Guardians is a powerful six-minute documentary directed by Minerva Navasca that explores the complexities of female safety in urban areas. Garnering accolades such as Best Documentary at the BFI Future Film Festival and a nomination for the Multicultural Award at the Yorkton Film Festival, this film delves into the stark realities faced by women navigating city streets. Through concerned phone calls from friends and family, Guardians captures the heightened vigilance and anxiety that accompany a young girl's nightly journey home. The film juxtaposes everyday choices with the looming threat of gender-based violence, questioning the true cost of safety for women.
Being a short film, this is one of those titles better seen than described. Navasca has a penchant for visual storytelling, and she uses this skill throughout the film’s six minutes to portray the feelings of hypervigilance many women feel when walking alone in urban areas, no matter the time of day. We see the fear, hesitancy, and disgust contained in intimate moments such as deciding what outfit to wear and touching up makeup, a hatred of the situation far too many women and girls find themselves in just because of their gender. The snippets of security calls with loved ones are powerful, ranging from genuine concern to casual dismissal and fear-based microaggressions.
Why is this such a powerful and necessary short documentary? The first ‘Take Back The Night’ marches happened in 1980: Somehow in 2024, we’re still fighting the same fight, making the same demands. Despite societal changes and major movements in women’s equality since 1980, predators still use the darkness of city streets as a hunting ground, preying on lone women for perverse sexual pleasure. Women and girls are still taught to fear the night, often jealous of their male friends who can comfortably go out for a jog alone during the same time of day which leaves them petrified. Librarians looking to expand women’s studies documentary or short documentary collections should consider Guardians most highly. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on academic documentary shelves?
Guardians would be perfect for collections serving gender studies classes, especially those focusing on women’s rights, sexual violence, or societal critique.