“La Mami Represented an Embrace, a Feminine Alliance, the Resistance”: Laura Herrero Garvín on Her Mexico City-Set Doc, La Mami

"Men are only good for two things: for nothing, and for money.” So sayeth the titular, straight-talking matriarch at the heart of Laura Herrero Garvín’s La Mami, a gloriously female-centered portrait of the hardworking dancers of Mexico City’s Cabaret Barba Azul. Told entirely from a female POV – with no men in sight to hijack the narrative – the film takes place almost exclusively in the cloakroom/bathroom/dressing room of the legendary nightclub, where Doña Olga (aka “La Mami”) presides. It’s in this safe space that the cabaret world vet, who in the past 45 years has transitioned from party girl to seasoned caretaker (most notably of newbies like Priscila, a Tijuana resident just trying to earn enough money to pay her son’s medical bills), dispenses advice on everything from always using a pseudonym to staying sober under pressure. (Because the ladies make a living providing a “girlfriend experience” of sorts – both drinking and dancing with the customers who pay for their time – getting drunk on a nightly basis is just one hazard of the job.) Luckily, Filmmaker was able to catch up with the Barcelona-residing Spanish director (2016’s The Swirl) – and co-founder of Sandia Digital, which has produced around 20 shorts – just prior to her (IDFA, MoMA Doc Fortnight, SXSW, etc.-selected) latest’s theatrical debut at NYC’s Maysles Cinema. (One screening remains on April 27th.)

To read my interview visit Filmmaker magazine.