Allison Anders' MI VIDA LOCA (1993)

As part of YesterdayLA, the Philosophical Research Society’s monthlong exploration of Los Angeles history, 7th House Screenings and El Cine are proud to welcome trailblazing filmmaker Allison Anders for a very special screening of her 1993 landmark independent film MI VIDA LOCA, followed by a discussion on the powerful film's making and legacy with El Cine's Mariana Da Silva and 7th House's Alex McDonald.

Set in Echo Park, MI VIDA LOCA film consists of several anecdotes about Latina teenagers who are “homegirls,” or girlfriends to gang members. The first story is about “Sad Girl” and “Mousie” whose friendship is tested when they both become pregnant by “Ernesto.”

The brief second story is about Ernesto training the quasi-comic character “Whisper” to become a drug dealer. The third story is about “Giggles,” a symbol of female empowerment, who leaves prison after serving time for her now-deceased boyfriend and is now determined to leave the gang life behind for something better.
The last story is a tender love story about Sad Girl’s sister “La Blue Eyes” who falls for a man in prison.

Director Allison Anders’ film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993 and was released to acclaim in 1994, with critics applauding its realism. Anders worked with non-actors and Echo Park community members to create this realistic, difficult story about sisterhood and sacrifice, and it has since become a cult classic.