Film takes up cause of Mexican woman imprisoned in Texas

Rosa Jimenez, a 26-year-old Mexican woman currently serving a 99-year sentence in a Texas prison, might not have committed a crime, according to Lucía Gajá, 34, the Mexican director of the documentary “Mi Vida Dentro (My Life Inside).”

The film takes aim at the United States criminal-justice system and its treatment of Mexican undocumented female migrants. It is told through the case of Jimenez, who crossed illegally into the United States when she was 17 years old. Clearly on the side of the defendant, who was convicted in 2005, the film combines the words of Jimenez, her defense lawyers and the prosecution to lay out what ends up a chilling depiction.

“Mi Vida Dentro” debuted in Mexico last week in cinemas across the capital, and is the first feature-length film from Gajá, who is a graduate of CUEC, the cinema program of the Autonomous National University of Mexico. It’s also the first Mexican documentary to be distributed by Ambulante, the film festival created by two of Mexico’s most bankable stars, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, in 2006.

Gajá says that the film was an attempt to broaden the discussion about immigration in Mexico and the U.S. -- a discussion she feels focuses on border crossings, the deaths of migrants en route, and Mexican men sitting on death row.

“I felt that it was necessary to talk about the women who cross over, and also what it’s like for a Mexican woman to be in a prison in the U.S.," Gajá said. “They lose contact with their families and many [of their families in Mexico] will never be able to get a visa to visit their daughters in prison.”

During the filming of the documentary, the young filmmaker saw what she calls the “double incarceration” of Mexican female migrants in U.S. prisons, caused by a lack of knowledge of the language and culture as well as isolation from their families.

“When women are in that maximum security prison they are only allowed one five-minute phone call every six months,”  Gajá said.

The case against Jimenez stems from the death of 2-year-old Brian Gutierrez, who died while she was caring for him one afternoon in 1999. The young boy choked on a wad of paper towels.

Jimenez says the first sign that something was wrong came when the child approached her in the kitchen of her small apartment in Austin, Texas, his hands around his neck and his face red, suffocating.

The prosecution lawyer in the case, Alison Wetzel, on the other hand, argues that the boy’s death was a homicide and accused Jimenez of “holding him down” and stuffing the paper towels into his mouth.

Gajá’s account of events after the boy's death is compelling and, from material presented in the documentary, viewers are drawn to share her conclusion: Jimenez is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit.

Some of the most damning footage is that of Texas forensic specialists and a police detective testifying in court during Jimenez’s trial. All report that there was no physical trauma to the dead boy’s face or neck that would have been there had Jimenez tried to stuff his mouth with paper towels. But when asked their opinion by the prosecution, all three say that they think the death of the boy was no accident and that Jimenez was responsible.

“Mi Vida Dentro” is activism through film in the same vein as movies such as "Bajo Juarez,"  released last year in Mexico. It follows, therefore, that the film is subjective. For example, the prosecutor is given no on-air time (the director said that Wetzel failed to return the many calls she made to her office requesting an interview).

Although the mother and other members of Brian Gutierrez’s family appear on film in court, and express doubts about the conviction of Jimenez, they are not featured in any one-on-one interviews.

Gajá explains: “The mother was very upset because of the loss of her child. I didn't want to go up to her to ask her more questions.”

The dead boy’s uncle makes a statement to the court after Jimenez has been found guilty. He apologizes to Jimenez and adds that he has his doubts about the verdict.

“I felt that that testimony in some way summarized what he felt about Rosa,”  Gajá said.

The film includes numerous interviews with the defendant, her husband, mother and defense lawyers.

The director’s camera style might be jarring for some, and the lens often moves from one character to another in the same take, swinging around searching for its subject before settling.

Regardless, the documentary has wowed critics. It was voted the best documentary at the Morelia International Film Festival here in Mexico in 2007, and was an official selection at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival last year (see the film’s websites for a full list of accolades).

But prizes weren’t at the top of Gajá’s objectives  when she started working on the film  back in the year 2000.

She says that besides seeking to raise awareness of Rosa Jimenez’s case in the United States and Mexico, she had another goal.

“I also want to inform the people here in Mexico who head north … that there are complicated and hard situations that happen to Mexicans over there when they confront a language, culture and law system that they don't know.

“Really, living in the U.S is very hard for people who don't speak the language.”

At the time of this interview, Gajá was yet to secure a U.S distribution deal for “Mi Vida Dentro”.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Images: Top -- A screen shot from the documentary film "Mi Vida Dentro". Bottom -- Lucía Gajá, director of "Mi Vida Dentro."  Credits:  http://www.mividadentro.com/.

Edited Jan 23rd, 10:30am Mexico City Time. Director's surname.

