CORRESPONDENT CITY OF DREAMS Transmission Script ................................................. PRODUCER GIANFRANCO NORELLI WRITER/DIRECTOR BRUNO SORRENTINO SERIES PRODUCER FARAH DURRANI EDITOR FIONA MURCH PRODUCED BY PALIO PICTURES LTD 96 Brondesbury Road London NW6 6RX ................................................. Transmission BBC2 13 January 2001 Running Time 44 min 02 sec inc. front titles CONTRIBUTORS Soledad Hernandez Philips Factory Worker Maribel Salas Lear Corporation Factory Worker Suli Ponce Head of Women's Homicide Unit, Juarez Police Irene Blanco Defence Counsel for Abdel Latiffe Sharif, accused of multiple homicide Rosa Isela Perez Investigative Journalist Paula Flores Mother of murdered factory worker Guillermina Flores Sister of murdered factory worker Dr. Candice Skrapec Criminologist Esther Chavez Cano Director, Casa Amiga Women's Support Group & Rape Crisis Centre Epitacio Luna Father of missing girl Celia de la Rosa Mother of missing girl Sandy Amaya Friend of missing girl 10.00.00 CORRESPONDENT GENERIC TITLE EXT JUAREZ. POLICE CAR Archive corpses in desert. Aztec TV (Channel 44) 5" Corpses in desert Aztec TV 5" (NB: ALL ARCHIVE FROM AZTEC TV/CHANNEL 44) Stills missing & dead women 19 sec. ex: El Norte Newspaper Music (commissioned) Liz Drew 68 secs COMM: Death stalks this city. Over two hundred women have been killed in the past few years. Their bodies turn up regularly on the wasteland outside town This nightmare has transformed what was supposed to be a city of dreams. 10 01 00 ON SCREEN TITLE: CITY OF DREAMS BORDER SEQUENCE 01 13 08 ON SCREEN CAP: JUAREZ, MEXICO COMM: Juarez is a border town - within yards of the American city of El Paso. For many Mexicans it's just a stopping-off point. A large number here are in transit. They dream of a new life in the United States. Some even try to cross illegally. MAQUILADORAS For others, the dream is here, in the form of jobs in the many factories built by multinational companies The factories called MAQUILADORAS have drawn workers from all over Mexico. Their numbers have swollen the population of Juarez six fold in recent years. But the jobs are mostly for women - and most of the women killed were factory workers. EXT PHILLIPS FACTORY SOLEDAD LEAVING 10 02 44 08 INT ROOM MARIBEL & SOLEDAD ON SCREEN CAP: SOLEDAD HERNANDEZ EXT WASHING SEQ ON SCREEN CAP: MARIBEL SALAS COMM: SOLEDAD left her parents farmhouse in a poor region of Mexico when she was just 14. The death of so many young women is a constant source of fear. SYNC INT SOLEDAD: 10 02 33 I'm frightened by all the bad things that happen in Juarez. You have to be constantly on your guard against being robbed, beaten or dragged into cars by strangers. The best protection is to make sure you have someone with you when you leave the house COMM A stranger recently tried to drag Soledad into his car late one night as she walked home from the factory. By chance a friend happened to be passing by. I/V SOLEDAD 10 03 10 My friend yelled out my name 'Soledad!" The driver thought he was coming to help me and he sped off. COMM Soledad shares a room, with a fellow factory worker called MARIBEL Women's bodies have been found near their home. Maribel is terrified of walking home alone through the unlit streets at the end of her shift. MARIBEL - 10 03 48 I have to walk 5 blocks. It frightens me but I try to give myself courage. I have to do it because I don't want to lose that job. MARIBEL V/O: 04 01 22 Now I'm used to earning my own money, buying what I want, going out dancing and having fun. 04 08 04 Back home it's not like that. Where would I earn the money? SOLEDAD: V/O: 04 17 09 As for me, I could never go back to my old life... because I'm used to buying my own clothes and shoes - back home how would I ever manage that back home? EXT MARIBEL & SOLEDAD EXIT BUS AT NIGHT ONTO STREET COMM: 10 04 22 All week long Soledad and Maribel look forward to their Friday nights on the town. But their new-found freedom comes at a price. Young factory workers are the most likely targets of rape and murder. COMM: Juarez is considered to be the most dangerous city in the Americas. 04 42 EXT STREET TRACKING SHOT COMM: The only release for young assembly line workers, is in the discos and night clubs of the red light district. Many of the men involved in the huge local narcotics trade also come here. It's a dangerous mix - 200 men are killed here every year in gun battles between rival drug gangs. Disco music Choque Norteno 8" It's here that the police believe many of the women meet their killers. INT POLICE HQ - ROLE CALL COMM: Every so often the Juarez police carry out coordinated raids into the city's night clubs. The heavily armed units include the Women's Homicide Team - who've been under intense pressure for the past eight years. 