/Film
La Mami
Event WebsiteAbout
Winner of the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Film, the second feature documentary by Laura Herrero Garvín follows Doña Olga, also known as La Mami, who having worked more than 40 years in nightlife is the caretaker of the women’s restroom at the mythical Cabaret Barba Azul in Mexico City. Night after night, she attends to the dancers who perform there to live music. A beautiful friendship gradually develops between her and newcomer Priscilla, as the two exchange intimate details during their shifts, sharing glances in the mirror.
SF/Arts Curator Insight
Laura Herrero Garvin’s verite doc introduces us to dancers at the Cabaret Barba Azul, where women, many of them single mothers, support themselves by dancing with male patrons, plying said men with drinks and separating them from their cash. Nothing escapes the watchful gaze of Dona Olga, a tough mother hen who dispenses toilet paper, discipline and priceless wisdom. “Men are only good for two things,” she opines. “For nothing, and for money.”
Sura Wood
Contributing Writer, Film
Roxie Theater