Judith: Portrait of a Street Vendor

Zahida Pirani's short documentary looks at the day-to-day life of Judith Guano, a Guatemalan street vendor in the Bornx, NY. Judith married when she was 18 and had two children, but her husband became abusive, and the protection order she filed made no difference, so she moved to the United States. Judith varies the menu from day to day, but staple items include tacos, tamales, and atole (a hot corn beverage). She wakes up at 3:00 a.m. to cook and then leaves to start selling breakfast items at 7:30, catering to blue-collar customers who work in an industrial area filled with truck stops, car repair shops, and construction sites. While she's away, Judith's oldest daughter helps the youngest child get dressed and drops her off at the babysitter before heading off to school, and at 10:00 a.m. Judith returns home to prepare items for lunch. Judith also helps to organize other Latino vendors through the organization Vamos Unidos, warning one vendor that the police may hassle them if they don't have the proper permits. She stresses the importance of knowing one's rights, while also encouraging other vendors to not let the authorities treat them with disrespect just because they're undocumented. At a rally, Judith specifically asks President Obama to fulfill his promise regarding immigration reform. Pirani offers no statistics regarding street vendors or undocumented immigrants, but she does put a face on a hot-button issue. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)