Event

All She Can (Benavides Born)

ALL SHE CAN (BENAVIDES BORN) directed by Amy Wendel
(91 min, 2011, USA)

In a small south Texas town, there aren't many career options for young people besides oil rigs, the military, or fast-food restaurants. Luz Garcia, a fiery high-school athlete, is determined to forge a different future; she's gained admission to the University of Texas at Austin. The problem is she can't afford to go. With her one shot at a scholarship riding on the state powerlifting championship, she sees no choice but to bend the rules to ensure her victory. Although Luz's rashness and frustration land her in increasingly hotter water, they also fuel her with courage and empowerment.

Rarely do we see a female protagonist with such agency, intelligence, and flawed humanity, and the experience is enormously satisfying. With lush naturalism, Benavides Born nimbly portrays the textured world of an America seldom explored onscreen: a place where multifaceted, third-generation Mexican American characters, conscious of obstacles and opportunities, fight to shape their own lives.