Paulina (1998) (NR)

synopsis

A girl becomes the victim of a cruel feudal system and struggles against insurmountable odds to defy a man, a town and a culture for the right to name herself in this powerful story based on actual events. In the 1950’s, the young child Paulina was traded away like chattel by her parents for land rights in the rural village of Veracruz, Mexico. In heartbreaking detail we learn how this innocent young girl was stripped of any rights, ostracized by the townfolk, and abused by the town boss, who kept her as his unwilling mistress throughout much of her adolesence. Taking control of her destiny, Paulina eventually makes her escape to Mexico City in search of a new life. Returning to her hometown years later, Paulina is at last able to confront her family, her painful memories and finally, define herself on her own terms. Narrative re-enactments are intercut with interviews with Paulina Cruz Suárez herself in this non-fiction film that shows how much the perceptions of others guide us and how vulnerable we can be to those perceptions.