10 05 42 INT I/V: SULI PONCE ON SCREEN CAPTION: SULI PONCE. HEAD OF WOMEN'S HOMICIDE UNIT 10 05 42 INT I/V SULI PONCE: Hardly did we pick up a corpse when another body would appear. We're under so much pressure that we're working 24 hours a day. This job demands you sacrifice your family, social and personal life. 10 05 53 Music Choque Norteno 40" COMM In tonight's raid three hundred officers - half of the Juarez police - will search 25 clubs and several hundred people for drugs and weapons. The raids are such a poorly kept secret that they hardly ever produce results. Critics say these operations are for show and the real centers of the drug trade are never directly challenged Tonight's operation yields one under aged drinker, and a tiny trace of cocaine. This is a society in transition. The police are swamped, and the women are vulnerable. I/V SULI PONCE ON SCREEN CAP: SULI PONCE, HEAD OF WOMEN'S HOMICIDE UNIT 06 41 I/V SULI PONCE Of the 200 women killed here, not all were raped and strangled. There were different kinds of murder. OK, they were all women, but some were killed in crimes of passion, others in drug dealings... others for revenge, and others in robberies and assaults. 10 07 04 HISTORY OF KILLINGS Archive corpses in desert 36" Aztec TV 06 54 Music Liz Drew (35 sec) COMM: It all started in 1993 when locals first stumbled upon the bodies lying in the wastelands surrounding the city. Since then, the death toll has reached well over 200. Most of those killed were female factory workers - teenagers who'd come to Juarez in search of a better life. . Many had been raped, their bodies mutilated. RED LIGHT DISTRICT COMM: The police concentrated their effort, trying to find the killer in the red light district. Then in October 1995 they stumbled upon an Egyptian who'd frequented many of the local haunts. Music Liz Drew 52" Archive Sharif Press conference 25" Aztec TV Press clipping, El Norte 10" COMM ABDEL LATIF SHARIF was arrested and accused of the abduction and rape of a local prostitute - a charge which was later dropped. But it turned out that in the USA in the 1980s Sharif had been convicted of sexual assault. The authorities quickly branded him as the serial killer. 10 08 18 I/V IRENE BLANCO ON SCREEN CAP: IRENE BLANCO, SHARIF'S DEFENCE COUNCIL 10 08 18 IRENE BLANCO I/V: The same day he was arrested, the police held a press conference to announce they'd found the serial killer of women in Juarez. And that was Sharif. Newspaper clipping El Norte 9" Music Liz Drew 7" COMM: The police had got their man, and put him behind bars. Music Liz Drew 8" COMM Sharif was charged with the murder of 4 women whose bodies had been recently found. He had been a brilliant industrial chemist with a string of manufacturing patents to his name. Media interest in the case and the authorities' relief at having captured the serial killer of Juarez made Sharif a celebrity prisoner. They were keen to put him on show at press conferences. Sharif took the opportunity to claim his innocence. Archive Sharif Press Conference Aztec TV 20" Music Liz Drew 10" INT JAIL: SHARIF SYNC: SHARIF: They're liars - the governor is a liar, and the chief prosecutor is a liar too. The blood of these girls is on their hands because they're hiding the truth about the crimes, and using me as a scapegoat. I' not scared of them - I only fear God. Archive Rebeldes Arrest 40" TV Aztec Music Liz Drew 35" COMM: In a much publicized raid in the city's red light district, the police then arrested a gang of drug dealers called the REBELS. The Rebels, according to the police, had been paid by Sharif to carry on killing women while he was behind bars - so as to deflect suspicion. They even produced a confession by the Rebels which stated that the killings had been masterminded by Sharif. 