Many need to learn who Maria Felix was, but Google does. This year, the searchable internet site celebrates the life of the legendary Mexican Diva with an iconic doodle. Maria Felix is history's ultimate and most famous Mexican movie star.
During the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema (1940-1950), she appeared in 47 films, including ones from Argentina, Spain, Panama, Italy, and France. Among her most well-known works are “French Cancan” (shot in France) and “The Affairs of Messalina” (shot in Italy). “Enamorada” and “Hidden River” are two landmarks of the famous Golden Age of Cine Mexicano, which helped propel the Mexican legend to international stardom. She also worked on “Naked Passion,” “May God Forgive Me,” “The Kneeling Goddess,” “The Devil is a Woman,” “Reportaje,” “Heroes and Sinners,” “Tizoc,” and “La Generala.” Maria proudly turned down Hollywood's offers to cast her as an Indian woman while she was playing a Queen elsewhere. The rest of the world knew how famous the Mexican diva was. So that is why she didn't want to work in the United States.
She spent many years living in Paris, where, thanks to her connections, the Mexican government and engineers collaborated with their French counterparts to build the subway in Mexico City.
Oil painting of Maria Felix by Diego Rivera
Maria Felix was born on April 8th, 1914, in the northern border state of Sonora. Coincidentally, she died on April 8th, 2002, in Mexico City. There, thousands of devoted fans said their final goodbyes and paid their respects in one of the most tumultuous and queenly funerals the city has ever seen. People lined up for miles, from the Palace of the Fine Arts to the French Cemetery. The funeral was broadcast live coast to coast across the USA on Spanish-language networks. Many still remember her beauty, which contrasted with her strong personality and inspired women in their fight against sexism. Her filmography speaks volumes and clearly shows that Maria Felix was the one, la devoradora.
The Best Film Festival Posters of 2017 www.FestivalinLA.com
Festival in LA has selected the 2017 best Film Festival Posters worldwide. Those posters reflect the festival’s theme and energy, communicating the message through movement, action, forms, shapes, and colors. This year, the prestigious French Riviera festival took the number one spot with the extraordinary image of Claudia Cardinale dancing during one of her visits there. Cannes is back to the classics, and we love that. The other posters are diverse, from film festivals around the globe, Moscow, Shanghai, Sitges, Durango, San Diego Latino, Morbido CDMX, Berlin, and the Israel Film Festival of Los Angeles. Locarno, the World’s most miniature film festival poster, has been downsized to a gorgeous postal stamp. Congratulations to all the creative artists who created those fantastic posters for film festivals around the World.
AFI FEST REVIEW: Radiant and bold. “Güeros” is a gem crafted by the new and promising generation of Mexican filmmakers.
“Güeros” is a portrait of a confrontational generation we are unaware of, but it allows us to see their existence and purpose in time.
Alonso Ruizpalacios, AFI FEST 2014. Photo by José Hermosillo, COPYRIGHTS Festival in LA
Director Alonso Ruizpalacios aimed to create a larger-than-life film that reflects the soul, music, culture, and vibrant youth of Mexico City as a poetic love letter.
“Güeros” shares the style of “Y tú mamá también” and has the fresh look of “Lake Tahoe.”
This unapologetic coming-of-age, hyper-realistic urban road movie has delighted audiences at festivals worldwide, winning Best First Feature at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival, the New Auteurs Audience Award at AFI FEST 2014 in Los Angeles, and the Havana Film Festival Grand Coral for Best First Work.
“Güeros” has received 12 nominations from the Mexican Academy of Film and Television, including Best Picture.
The film pays tribute to Truffaut’s “Jules and Jim,” Godard’s “Band of Outsiders,” and Hellman’s “Two-Lane Blacktop.”
The director’s main inspiration was “Los Caifanes/The Outsiders” by Juan Ibañez (1966), one of the greatest independent films in Mexico’s history.
