The Chambermaid

"There is, in Mexican cinema, a very marked tendency towards exploitation and miserabilism - the so-called pornomiseria - when it comes to exploring issues of social class and economic inequality. 'La camarista', the debut of filmmaker Lila Avilés awarded at the Morelia Festival and winner of the Ariel for Best First Feature, stands out for avoiding these vices and proposing an incisive comment on these issues. The plot follows a young chambermaid, Eve (Gabriela Cartol), who works long and hard days in one of the most exclusive hotels in Mexico City, at the expense of taking care of her son. During her routine she rubs shoulders with colleagues, guests clearly more privileged - and ignorant of her situation - than she is, and studies with the aim of getting a better job to give her family a better life. 'La camarista' is a discreet but powerful portrait of loneliness, determination and crushing social inequality that is lived in Mexico, overflowing with a raging irony under its calculated and meticulous form."