10 17 INT I/V SULI PONCE Press Clip El Norte 8" Press Clipping El Norte 15" 10 58 ON SCREEN CAP ROSA ISELA PEREZ, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Press Clipping El Norte 09" Press Clipping El Norte 17" 11 43 ON SCREEN CAP: IRENE BLANCO - SHARIF'S DEFENCE COUNCIL 10 17 I/V SULI PONCE: He's a very intelligent man in the way that he manipulates situations. His IQ is much higher than normal. He's brilliant and intelligent. He's especially manipulative when he deals with the media. Just by talking to you he persuades you he's right...even if the evidence demonstrates exactly the opposite. Music Liz Drew 15" COMM: Most of the media unquestioningly reported the official line that Sharif was a psychopathic serial killer. Yet there was still no evidence to support this. 10 58 I/V: ROSA ISELA PEREZ "The media never so much as questioned the official versions. They never questioned the irregularities in the investigations. They never asked for proof. They simply published whatever the prosecutor told them - so much so and for so long, that everyone believed it. So now everyone believes that Sharif is the serial killer. Music Liz Drew 18" COMM: Sharif's lawyer was convinced that he had no public support because he was Egyptian - it was easy to portray him as the dangerous outsider. 11 43 I/V: IRENE BLANCO: 'It's impossible for him to have a fair trial because of the way they created the monster through the media and what they really wanted was to make him like (Hannibal) Lecter in the film the Silence of the Lambs. That's what they want to do with Sharif and that's what they mean when they say he has an evil intelligence. COMM: The Rebels soon recanted their confession - saying they'd been tortured. Press Clip El Norte 11" Music Liz Drew 18" COMM: Most of the gang were then released. Sharif remained in jail - and more families were to lose their daughters. EXT ANAPRA - GUILLERMINA'S MOTHER & BIRD CAGES Still photo Sagrario Flores 12" EXT HOUSE GUILLERMINA I/V Archive discovery of Sagrario's body 9" Aztec TV Still photo Sagrario ex El Norte 8 sec Sagrario's family 13" Aztec TV 14 32 EXT GUILLERMINA I/V 12 39 I/V PAULA FLORES (MOTHER): The loss of my daughter changed the life of everyone in my family. It's a hole that can never be filled COMM: Two years ago SAGRARIO, Paula's daughter, disappeared on her way home from her shift at the American General Electric plant COMM: Five members of the family worked in the factory. They lived in a tiny hardboard house in the remote outskirts of town. Sagrario was the oldest daughter. 13 20 I/V GUILLERMINA: My sister was 17 she was just starting her life ... she was always smiling. She loved working to help her family ... and for the church and children. She liked playing the guitar. She loved children, and would spend lots of time playing with them - inspiring them with her life, not knowing her life was about to end Music Liz Drew 33" COMM Two weeks after Sagrario went missing, her body was found in scrubland. The family learned of her death through the local papers. Adding insult to injury, the police claimed Sagrario had provoked her own death by leading an active night life The family were outraged. Sagrario had been a bible teacher who'd never even been to a dance hall. 14 32 GUILLERMINA SYNC: We didn't feel it was fair the way we were treated ... and we didn't want to keep quiet about it. We felt that if we did nothing we'd be like accomplices to the killers. From the moment we buried my sister - it was a body without a face - it was then my family decided to fight for justice, for the crimes committed against my sister and many other women. INT GUILLERMINA'S OFFICE COMM: The lack of confidence in the authorities spurred Guillermina to form a victims support organization. V/O GUILLERMINA We called it Voices Without Echoes because our voices have no echo: they're not heard EXT: LEAFLETING COMM: The organization lobbies the authorities and produces leaflets to help locate missing girls. CROSSES ON TELEGRAPH POSTS & LEAFLETING 15 43 V/O GUILLERMINA: We realized we were not alone there were many other families who'd also suffered the loss of a daughter in similar circumstances. COMM: Their first action was to paint crosses on the city's telegraph poles - a reminder of the women killed. 16 08 V/O GUILLERMINA: We don't want to beg for justice any longer: we're demanding justice is done. EXT: PROCURADERIA ON SCREEN CAP: "POLICE HEADQUARTERS, JUAREZ" CANDICE SKRAPEC WALKS IN COMM: Dr. CANDICE SKRAPEC is a Canadian criminologist, and an expert in the psychology of serial killers. Her experience with the FBI brought her to Juarez. She's spent several months helping local police investigators. She's just returned from her home in California to see how the detective work is developing. INT Dr. SKRAPEC & SULI PONCE WITH COMPUTER SOFTWARE PACKAGE Faces programme on computer screen. 