Exhibition runs through August 6th Excerpts of their testimonies will also be on display. These are examples of one reason, Trillo said, why she photographed them nude; she felt their bodies could tell also the story. Trillo spoke with Billy Penn about her experience speaking and photographing these women.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. What drew you to this project? It actually came by chance. I was trying to work on a project on immigration. Well guess what? And even if they did, at night I would have to use a flash. This is where the mafia is. These girls are charging three dollars to have intercourse. You have the girls that are right on the border— they have the American clientele.
It goes in layers. You mentioned that you had good relationships with all of them, except for one, who tried to get you killed. Oh my God. She was a nightmare. So I went to the room, started taking [photos] and she went Trillo imitates making a fuss. And she wanted to grab my camera. This happened two years ago. Well, she shows up. We finished at that brothel, and we were fine, then we went to [another] brothel… By that time, she had already gone to the guys who sell the heroin and told them that I was a reporter.
Because Blanca is asking questions. And writing them down… So it could be easily perceived as that I was a reporter. When you went on your first outing, what was it that made your push through your feelings and continue the project? I have the relationship with the team— the three of us that go. I like the girls. I like to follow up with them also.
It started to become very interesting because when I saw the pictures, a lot of the times, the pictures say the story. I wanted to create something that moved us. How I was going to show, what I was going to do with it— I had no idea. But I knew I was doing something that… moves you, touches you.
