“A Lincoln Center retrospective puts the spotlight on midcentury movies aimed at the masses that continue to influence filmmakers.”
“The sweeping, 22-film retrospective spans the 1940´s through the 1960´s — three decades of exceptional creativity that ushered in a monumentally prolific era of major filmmakers and screen stars who enthralled generations of moviegoers.”
Community Partners: Mexican Cultural Institute and CUNY Mexican Studies Institute
Film at Lincoln Center and the Locarno Film Festival announce “Spectacle Every Day: Mexican Popular Cinema,” a sweeping retrospective of Mexican cinema from the 1940s through the 1960s, to be presented at FLC from July 26 through August 8. With new restorations of many works rarely screened or some never before seen theatrically in the United States, and standout performances from the biggest screen stars of their day, this series offers New York audiences the rare opportunity to experience the breadth of this unique period of Mexican film history on the big screen.
The 1940s to the 1960s in México was a remarkably creative era, marked by influential filmmakers like Roberto Gavaldón and Emilio Fernández, and iconic screen figures such as María Félix and Cantinflas. This series delves into the rich and diverse films of this period, highlighting both well-known and lesser-recognized works. It explores a range of genres—from noir and comedy to melodrama, 3-D adventure, and horror—showcasing the era's impact on popular culture through grand productions set in vibrant settings like wrestling rings, cabarets, haciendas, and bustling cities.
The 1940s to the 1960s in México was a remarkably creative era, marked by influential filmmakers like Roberto Gavaldón and Emilio Fernández, and iconic screen figures such as María Félix and Cantinflas. This series delves into the rich and diverse films of this period, highlighting both well-known and lesser-recognized works. It explores a range of genres—from noir and comedy to melodrama, 3-D adventure, and horror—showcasing the era's impact on popular culture through grand productions set in vibrant settings like wrestling rings, cabarets, haciendas, and bustling cities.
Film at Lincoln Center and the Locarno Film Festival announce “Spectacle Every Day: Mexican Popular Cinema,” a sweeping retrospective of Mexican cinema from the 1940s through the 1960s, to be presented at FLC from July 26 through August 8. With new restorations of many works rarely screened or some never before seen theatrically in the United States, and standout performances from the biggest screen stars of their day, this series offers New York audiences the rare opportunity to experience the breadth of this unique period of Mexican film history on the big screen.
Highlights include seminal works from the era’s most esteemed directors such as Julio Bracho’s Take Me in Your Arms (1954), newly restored in 4K, and Emilio Fernández’s magisterial Pueblerina (1949)—both exquisitely lensed by Gabriel Figueroa—as well as multiple features by Alejandro Galindo (Corner Stop! [1948], Wetbacks [1955], The Mind and the Crime [1961]) and Roberto Gavaldón (The Night Falls [1952], Autumn Days [1963]); the sex work melodrama Streetwalker (1951) from Matilde Landeta, one of the country's first female directors; and the first 3-D film produced in México, The Sword of Granada (1953).
“Spectacle Every Day: Mexican Popular Cinema” is sponsored by MUBI, the global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema. Organized by Tyler Wilson and Cecilia Barrionuevo in partnership with the Locarno Film Festival and with support from Cinema Tropical. This program was selected from the retrospective curated by Olaf Möller and Roberto Turigliatto at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival.
"Organized by Tyler Wilson and Cecilia Barrionuevo in collaboration with the Locarno Film Festival and with the support of Cinema Tropical."
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