5 " Copyright cleared COMM: She is trying to assess whether there is one, or more serial killers at work. The task in hand is to improve the police procedures. Dr. SKRAPEC SYNC: Right now if there is a criminal like a serial killer or bank robber, they are able to print in the code, 'cos each face you make has a particular code, a number for the eyebrows and a number for the nostril. Together there will be a number of numbers that will give you a code for that particular face. Then you can just send it to anywhere in the world that has this particular programme and they will be able to print the picture just like that. ON SCREEN CAP: DR. CANDICE SKRAPEC, CRIMINOLOGIST DR. SKRAPEC I/V: "I estimate that since 1993 there have been four different individuals working alone, killing at least three or four people over a period of time. And that for a city of this size over a period of time - that's a significant number...normally in big cities we may see one or two over a period of say half a dozen years. I suspect there have been more here. Probably it's the complexion of the city being a border city that facilitates this kind of criminal behaviour..." INT POLICE HEADQUARTERS WOMEN WITH POSTERS COMM: A new name has been added to the list of missing teenagers. Sixteen year old factory worker VERONICA MARTINEZ went missing seven days ago. Her mother has come to the police HQ accompanied by neighbours and fellow workers to pressure Suli Ponce into action. Guillermina is here to advise them. But Suli Ponce is nowhere to be found - so they set off on their own investigation. EXT PICK UP TRUCK COMM: They suspect Veronica, may have been abducted by a boyfriend. COMM: The young man is not there: they confront the boy's father EXT BOYFRIEND'S HOUSE Ist WOMAN: (SUB-TITLED) 19 05 We're asking for permission. If we don't get permission, we'll search the house regardless. 19 11 We know we're breaking the law, but we don't care Because the law doesn't do anything for us 19 15 So we're taking the law into our own hands FATHER: We live here .. and my neighbour lives there.. 19 37 If my son had your daughter .. I'd have reported it. I'd have taken her by the arm and brought her back.... I'd have told her let's go... your parents are worried. 19 50 Why did you take the day off from the factory the day my daughter disappeared? 19 52 You knew your son was going with my daughter ... and you were nervous about it... 19 55 Look if he had her I'd tell you COMM: The women aren't convinced. They search the compound anyway. SUBTITLES: No one else there? Did they tell you not to say anything? Don't be afraid! INT POLICE HEADQUARTERS WOMEN TAKE ON SULI PONCE COMM: Leaving a poster behind they decide to return to the police headquarters. SUBTITLES 20 32 Three people came out - when they saw us one of them turned and ran away 20 44 SUB TITLES: SULI 'You're giving the game away ... by letting them know you suspect them... 20 58 Now that he knows you're onto him If he'd had plans to leave the city now he'll make sure he does it quickly!!! 21 10 That's exactly what we mean. We don't know if you even know about this man. 21 13 It's great that we women worry about another woman! It's great if we can all join together... in this search. It's really good! And it's also a help for the mother. We're all women and we know the risks we run and the disadvantages But it's about time you saw us as friends .. not as enemies INT PROCURADORIA COMM. Dr. Skrapec has taken an interest in Veronica's case. Veronica's mother is still convinced that her daughter's boyfriend is involved in her disappearance. INT PROC. CANDICE TALKS TO THE MOTHER POLICE OFFICER (SUBTITLES) You suspect her boyfriend? VERONICA'S MOTHER: Yes POLICE MAN (translates) She has some concerns about the boyfriend. POLICEMAN (SUBTITLES:) Does he work? MOTHER (SUBTITLES) Yes 10 22 07 My daughter works in the print room. This boy works on the machine just behind her. 22 21 He came up to me and asked for permission to date her. 22 33 I said - 'this isn't the time to talk about this... Can't you see I'm working? 22 35 The next day he came to work with love bites on his neck... POLICE OFFICER TRANSLATES: One thing she remembers is that when her daughter was missing is that the next day, Friday, the boyfriend showed up with kisses on his neck Dr. SKRAPEC: Oh... hickeys! COMM: Veronica's life is more complex than it appears. Dr. Skrapec learns from detectives working on the case that there's tension within the family. CANDICE & DETECTIVES Dr. SKRAPEC SYNC TO POLICEMEN: It seems that there is some very good reason to believe that there was a lot of trouble between Veronica and her father? MALE DETECTIVE: Yes, her father was over jealous. He took her out of school and put her in the maquila so she could start working. He was over-jealous