice, memory, collective struggle, feminism, media, empathy, post-traumatic stress, the body as a political body, and how we can turn pain into beauty, to put it someway 🙂

Screenshot of the documentary Femicide. One case, many struggles. Shooting at Matienzo Cultural Center with my contemporary dance teacher, Jimena Pérez Salerno, and friends.

I include some screenshots of the film, which I will be hopefully premiering next year.
Having been so difficult to produce, to write, to promote, to direct and to be the protagonist of this documentary, I invite you to follow me on social media so that we can spread the word about it. I’ll need you at movie theaters next year to support our work and our struggle! Thanks a lot!

Screenshot of the documentary Femicide. One case, many struggles (photos of María Elena Gómez, to whom the film is dedicated).

Love,

Screenshot of the film Femicide. One case, many struggles (this is me in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, where mom was killed in 2005).

Mara Avila

More information on the film here: www.filmfemicidio.com.ar 

FB: facebook.com/FilmFemicidio

IG: instagram.com/FilmFemicidio

TW: twitter.com/FilmFemicidio