In its East Coast Premiere at the Florida Film Festival, "La Corona" follows dangerously attractive women in a Colombian prison who compete in a beauty pageant.
Shot on-location in the largest women’s prison in Bogota, Colombia, the 40-minute La Corona is deservedly a 2008 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Short. It details the preparation and participants competing for La Corona (The Crown) at a high security prison that takes convicts who “no one else wants,” according to the warden. Although the warden says she originally opposed the idea of a pageant, she changed her mind when she saw how it energized the prisoners and gave them a positive distraction from the boredom.
Talent and Beauty
During the first day of the pageant, contestants (who represent their cellblocks) have stylists work on their makeup and hair before donning exotic dresses and high heels donated to the prison for the annual event. After weeks of practice, the talent portion consists of parading down the runway in their dresses and high heels, dancing and displaying lots of attitude. Presumably for security reasons, no props or musical instruments are allowed for further displays of talent.
While the talent portion is quite limited, there’s no limit on the beauty. These women would be considered beautiful by nearly anyone’s standards. Viewers may be surprised to see a woman convicted of homicide and another for guerilla activity are among the most lovely. On the second and final day of the competition, the women wear evening gowns and are judged for their poise, charm, and appearance. The judges consist of local television celebrities.
Pageant Gives Them Purpose
Although the contestants complain about the quality of the donated clothing and are quick to accuse the judges of bias and racism, it’s clear how important this pageant becomes for the participants and the spectators. The inmates of each cellblock unite in their common cause, and for a couple of months the contestants have a fun diversion where they primp and play dress up.
When the pageant is over and the losers eventually get over their anger and disappointment, the dull routine of prison life resumes. The interviews with the women provide some interesting insights into their past crimes, but the pageant reveals even more about their current behavior and attitudes. Filmed with a genuine, candid style, we get a real sense of who will and who won’t be able to make it on the outside after their release.
- La Corona
- Directors: Amanda Micheli, Isabel Vega
- Run time: 40 minutes
- In English and Spanish with English subtitles
For more reviews of documentary films, read Movie Review of Pageant, I Think We’re Alone Now, and Young @ Heart Movie Review.
