Decades after the disappearance of her uncle during Argentina’s Dirty War, a filmmaker joins the Caravan of Mothers, a group of brave Central American women who embark on an annual bus trek through Mexico in desperate search of their children who disappeared trying to reach the US.
SYNOPSIS
In A Place of Absence, filmmaker Marialuisa Ernst travels with the Caravan of Mothers of Missing Migrants on their annual 2,500-mile bus trek through Mexico, desperately searching for their sons and daughters who vanished without a trace trying to reach the U.S. Along the migrant route, this brave group of Central American women visit strip clubs and jails, flashing portraits of their missing children, and go to mass graves, demanding that bones be exhumed for DNA testing. Propelling the filmmaker on this journey with the mothers is her own experience with unresolved grief. Marialuisa’s uncle disappeared during Argentina’s Dirty War in the 1970s. Seamlessly shifting between past and present, desert and forest, and political and personal dimensions, this lyrical film captures the strength arising from female solidarity and maternal love. It reminds us of the invisible threads that trespass borders, binding us together as human beings like the root systems of trees. When a loved one disappears their entire ecosystem is altered.
Director Statement
As a mother and immigrant in the US, I want to tell a story about the boundlessness of maternal love and women working together to speak truth to power.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Marialuisa Ramirez-Ernst
Marialuisa Ernst (she/they) is a queer transcultural artist from Chile, Bolivia and the US. Through performance art and filmmaking, she explores the sacred feminine and interconnectedness of humans. She’s a Tribeca Film Institute Alumna. Her work has been exhibited at film festivals internationally. Marialuisa’s approach to documentary filmmaking is informed by her background in performance art. A PLACE OF ABSENCE marks her directorial debut for a feature-length documentary. The film has received funding from Tribeca Gucci, NYFA, and NYC Women's Fund. With this project, Marialuisa has been invited to participate in the TFI Network, IFP Labs (Independent Filmmaker Project), DOC NYC Forum, DCTV Work-in-Progress Lab, the BGDM Feedback Loop, the NALIP Media Summit Fellowship, and the FEMCINE Film Festival Work-in-Progress.
RELATED LINKS
PROMOTE THIS PROJECT
Put a donation widget on your site. Click here for code.
ABOUT YOUR DONATION
Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
Your contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and a confirmation of your donation will be sent via email. WMM will send you an acknowledgement letter in the mail to the address listed for tax purposes.