‘Emilia Pérez’ Star Adriana Paz Headlines ‘The Huntress,’ From Sundance Winner Suzanne Andrews Correa

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As a cinephile with a penchant for stories that resonate deeply, I am thrilled about “The Huntress” (La Cazadora). Adriana Paz’s portrayal of Luz, a factory worker turned vigilante, is not just another role; it’s a testament to the resilience and strength of women in the face of adversity. The film’s premise, inspired by real events, is a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by women in Ciudad Juárez, a story that needs to be told.

Actress Adriana Paz, who won Best Actress at Cannes 2024 for her role in “Emilia Pérez,” is leading the cast of “The Huntress” (“La Cazadora”). In this film, she portrays a factory worker from Ciudad Juárez who transforms into a vigilante and becomes a legendary figure.

The film titled “The Huntress” is the debut feature of American-Mexican director Suzanne Andrews Correa, whose short film “Green” received the Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction at Sundance. This production is a collaboration between Mexico’s Záfiro Cinema, led by Gabriela Maire (“The Good Girls”) and Edher Campos (“Huesera: The Bone Woman”), as well as the U.S.-based studio The Population, headed by Mynette Louie (“Swallow”). This is their second joint project between Mexico and the United States, following their work together on “I Carry You With Me,” which was Záfiro Cinema’s first production and a winner of both the Sundance Audience Award and the NEXT Innovator Award.

Though Paz’s Cannes win has thrown her into the international spotlight, she has won three Mexican Academy Ariel Awards: Best Actress for “Perpetual Sadness” (“La Tirisia”), and Best Supporting Actress for “Hilda” and “Charity” (“La Caridad”). Most recently, she starred in “Arillo the Hombre Muerto.”

Paz commented to EbMaster that it’s effortless to agree when faced with a compelling, impactful, and eloquently written tale such as The Huntress. She feels incredibly lucky to bring to life a character as intricate as ‘Luz’, who is a mix of contradictions, confusion, fears, and desires, grappling with a deep and agonizing personal struggle.

Based on real occurrences, “The Huntress” centers around Luz, a woman driven by determination to mete out justice herself against a serial rapist. Her aim is to establish a safer and fairer environment for her fourteen-year-old daughter and fellow young factory workers in Ciudad Juárez. However, she must also grapple with the repercussions of her actions.

In this production, Teresa Sánchez (known as “Totem”), the recipient of the Sundance Special Jury Award for Acting in “Dos Estaciones”, Jennifer Trejo (“Radical”), Guillermo Alonso (“Billy the Kid”), and debuting actor Eme Malafe, a rapper, complete the cast. This talented ensemble has been carefully put together by Luis Rosales, who was also the casting director for “Roma”.

The movie titled ‘The Huntress’ was created in collaboration with Films+Pro, Chemistry, and CTT Exp & Rentals. Paz, Rosales, and Fabiola Velázquez are the executive producers for this production.

The screenplay for ‘La Cazadora’ was funded by grants from both the Sundance Institute and SFFILM, and it also received accolades from the Princess Grace Foundation, the Directors Guild of America, and Cinelatino in Toulouse, France.

The movie’s main shooting will finish by Christmas this year, and it’s projected to debut in the year 2026. As Campos mentioned, it’s designed to be a full-length film for theaters.

In actual life scenarios, “Diana, the Bus Driver Avenger,” was a woman with blonde hair, around 25 to 40 years old, who fatally shot two bus drivers in Ciudad Juaréz during the year 2013. Over a dozen women had lodged complaints against bus drivers for sexually assaulting female factory workers, but these allegations yielded no results. Following the killings, bus drivers expressed their concerns about their own safety to the media.

Beginning from 1993, over 200 female factory workers have faced brutal deaths without any justice being served for their killings.

The movie “The Huntress” unfolds over a 24-hour timeframe starting from the first murder until the next. Within this story, the protagonist is violated by two bus drivers, and she identifies one of her assailants. Regrettably, neither of these perpetrators have faced justice up to this point in the narrative.

Actress Adriana Paz, producers Gabriela Maire and Edher Campos, along with director Suzanne Andrews Correa, discuss “The Huntress

According to Paz, ‘The Huntress’ depicts a woman who finds her life disintegrating following an act of cruelty inflicted upon her. Luz embarks on a quest to reclaim herself and endure in a harsh world that provides neither sanctuary nor reliability. The intricacies of human behavior are extensively delved into throughout this character’s voyage,” she explained further.

Maire explained to EbMaster that the focus of the film is to reveal The Huntress’ thoughts and emotions throughout a 24-hour period, showing her human side and moral ambiguity. The movie doesn’t present her as a heroine or justify her killings as retaliation, but rather aims to serve as a powerful call for change in the way society safeguards its most vulnerable groups.

In numerous aspects, The Huntress shares similarities with a Western genre, as its main character strives to establish order and civility within an unruly frontier.

Campos stated that The Huntress fired her shot in Ciudad Juarez. It was essential for us to accurately portray this distinctive setting, a border town reminiscent of traditional Westerns. Juarez, situated amidst the desert, initially appears like a desolate ghost town, but upon closer inspection, we found another aspect – teeming with life and hope in its residents,” said Campos.

Andrews Correa described it as both a feminist and mythological Western, rooted in the long-standing female struggle against an unaccountable system. However, this production defies conventional expectations, discarding simplistic notions of right and wrong.

Paz stated that she finds no greater attraction than a project which lacks clear distinctions between right and wrong, and features a powerful female director equally matched by the females on-screen.

Andrews Correa recently worked as a writer and director on the Paramount+ series “Minimum Wage” (“15 a la Hora”). They have received grants from the Sundance Institute and SFFILM, and awards from the Princess Grace Foundation, Directors Guild of America, and Toulouse’s Cinelatino.

Záfiro Cinema is involved in the production of “The Dog Thief,” a film directed by Vinko Tomicic and featuring Alfredo Castro. This movie had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and was later chosen as Bolivia’s submission for the Spanish Academy Goya Awards.

Paz is represented by Raul Simancas and Vision Entertainment, while Andrews Correa is represented by Anonymous Content. (In simpler terms, both Paz and Andrews Correa are managed by different agencies – Raul Simancas and Vision Entertainment for Paz, and Anonymous Content for Andrews Correa.)

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2024-12-03 15:51