In Madrid’s Café Gijón, a literary figure sits in black, and at the table a renowned Mexican journalist and writer, Lydia Cacho, engaged in a life defined by advocacy for women’s rights and relentless defiance against persecution. Her exile in Spain follows a long history of political danger and a past shaped by police oppression and the suppression of free expression. The portrait traces the arc of a child who began collecting correspondence and documents at a very young age, eventually compiling them into a singular volume, Cartas de amor y iseydia, a work that spans love, hardship, and resistance. The letters, many handwritten, reveal roots in the oppression she faced and the emotional spectrum of affection, sorrow, and struggle that accompanied her formative years. The New York Times once called her the rock star of Mexican journalism, a moniker that underscores her influence and resilience. The moment she sits to respond to questions, that same girl from the past reappears, now an accomplished journalist and author facing the modern consequences of her courage.
