A documentary by Gabriela Martínez (RT 37 minutes)
Illuminating Important Questions in 21st-Century Mexico
Silent March
This documentary by Gabriela Martínez, University of Oregon assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Communication, tells the story of a media takeover that changed the nature of politics, and how we understand media, social movements, and in particular the role of women in both media and social movements.
Following a teacher’s strike in Oaxaca, Mexico, in August 2006, about a thousand women marched to the installations of COR-TV, taking over the stations to voice their political, social, economic, and cultural concerns while also calling for the resignation of the State’s governor, Ulises Ruíz Ortíz. The film opens with the 2007 celebration of the first anniversary of the takeover, and quickly moves to narrate how and why women got to this point.
Martínez lets the women and all other actors involved in the events speak for themselves. Issues of justice, globalization, women’s rights, and human rights violations converge at the core of a social uprising, in which media becomes an important site for the struggle.
Women, Media, and Rebellion in Oaxaca is excellent for scholars, students, and general audiences interested in women studies, social movements, media in developing countries, empowerment, indigenous peoples, and international communications.
