The documentary *Querida Fátima* (Dear Fátima) emerged as the big winner of the 41st edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG), securing the competition’s top honors. The production received the Mezcal Award for Best Mexican Film, as well as the awards for Best Direction and the Audience Award, confirming its resonance with both critics and audiences alike.
Co-directed by Rodrigo Reyes, Lorena Gutiérrez, and the Varinia collective, the film reconstructs the 2015 femicide of Fátima and chronicles her parents’ struggle to keep the demand for justice alive a decade after the crime. The narrative navigates between intimate grief and social protest, while simultaneously exposing the persistent gender-based violence plaguing the country. The project was developed collaboratively, directly integrating the family’s voice into its creative process.
FICG 41 Closes Its Curtain with Voices of Resistance
During the awards ceremony, Lorena Gutiérrez delivered a deeply moving message. “I want to thank the FICG for listening to us, as well as all the allies who have walked this path alongside us. This recognition also belongs to the Varinia collective, for inviting us to tell this story in honor of the many girls and women who have fallen victim to violence in Mexico.”
The director further highlighted the role of cinema as a space for preserving memory. “Cinema is the memory of the world. It fills me with pride that my daughter Fátima’s voice can transcend… I dream that the entire world will hear it.”
In one of the most poignant moments, she addressed a message directly to her daughter: “I promise you that I will never stop fighting,” before concluding with a rallying cry that resonated deeply among the attendees: “Not one more! Not one more murdered woman!”
