The film follows Mexicana Nayeli (Ruth Ramos, The Untamed/La región salvaje), a 17-year old woman. The plot centers on how Nayeli finds her “power” via local witch culture following a brutal assault. Although the film is set in Mexico City, Ex Voto’s creators made it to examine “rape culture in patriarchal societies around the” world; it also was spurred by the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
“We were drawn to Mexico, thinking we would create a protest film,” states the film’s Kickstarter press release.
“We spent a month researching and speaking to people about our ideas. During our conversations, we found women in the close knit Catholic suburbs of Mexico City are treated very poorly with little sense of female community. The statistic that 7 women die daily in Mexico as a result of ‘feminicidio’ (femicide) came up continually and the film grew into a story that aims to raise awareness about the global problem of sexual violence against women. Our hope is that this short will empower women everywhere to stand up for themselves and know they are not alone.”
Ex Voto is directed by Ashley George (Sometimes Forever, Outfest) and co-produced by Diana Mata (Memories of a Strip Club, Ariel Nominated and screened 20 countries) and Maya Korn; production design by Julieta Jimenez (Narcos, Queen of the South); production company Enfant & Poulet; written by Alonso Diaz-Rickards.
The people behind Ex Voto also have partnered with Casa De La Familia, a non-profit organization that helps trauma victims.
To see what types of perks are available via the film’s Kickstarter, go here.
The campaign ends July 17.
