In the evening, people flock to the small square with a fountain in the middle in La Merced, the red-light district of Mexico City. They are women between 50 and 80 years old, and although they have been earning their money here for decades, you wouldn’t be able to tell they have hard jobs at first glance. They talk excitedly about beauty tips, make fun of customers, and give each other good advice. However, if you were to watch the protagonists in their everyday lives, you would see that it is much more diverse than just cucumber masks and pedicures. Esther and Angeles, for example, always show up together and have been in a passionate love affair for 14 years, although they have had many experiences with violence. Raquel, who will be 80 soon, protects her family and friends from bad influences through regular tarot readings and spiritual rituals. Then there is Carmen, who is 68 and still desperately in love with Carlos, who is possibly her pimp. Instead of disclosing voyeuristic details, the film leaves things open.
The photographer and filmmaker Maya Goded accompanied these women for several years. She built a relationship of trust that can be seen in the range of experiences, from everyday comedy and hard work, to existential fears and longings. PLAZA DE LA SOLEDAD is not only the square in the neighborhood of La Merced; it is a state of mind that inspires a deep sense of solidarity based on shared experiences of violence, the fight for survival, and their longing for love.
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Maya Goded geb. 1967 in Mexico City, arbeitete als Fotografin v.a. zu Themen wie weiblicher Sexualität, Prostitution und Gender Violence. 1994 veröffentlichte sie ihr erstes Projekt über Afro-Mexikaner „Tierra Negra“. Ihre Fotos und Videoinstallationen wurden international ausgestellt und mit Preisen ausgezeichnet. 2003 erhielt sie ein Guggenheim-Stipendium. Goded publizierte mehrere Bücher u.a. die Fotoserie «Plaza de la Soledad». Filme u.a. UNA REINA A SU GUSTO (2009), AUDACITY: YOUNG LEADERS FROM OAXACA (2016, web doc).