he didn't want her to have a boyfriend or anything like that. Dr. SKRAPEC: If he did actually did kill her ... intentionally ... what have you learned about the case? Did he actually threaten to kill her? DETECTIVE: Yes. He even told her I wish a lot of guys would kill you or rape you... he told Veronica. One of the things we saw in her letters to boyfriends was "You're the love of my life.. you know stuff like that...I want to spend the rest of my life with you... then two weeks later she'd be writing the same thing in another letter... DR. SKRAPEC: To the same boy? DETECTIVE: No to a different boyfriend.. so within only a few weeks she was writing the same thing to another guy..." CANDICE REFLECTS ON Vs LIFE Dr.SKRAPEC: I could quite understand how a teenage girl coming from a home such as Veronica's could easily find herself attracted to a dream that a young man who comes into her life might offer her. But that dream of course is in terms of an immediate future. But it's a way out. That's the hope. That's the dream. That's the fantasy. But the reality that she would find herself in is more of the same. She's going back into the same kind of situation her mother married into. EXT WOMEN ON STREET Mariarchi trumpet Music 8" COMM: It turns out the prime suspects the detectives have identified in Veronica's case are unlikely to have been strangers. The role of women is changing in society and the picture is complicated by domestic violence. Mariarchi trumpet Music 5" INT CASA AMIGA - ESTHER CHAVEZ CANO ON DATA BASE ON SCREEN CAP: ESTHER CHAVEZ CANO, CASA AMIGA WOMEN'S SUPPORT CENTRE COMM: CASA AMIGA is a women's support organisation that helps victims of abuse. They maintain a database that includes domestic violence against women - something the police statistics do not account for. Their research indicates that the changes brought about by the new job opportunities are pushing traditional gender roles to the limit - and that this provides the key to understanding much of the violence. 25 58 SYNC: ESTHER CHAVEZ CANO Women have got independence for themselves but men haven't caught up yet...men still want to be in command, spend their wives' money, and have the right to beat them and the children, because machismo here has not been eradicated EXT JUAREZ BILLBOARDS YOUNG WOMEN OUT OF FACTORY COMM: Casa Amiga's experience provides a different vision of Juarez ... of a city where the new independence gained by women through work is breeding dangerous resentment. 26 38 V/O to In Vision: ESTHER CHAVEZ CANO: "...these women come here with the dream of earning the money to survive.. but here they find many things they knew nothing about...independence... the opportunity to go dancing - alone... to choose how and where they spend their money. Here they free themselves from the control of their fathers, their husbands their brothers.... I/V MARIBEL & SOLEDAD 27 08 MARIBEL: In a marriage they'll beat their wife and do what they like, and outside the marriage they do the same. They pick up a woman, do what they want with her, and dump her - and there's nothing to stop them 27 25 SOLEDAD: I think men who do that feel inferior to women, because now women know how to work, they have a more important role... and men think of us as a threat to them when all we're doing is to show that we're equal. They shouldn't feel inferior. Music Choque Norteno 8" COMM: Maribel and Soledad have made their choice - they will risk the danger in order to have their freedom. 28 02 V/O: SOLEDAD It's 100% certain - if I'd stayed in my old town I'd already be married with 4 kids INT BUS NIGHT Music Liz Drew 30 sec COMM: In March last year, fourteen year old NANCY GONZALEZ finished her night shift at the factory... and took the bus specially provided to protect female workers at night. The bus made its way through the poor suburbs on the outskirts of town. Nancy was the last on the bus - but the driver changed direction, and drove the bus into the wasteland. Still photos ex. El Norte newspaper x4. 13" Nancy was raped and beaten and left for dead. But the 14 year old survived her horrific injuries. Newspaper clipping El Norte 10" Music Liz Drew 12" COMM: As she was the only victim to survive such an attack, she gave the police their strongest lead yet. Nancy identified the driver as JESUS MANUEL GUARDADO - known as EL TOLTECA Music - Liz Drew 14" Archive El Toteca 10" TV Azteca Archive Drivers gang & Sharif in custody. 