26° TORINO FILM FESTIVAL
THE STATE OF THINGS

NO SON INVISIBLES: MAYA WOMEN AND MICROFINANCE, FEATURING MUHAMMAD YUNUS

THEY ARE NOT INVISIBLE: MAYA WOMEN AND MICROFINANCE, FEATURING MUHAMMAD YUNUS
by Melissa Eidson
Country: Mexico, USA
Year: 2008
Duration: 45'


The Maya women of Chiapas, in the highlands of Mexico, who are
receiving microfinancing loans, have a story to tell of survival, strength,
and endurance. They have single-handedly raised themselves and their
children out of poverty. An up-close look at three women whose lives
have changed dramatically due to their ability to get a loan from the
Grameen foundation. The founder of Grameen Bank, Muhammad
Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, explains how
microfinancing works, as we see it through the lives of Maya women.

No Son Invisibles is really about women coming together and
forming a support system. The empowerment of women, as a result
of microfinance, which began with Muhammad Yunus, goes to the
very heart of what it means to be a woman. The question is: why is
microfinance so successful with women in particular? Yes, the money
and the system of microfinance lay the foundation, but what is more
profound to me is the emotional quotient. Women are moved to
action, by the connection and support they receive from each other
in their groups.”

Biography

film director

Melissa Eidson

Melissa Eidson taught English literature and theater at various high schools in Harlem and Brooklyn and at Pratt Institute in New York. She began shooting independent films after working with Mexican and American filmmakers in Mexico, where she lived for seven years, and has produced and acted in various films. She has performed onstage and directed plays and in 2005 she acted in the film by Carlos Reygadas Battle in Heaven, which was selected to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006 she directed the documentary El Barrio, which won the award for Best International Documentary at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and which was projected during the Short Film Corner of the Marché du Film at the Cannes
Film Festival in 2006.

FILMOGRAFIA

South of the Border News (doc., 2003),
El Barrio (doc., mm, 2006),
No Son Invisibles: Maya Women and Microfinance (doc., mm, 2007).

Cast

& Credits

regia, soggetto, produttore/director, story, producer Melissa Eidson
fotografia/cinematography Ty Roberts
montaggio/film editing Laila Heiblum
musica/music Richard Alderson, Billy White
interpreti/cast Muhammad Yunus, Lorenza Hernandez Perez, Josefina Patricia Vazquez Hernandez, Maria Veronica Sanchez Perez, Micaela Garcia Jimenez, Maria  Melena Mendez Hernandez, Carlos Antonio Mendez Hernandez, Francisca Mendez Ramirez, Jose Henrique Mendez Hernandez, Francisca Alejandro Mendez Hernandez, Pascuala  Hernandez, Teresa Hernandez, Antonio de Jesus Mendez Hernandez
produzione/ production Marea Productions
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