In the border city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, where violence against women has persisted for decades with little accountability, “The Huntress (La Cazadora)” centers on a woman who refuses to remain silent. Inspired by real events, the film follows Luz, a working mother navigating fear, rage and survival within a culture shaped by intimidation and systemic neglect.
Written and directed by Suzanne Andrews Correa, an award-winning Sundance Film Festival shorts alum, the feature film premiering at the 2026 festival presents a powerful portrait of a woman pushed beyond endurance. Luz is haunted not only by her own trauma but by the constant threat of violence that her teenage daughter will inevitably encounter.
Adriana Paz, who plays Luz and also served as an executive producer on the film, said she was drawn to the project from the moment she learned what the film was based on, recalling the real-life case that inspired it. Reading the script, even before it reached its final draft, only deepened that pull.
“There was simply no way I could say no,” Paz said. “It was something I had to do and a privilege to be a part of.”
Noting that she has not lived through the same level of violence as her character, Paz said the emotional connection to the role came from a shared reality many women endure.
“I think all women, at some point, can sadly understand what it means to have been a victim of some form of harassment, sexual violence or unwanted touching,” she said.
Paz said that once those conversations began, particularly while breaking down the script with Correa and preparing for the role, she was struck by how many women all around her had lived through moments of danger or abuse.
She said it became clear how much goes unspoken, and how often those experiences have been treated as normal. Naming those patterns, Paz said, is part of undoing the silence that has allowed them to persist.
That recognition shaped the film’s reception at Sundance, she said, particularly among women, with post-screening conversations feeling like a collective acknowledgment.
Paz said she was struck by how the film has resonated across cultures and generations. She recalled going for a coffee in the morning and being recognized by women from different countries who shared how deeply the story affected them, as well as emotional encounters after screenings with audience members who saw their own mothers or themselves reflected in her performance.
“Many men also approached me, deeply moved,” she said. “One of them told me, ‘The people who really need to see this film are the ones who do these things, so they can understand all the suffering they cause.’”
Paz hopes the film can continue to serve as an avenue for awareness, empathy and unity, noting that emotions such as anger and sadness in response to the injustice depicted on screen can lead men toward understanding and empathy, while for women it can foster a sense of unity and strength in coming together.
“For years, things were dismissed as ‘that’s just how men are,’ or ‘that’s something women have to endure,’” she said. “We’re learning to say no. To teach girls they don’t have to stay silent, and that there’s no shame in speaking out. The shame belongs to those who commit these acts.”
When asked what she hopes audiences carry with them after the film, Paz said she hopes it leaves viewers with a sense of unity and possibility. She noted that for women experiencing violence, the film may serve as a reminder that they are not alone and that there are paths forward, even when leaving a harmful situation feels out of reach.
“We can’t get tired of saying that,” she said. “It may sound obvious to say, ‘You’re not alone, we’re here,’ but that message hasn’t reached everyone. It doesn’t reach all places easily, and we have to keep repeating it so more women understand that this is not OK, and that we need to demand change, we need to demand the right to feel safe.”
“The Huntress (La Cazadora)” marks Paz’s first time attending the Sundance Film Festival, an experience she said has been full of joy.
“I really wanted to come to this festival, and I feel very fortunate to be able to be here for its final edition in this location,” Paz said. “And if I’m not mistaken, the project for ‘La Cazadora’ was developed through Sundance’s labs, so being able to premiere it here feels like closing a circle — that it was born here and is now being shown here. Being here like this means a lot to me.”
Paz said that what she values most about the festival setting is the opportunity for genuine exchange with audiences. While she enjoys reconnecting with fellow filmmakers and discovering films that might otherwise be difficult to see, she said the most meaningful moments come from post-screening conversations.
“The Q and As always feel too short to me,” she said. “I wish they would bring out coffee, and we could just sit and talk with everyone. It’s really beautiful to receive feedback from people — to be there, to feel their reactions while they’re watching the film, to hear their questions, their doubts, even the things they don’t like. I think all of that can enrich us, and I really enjoy that exchange with the audience.”
“The Huntress (La Cazadora)” will be available as part of the online festival programming through Feb. 1. Tickets can be purchased at festival.sundance.org.