"Women in Blue" celebrates women while examining the perils they face
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"Women in Blue." Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV+
A new series about Mexico's first women's police unit aims to tackle the pervasiveness of sexism and gender-based violence and highlight the strides women have made in the past 50 years.
Why it matters: This year, Mexicans elected their first woman president, yet 10 women on average are killed every day in Mexico.
Driving the news: Inspired by a true story, "Las Azules," also known as "Women in Blue," was released on AppleTV+ on July 31.
- The 10-part drama series, set in the '70s, is the first show on the streamer that is entirely in Spanish ("Acapulco," a bilingual comedy, was the first Mexican original production.)
What they're saying: The creation of the women's unit was "sort of a publicity stunt to distract people from all the violence that had been going on between the government and the people," co-creator and director Fernando Rovzar tells Axios.
- Rovzar says the women weren't issued guns and couldn't arrest people or investigate crimes. "Thank God they decided to stay, continue the fight and change the system from within."
- "The Azules is a story of triumph, and a story of victory and a story of facing adversity and making a change in society. But it's also a reality that we live in a country where women are not safe," Rovzar adds.
Zoom in: The show follows four recruits who face rampant sexism both at home and on the job as they try to catch a serial killer. Each has a unique backstory and personality, and as a unit they persevere through obstacle after obstacle.
- Actor Ximena Sariñana, who portrays Ángeles, a fingerprint analyst with autism spectrum disorder, says it was very important to portray her character "truthfully and respectfully."
- That called for a lot of research and interviews with women who are neurodivergent, Sariñana tells Axios.
Bárbara Mori plays Maria, who had led a traditional life as a stay-at-home mother and has to deal with guilt over now being a working parent.
- Mori says the show invites viewers to search for their true nature. "'Let me discover my true self — not what society tells me or allows me to be,'" Mori says. "I think that's beautiful."
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