21" TV Azteca Archive corpse in grassland 5" TV Azteca Archive drivers showing signs of torture 13" TV Azteca COMM: He later named several other bus drivers - who he claimed were also raping and killing women. SUBTITLES ON ARCHIVE NEWS CLIP: A judge will hear the case... against the five drivers. They all confirmed that the Egyptian ... played a major role in the killings. COMM: Sharif was once again blamed for orchestrating the killings from his prison. The drivers then recanted, accusing the police of torturing them into signing the confession. They showed evidence of beatings, cigarette burns and electric shocks EXT JUAREZ PRISON COMM: When he was interviewed in prison, Sharif challenged the authorities. Archive Aztec TV Sharif i/v 32" 30 16 INT PRISON - SHARIF: They always say I was a genius and very intelligent... IRENE BLANCO (LAWYER) TRANSLATES INTO SPANISH SHARIF: Ok well thank you. How come a genius would make the same mistake twice... if I did the "Rebels" why would I do the same thing the same way? Paying people killing women outside which is very stupid... (to Blanco) .I'm sorry... INT JUAREZ PRISON Still photo (ex: El Norte) Elizabeth Castro 5 sec COMM: The series of murder charges against Sharif were so flimsy they were all thrown out - but in 1998, he was sentenced to thirty years for the murder of a teenage factory worker named Elizabeth Castro. And once again the key evidence was seriously flawed. ON SCREEN CAP: IRENE BLANCO, SHARIF'S DEFENCE COUNCIL 32 12 INT I/V BLANCO: That body is not Elizabeth Castro. The body is one metre and sixty three centimeters and Elizabeth Castro is one metre and seventy four centimeters. That's quite a difference. Also the body that was found has very thin lips and Elizabeth Castro has very thick lips. Newspaper clipping El Norte 9" Archive Aztec TV 7" COMMISSIONED MUSIC STING - 7 secs COMM The police had also miscalculated the time of death. Elizabeth Castro had been missing for only four days: forensic evidence showed that the body presented by the police had been dead for much longer. 31 48 I/V IRENE BLANCO The body was completely and absolutely decomposed ...that body was dead for at least three weeks or a month - not four days and seventeen hours. EXT TRAVELLING CAR SHOT COMM: Sharif won on appeal. The re-opening of the case was a serious embarrassment for the authorities who'd staked their reputation on Sharif being guilty. He was transferred to a maximum security prison 400 kilometres away in the state capital of Chihuahua - and placed in solitary confinement. Even his lawyer was denied access to him SYNC INT I/V. IRENE BLANCO 32 41 I/V IRENE ON SHARIF'S CONDITION SYNC: He was going crazy, he wasn't allowed to talk to anybody not even his inmates.. no telephone calls and when I went to see him to tried to talk to him, they didn't allow me to talk to him which is also illegal because I am his defender Newspaper clipping El Norte 10" 32 58 INT I/V ROSA ISELA PEREZ Whenever Sharif talks to the press he challenges the authorities. Sharif is a very intelligent man. He always points out very clearly the irregularities in his case. And obviously the government doesn't want the embarrassment - especially with foreign media. Music sting Liz Drew 12" ROSA PEREZ CONT. If the Sharif case were to collapse then all the other cases would collapse with it because they're all linked. It would be a big scandal EXT CHICHUAHUA PRISON COMM: Sharif has been in prison for over five years. But there is no proven connection between him and any of the killings. Despite repeated requests, the authorities refused us an interview with him. Meanwhile the killings continue, and new names appear on the list of missing women. LUPITA PHOTO INT I/V. LUPITA'S PARENTS COMM: The latest is a college student - LUPITA. Two weeks ago Lupita left home in the middle of the day, to visit a school friend - she never arrived. 34 14 EPITACIO LUNA: (FATHER) I was strict with her...like fathers are, but not too strict. I just wanted her to have fun but I also warned her of the dangers .. I don't know why this has happened to us. 34 30 CELIA de la ROSA (MOTHER) My daughter was still like a child. She was still not grown up. She enjoyed the simplest things... TILT UP "MISSING" POSTER LUPITA INT ROOM WITH LUPITA's COLLEGE FRIENDS Music Liz Drew 15" COMM: Lupita's college friends now live in fear. 35 14 SYNC INT I/V: SANDY AMAYA. We're a frontier town, people come here from all over.. criminals - from the US... or from the south of Mexico come to commit crimes in Juarez. It will carry on so long as the authorities do nothing (35 29 09) EXT RADIO MAST INT RADIO STATION CHAT SHOW Radio Canon ident (cleared) COMM: Lupita's disappearance has caused an outrage in Juarez because she was a local student, and not a migrant worker. Local radio stations have taken up the lead and have appealed to people to join search parties on the outskirts of town. EXT BODY SEARCH ON LOTE BRAVO COMM: The appeal is successful. Most of those who've showed up also have daughters and fear for their safety. They're concerned that the killers have now moved on from migrant workers and are furious at the incompetence of the authorities. 