Mexico in Focus
Nuevo Cine Mexicano
 Until the mid nineties Mexican cinema was dominated by costume dramas, magical-realistic films, comedies and melodramas. Only sporadically a film was shown outside of Mexico. This changed at the end of the nineties / the beginning of the new century when González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón en Guillermo Del Toro started making their films. According to Del Toro Amores Perros was the first modern Mexican film ever because it focuses on current reality in Mexico city. In addition to the many prizes won on international festivals, this film by Iñárritu and Y tu Mamá También by Cuarón also gained a lot of success in Mexico itself. Adding the Hollywood succes of Guillermo del Toro who directed part 2 in the Blade-series and who was involved in both Amores Perros and Y Tu Mamá También, led to the first mention of a New Mexican Wave. Whether the hope on a 'Nuevo Cine Mexicano' will be justified in the future has yet to be seen but the LAFF wants to show 3 films of these influential Mexican filmmakers of the past 7 promising years in a triptych.
Films
1. Amores Perros, Alejandro González Iñárritu (2000)
2. Y tu mama también, Alfonso Cuaron (2001)
3. El Laberinto del Fauno, Guillermo del Toro (2006)
New Mexican Cinema
Charlene Kool
Since the end of the nineties, there has been an enormous rise of Mexican cinema in the international film business. Mexican productions such as Y tu mamá también, Amores Perros and Pan's Labyrinth have achieved fame both in Mexico and internationally. The makers of these films, Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), Alejandro González Iñarritu (Amores Perros) and Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también) are seen as the trio of jong, promising Mexican directors. In addition, their films facilitated the break-through of Mexican actors such as Gael García Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel) and Diego Luna. Because of the overwhelming success of these Mexican films , the media has started to cautiously speak of a New Mexican Wave. read more...
Luis Buñuel Retrospective
With special thanks to the Mexican Embassy
Filmmuseum Amsterdam: 8 May t/m 25 June.
See also www.filmmuseum.nl for the complete Buñuel programme.
Because of the 25th anniversary of the death of Luis Buñuel a retrospective of this well known filmmaker’s work is being put together in cooperation with the Mexican Embassy, the Spanish Embassy, the Filmmuseum Amsterdam and Instituto Cervantes. In Amsterdam both Spanish and Mexican films will be shown, in Utrecht the focus will be exclusively on a selection of films made in Mexico. During this program the Dutch translation of the book Buñuel por Buñuel by Gijs Mulder will be presented. Additionally, Luis Buñuel’s son will attend the film festival on May 9th and 10th.
The Films that will be shown during the Latin American Film Festival:
1. Él (This Strange Passion), Luis Buñuel (1953)
2. El Angel Exterminador (The Exterminating Angel), Luis Buñuel (1967)
3. El Bruto (The Brute), Luis Buñuel (1953)
4. Ensayo de un Crimen (Rehearsal for a Crime), Luis Buñuel (1959)
5. La Ilusión Viaja en Tranvía (Illusion travels by Streetcar), Luis Buñuel (1954)
6. Los Olvidados (The Young and the Damned), Luis Buñuel (1950)
7. Nazarín, Luis Buñuel (1968)
8. Simón del Desierto (Simon of the Desert), Luis Buñuel (1971)
9. Subida al Cielo (Ascent to Heaven), Luis Buñuel (1952)
These films are shown with special thanks to:
 
Buñuel in Mexico
Gijs Mulder
Chance brought the Spanish cineast Luis Buñuel (1900-1983) to Mexico. He was passing through on his travels from America to France, where he hoped to finally make another film. The job in France fell through and Buñuel stayed in Mexico when he came into contact with the producer Oscar Dancigers, who offered him the chance to work as a director. Buñuel would live in Mexico untill this death and it is where he would make the most films of his long career. In 1946 Buñuel was only known to cinephiles as the maker of three avant-garde films in the thirties, each of which had provoked a scandal and/or had been forbidden. Nowadays, they're monuments of film history: Un chien andalou, L'Âge d'or and Las Hurdes. Buñuel made this energetic and inciting films on the eve of the Spanish Republic which would result in a civil war. Franco's dictatorship following the war, forced Buñuel - and many with him - to go into exile. It wouldn't be untill around 1960 before he could visit his native country again. read more...
Other activities Mexico in Focus
o Lecture Luis Buñuel by José Lozano, Tuesday May 13th.
o Exposition Luis Buñuel.
o Talkshow about the current Mexican cinema, Sunday May 11th.
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