The Soiled Doves of Tijuana

Whether they’re all dressed up and in full make-up, or looking as much as possible like the Virgin Mary, the inhabitants of the red light district in the Mexican border city of Tijuana live in a world of their own. The notorious neighborhood of Zona Norte is their home, but their minds are always elsewhere.

Their turbulent lives are presented in a perfect balance between stylized, colorful scenes and raw reality. You enter deep inside Zona Norte, with the people who are lost in addiction, who do sex work, or who are homeless yet inextricably linked with the neighborhood.

Mimosa, Yolanda and the woman who dances in endless circles share their present, past and dreams for the future, sometimes through stories, sometimes through artistic expression, but more often by simply allowing us to follow them in their daily routines. As a viewer, you witness scenes that are both uncomfortable to an outsider, and deeply human. It’s a remarkable combination that calls prejudices into question.