36 26 MALE SEARCHER All that's left is for us to take the law into our own hands - nothing less. If we catch the killer we should kill him ourselves and dump him with the garbage. COMM: Suli Ponce is also making an appeal on radio. INT RADIO STATION - SULI PONCE 36 49 SULI PONCE. I can't believe that in an entire neighbourhood at 2:30 in the afternoon, nobody, absolutely nobody saw or heard anything. Forgive me but the truth is that we must all be cowards, that we don't have the guts, character and conscience to come forward. 37 07 It's too easy to say "I don't want to get involved. This is a struggle. As a woman I want to give something to the community and especially to other women. COMM: In the next door studio, the rival chat show hosts are questioning Suli Ponce's credentials. INT RADIO CANON 37 25 (SUBTITLES) (ANTONIO) A public question for Suli Ponce: What does she know about catching criminals? If she only got that job as a political favour... ...she should resign! She should have the honesty to resign. She should be less concerned about the money and just resign! SAMIRA: (WOMAN HOST) Out of shame... Out of dignity... I'd resign, if I was in her shoes. I'd have never taken the job in the first place! How could anyone do that job when they haven't got a clue? VALENTIN: (2nd MALE HOST) Our callers think you should do the job! SAMIRA: Very funny... but why should a job people's live depend on be left to politics? EXT W/S ANAPRA (JUAREZ) COMM: Emotions are running high, and the public want answers. Someone has responded to the public appeals - but it turned out to be a hoax caller demanding money from Lupita's parents. INT I/V LUPITA'S PARENTS I/V EPITACIO AND CELIA DE LA ROSA: 38 54 EPITACIO: They don't care about our pain... .. that we're trying to find my daughter... they just play with you... ...and if the law does nothing ... there is a God who sees all this.... and hopefully she will come back. I never hurt anyone ... why do they have to hurt my family? CELIA: We just want to know where our daughter is.... if anyone has seen her... a hope... every time the telephone rings I imagine a thousand things, and hope many things...but nothing. We don't have a single clue about how to find our daughter EXT DEMONSTRATIONS ON SCREEN CAPS: WE WANT LUPITA! JUSTICE! JUSTICE! JUSTICE! ACTIONS NOT WORDS! COMM: Lupita's disappearance has angered people. Public confidence in the authorities is at an all time low. This is one of the biggest demonstrations ever seen in Juarez The crowd besieges the police headquarters. SULI PONCE is the target. She's unwavering. INT I/V SULI PONCE 41 33 SULI PONCE: Sharif raped the women, and so did the gang members. And then they strangled them so as to destroy the evidence - so they'd never be able to identify them. I/V ROSA ISELA PEREZ, BRUNO (INTERVIEWER): Will he ever be released? ROSA: I don't think Sharif will ever be released because the government controls the judges, and the police. I really don't think they'll ever give up on Sharif. There is such strong evidence that the investigation is flawed, and that they invented many things. If the case has not collapsed yet it means he has no chance. 42 18 23 I/V ESTHER CHAVEZ CANO It's husbands, lovers and relatives who are doing the killing. And they are killing innocent women because even if we wear miniskirts, even if we walk alone at night, we are not asking to be raped and killed. EXT TIERRA NUEVA ON SCREEN CAP: Tierra Nueva Juarez Outskirts COMM: Within a few days of the demonstration, another body of a murdered woman has been found. EXT MORGUE CORPSE REMOVED FROM VAN FREEZE FRAME COMM: In the City of Dreams, it's those with the most to gain from social changes who've become the victims END PHOTOS SEQ 13 stills ex El Norte 34" Music Liz Drew 34" END CREDITS Written & directed by BRUNO SORRENTINO Music LIZ DREW Sound recordist JAIME LAMPREA Dubbing Mixer GEORGE FOULGHAM Picture Editor JUSTIN AMSDEN Producer GIANFRANCO NORELLI Series Producer FARAH DURRANI A PALIO PICTURES PRODUCTION ON SCREEN CORRESPONDENT LOGO Editor FIONA MURCH BBC (c)BBC MM1 1