Comments

[Rudi]

It seems that she is not the only person in us prison system as a result of miscarriage of justice.
A few years ago quite a few people in prison were released when law students re-examined their trials and the courts finally decided that mistakes were made.
If it wasn't for the students they would still be in prison.
The fact that the course of justice may be worse in other countries than the US, does not make the US system better.
Rudi - Brussels - Belgium

[Scott]

Come on everyone, really? This documentary was so poorly done that all that is shown is pure propaganda. The entire film is spliced to show only one side of the story. Watch carefully and you will see the film is compiled of many bits and pieces from the trial. You can take any trial and put such a spin on it. As a viewer it is important to search out the facts of the story and dig deeper for the reasoning of the jury. It is so easy to watch a film and feel compassionate for a woman crying about her problems, but the truth is a young boy had over SIX paper towels lodged in his throat. Think about it....SIX....why would a two year old boy continue to stuff that many paper towels down his throat. It is just not logical and that is why all but one expert that testiified said it had to be a homicide

[Dina]

Boubluu - If you don't have faith in our justice system, go to Mexico where it is so much more humane.

You are one of the reasons crime has gotten more violent on So Cal.

People who have no respect for laws.

[elizabeth]

I have seen this documentary in the Netherlands on television and I was really shocked by the fact that ms. Jimenez was convicted. It seems to me that the death of this little boy - truly tragic - might have been an accident. What happened to "reasonable doubt"? I cannot believe this was a fair trial. I wonder if there was an appeal and if that was not the case, why not?

[elisa]

Hi,
I saw the documentary of the life of Rosa Jiménez yesterday here in Belgium (Europe) and couldn't believe this woman was sentenced for life.
The prosecutor-lawyer's speach made me think of a lot of hollywood-movies stating only the emotion of revenge, picturing this woman as a cold-harted assassin. She was talking about a non-existing movie (boy not being able to surf one day, Rosa killing the child like a monster...) instead of the facts and it made me laugh. But when the verdict of the jury fell I just couldn't believe it.
I just thought the jury had seen too many hollywood-movies. They didn't listen to what was said, they only felt emotion.
How in earth could this be possible in our time and age.
The evidence all lead to doubt and with that kind of doubt, you can never sentence a young woman for life.
I hope, I really do, that the mother of this 2-year-old boy understands one day that taking the life of this probably innocent woman, did not give here satisfaction, nor peace of mind.
If you read in our newspapers all the crazy accidents that happen with little children(parents killing accidentaly their child: running them over driving out of the garage, falling asleep on them, letting a window open and kid falls out of the window), the mother can just praise the lord that this accident didn't happen at here place, but in the house of a Spanish speaking nany.

Liz

[southoc]

I live in a US town where no one speaks English. What they heck is she whinning about? Illegals have more rights than US citizens.

[Ali]

This woman was provided a lawyer same as any other criminal defendant would be and had due process the same as anyone else. Likewise, it was a JURY that convicted her, not the police, the witnesses, or even the prosecutor. I also have no doubt that translators were provided at government expense.

I also have no doubt that Ms. Jiminez is being treated far better in U.S. prisons than she would ever be treated in a Mexican prison.

[Corky]

A great effort to make money in the movie business. Congratulations! Apart from that, the premise is a bit suspect. The convict suffered due to not knowing the language? Actually many people living here have never learned English, they don't have to. And isolation from their families? We are not really informed about how much of her family is here; most have cousins, brothers, uncles and more. Regardless, I wish the director good luck and I hope she makes plenty of money on this as an entertainment piece.

[Mimi]

I can't wait for a documentary on Mexican criminal-justice system's brutal treatment of undocumented migrants from Central America and South America.

Before Mexicans accuse the U.S. of human rights violations, why don't they first address the human rights violations in their own country? When will Mexicans stop abusing migrants from south of the Mexican border?

[GGriego]

Definitely a case that needs a second look...hopefully someone from the MALDEF can step in that this case would certainly fall under their purview. Finally I must respond to the IDIOTIC response submitted by "Boubluu". The recent shooting of a 4 year old child was not committed by the police but by a gang member (and parolee). Read a newspaper or review the DOJ statistics and you will discover that the majority of violent and property crimes in L.A. are committed by gang members. So please get real and stop wth the erroneous propaganda.

[Dina]

What part of illegal doesn't everyone get?

[Boubluu]

Jesus, This is unreal. This woman really needs help.
Isn't there anything we as american's can do to stop our justice system from convicting people in such a way.

I don't believe trails should surround the words of a police officer anymore. I have wittness first hand how the police will lie because the courts will believe them over the person in question.

When California passed the law that made an officers life more valuable then a common person, everything went to hell.

We no longer tell our children to search for a police officer when in trouble, for fear that they will prey on
our children too, as so mny of have.

Remember there code of silence for there own.
The police have become a gang in there own right.
They have become what they are suppose to oppose.