Set in 1999, the film follows a fair-skinned teenager named Tomás, sent by his weary, widowed mother from Veracruz to live with his dark-skinned older brother, Sombra, played by Tenoch Huerta (“Deficit,” “Days of Grace”), in Mexico City. Sombra struggles with depression and panic attacks. Ironically, the doctor (director’s cameo) suggests a vacation in Veracruz.
Sombra’s roommate, Santos (Leonardo Ortizgris), is also light-skinned and hates being called “güero.”
One of Mexico’s ongoing conflicts is the struggle between “güeros” and “morenos” (light-skinned vs. dark-skinned), a theme discussed in Carlos Reygadas’s “Post Tenebras Lux” and many other Mexican films. The difference is that “Güeros” is more subtle.
Sombra and Santos are students at U.N.A.M. (National Autonomous University of Mexico). The university is closed due to a student strike.
As “outsiders,” they question the movement’s ideology, which conflicts with their own ideas, goals, economy, and the country’s future.
As they witness the chaos on campus, they feel nostalgia for their “Ama Mater.”
The only memory little Tomás has of his father is an audiotape of folk-rock singer Epigmenio Cruz, which he listens to obsessively on his Walkman.
The urban legend says: “Once Epigmenio Cruz made Bob Dylan cry.”
In their quest to find the legendary and mythical singer, a series of unfortunate events pushes them to travel from their old apartment building north of the city to the south, facing the dangers and paranoia of a hostile environment—nothing that a giant bottle of cerveza “Caguama” can’t fix.
At the chaotic university, they meet Ana (Ilse Salas). She is the leader of the student movement and a radio personality at the rebel underground radio station—the same station the guys were listening to earlier in their car.
She needs a break from the conflict and joins them in their search for Epigmenio. The quartet keeps going, traveling from the south of the city to the Chapultepec Zoo to gather more clues. Then, they head to the Zocalo (Mexico City’s downtown), where they experience their “La Dolce Vita” moment at an upscale pool party, where they get into trouble again.
They go from the Centro to their final destination, a cantina in the eastern neighborhood of Texcoco. Inside, the TV plays Juan Gabriel singing “Hasta que te conocí/Until I Met You,” which sets the scene for the climax.
The charismatic actress Ilse Salas delivers a commanding performance. Her fresh looks and big eyes bring to mind Italian actress Giulietta Masina (“Juliet of the Spirits,” “The Nights of Cabiria,” “La Strada”).
Ana fights against misogynistic, macho men shouting at her, insisting they want to see her breasts instead of her leadership.
Young Tomás is played by the talented newcomer Sebastian Aguirre. He has the strength and heart to let the audience see the world through his eyes.
On the other hand, Sombra’s character takes too long to accept the reality of the plot. One can understand his depression and traumas, but a couple of strong speeches are not enough to unlock his full potential.
By cutting a few unnecessary shots, this film could move at a faster pace while maintaining its already artistic black-and-white look.
“Güeros” is a rare Mexican film with global reach, universal emotions, and likable characters. The nostalgic film’s music, poetry, and lyrics carry deeper meaning within the story.
The well-written script explores brotherhood, friendship, and the mysterious Ciudad de Mexico, connecting these themes with “Youth in Revolt.”
“Güeros” is not a political statement. It does not support either the left or the right wing. Existentialism is present in the lives of these four compelling characters. They are focused on surviving and finding emotional fulfillment in a vibrant city full of contrasts.
“Güeros” is part of a new wave of diverse Mexican cinema seeking a global audience. Mexico’s film production has increased from 12 to 120 movies a year over the past twelve years—a 100% growth.
Thanks to awards at festivals worldwide and Oscars won by Mexican directors known as the “Three Amigos” in recent years, some publications have stated, “Hollywood loves Mexican directors, but hates Mexican movies.” This is one of the main reasons why many Mexican films are not widely distributed in the US. In the spirit of fair play, things could change if we aim to develop a market where diversity and inclusion are the ultimate goals.
Film critic José Hermosillo and director Alonso Ruizpalacios at AFI FEST 2014. COPYRIGHT FestivalinLA
