Humans have an instinctual ability to deal with pain and suffering, an invisible threshold that defines the space between tolerable and intolerable. Some people's threshold is very narrow and can only deal with a minimal flow of physical, emotional and verbal abuse before the levy breaks. Other people's thresholds are wide chasms, carved out by years and years of degradation. When it comes to tolerance for abuse, Wendy Maldonado is the Grand Canyon.

One Minute to Nine is the observation deck from which we get to peer into the rocky terrain of Wendy's family life. Married at 16 in the quaint Oregon town of Grant Pass, Wendy expected a world of wedded bliss, but instead discovered a nightmare of violence and neglect, exacted by a calculated monster on both her and her children. In this follow up to his moving documentary Mojados: Through the Night, which won the Audience Award at SXSW 2004, Director Tommy Davis intercuts Maldonado family home movies and recently shot footage to piece together the puzzle of what happens when, after 18 years, one woman reaches the summit of suffering and finally summons the courage to deal with her husband in the only way that she knows how.

One Minute to Nine will have its North American Premiere Tonight, Monday, March 10th at the Alamo Ritz as part of the SXSW Film Festival. More info at the Film Threat / B-Side SXSW Guide.