Remembering Lourdes Portillo: A Trailblazing Director’s Legacy
Lourdes Portillo, filmmaker and social activist, passed away at 80 in San Francisco. She focused on Latin American, Mexican, and Chicano experiences, blending storytelling modes on themes of identity and social justice in the U.S. and Latin America.
Portillo began formal film training at 21 and produced her first film in 1979, “After the Earthquake.” Her work includes documentaries, video installations, and screen writings.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has a gallery dedicated to Portillo, showcasing key projects like “Las Madres”, “The Devil Never Sleeps”, and “Señorita Extraviada.”
In her documentary “Missing Young Woman,” Portillo shed light on the plight of over 350 murdered young women in Juárez, Mexico, underscoring the lack of justice. “Las Madres” focused on Argentinian desaparecidos during the military dictatorship, advocating for their missing children.
Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised in Los Angeles, Portillo leaves behind her three sons and younger sister. Her legacy as a visionary filmmaker and activist lives on.
