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PEOPLE & ARTSFriday 23 March 2018
A new wave of Mexican filmmakers succeeds internationally
By BERENICE BAUTISTA This combination photo shows Mexican filmmakers, from left, Michel Franco at the awards cer- of all the conflicts we have,
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A trio emony at the 68th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, on May 24, 2015, Alonso but that is also something
of Mexican directors known Ruizpalacios at a news conference for the film "Museo" during the 68th edition of the International that can be portrayed in
as the Three Amigos has Film Festival Berlin, Berlinale, in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 22, 2018 and Amat Escalante during an cinema."
made their mark on Hol- interview at the Morelia Film Festival, in Morelia, Mexico, on Oct. 24, 2016. Male directors aren't the
lywood, dominating the only ones finding success.
Academy Awards best pic- Associated Press "Tempestad," a documen-
ture contest in recent years tary by Tatiana Huezo, 46,
with films that have little ritu's back-to-back wins for "Museo," starring Gael Gar- have made and the ones was Mexico's submission
connection to their home- "Birdman" and "The Reve- cia Bernal, about a 1985 we want to make without to the Oscars this year. It
land. But a new generation nant" in 2015 and 2016. theft at Mexico's National those (tax) changes." tells the story of a woman
of Mexican filmmakers is All four projects featured Museum of Anthropology. Escalante, whose credits in a jail controlled by orga-
finding international suc- major Hollywood stars, but "My main interest is to keep include "Sangre" and "Los nized crime and a mother
cess with films produced in not distinctly Mexican sto- making films here in Mexi- Bastardos" ("The Bastards",) searching for her missing
their own country. ries. The works of Ruizpala- co. Is something that inter- has said not only that he is daughter. While it was not
Alonso Ruizpalacios, Amat cios, Escalante and Franco ests me a lot," Ruizpalacios interested in making more nominated for an Acad-
Escalante and Michel are different, and have won said to The Associated Press films in Mexico, but that he emy Award, its accolades
Franco are part of a new awards at prestige-building in a recent interview. wants to work specifically included three Ariels and
wave of Mexican directors film festivals abroad. Mexico, he said, "is a fertile in the central state of Gua- a UNESCO award for best
40 or younger who— unlike Ruizpalacios won the best land and is far from being najuato, host to the Interna- documentary at the Sofia
Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso screenplay award last over-exploited." tional Cervantino Festival International Film Festival,
Cuaron and Alejandro G. month at the Berlin Inter- Ruizpalacios, who in 2014 of Arts but also known for its in Bulgaria.
Inarritu — have focused national Film Festival for won best movie and best religious conservatism. Shooting in Mexico can
on working in their native first film for "Gueros" at "There I live, there I know, be complicated. Besides
country despite the finan- Mexico's equivalent of the there I feel safe filming," he a lack of resources that still
cial difficulties and safety Oscars, the Ariel Awards, told the AP in 2016. "It has affects most productions,
issues. noted that Mexico's tax everything: there's the field, there are also the security
Del Toro won best director incentives have made it the city, very interesting issues. Huezo, for instance,
and best picture earlier this easier for his generation to people." said that she needed spe-
month for his fantasy ro- make movies. His films have garnered at- cial advice to film in dan-
mance "The Shape of Wa- The best-known incentive tention at international fes- gerous areas in the north of
ter." It was the fourth time is the Eficine 189 created in tivals, including a Cannes the country. And Cuaron,
in five years that a Mexican 2006 — the year Del Toro's Film Festival award for best who returned last year to
director took home the "Pan's Labyrinth" was re- director for his 2013 film make his first film in Span-
honor. He was preceded leased — that allows tax- "Heli,"which explored the ish since 2001 "Y Tu Mamá
by Cuaron's 2014 space payers to contribute a per- impact of violence in Mex- También" ("And Your Moth-
thriller "Gravity" and Inar- centage of their income ico, portrayed through a er Too",) saw a few mem-
taxes to a production com- relationship between a po- bers of his crew injured
pany that wishes to make a liceman and a young girl. after an altercation with
Mexican film. Franco, who won the Un city officials in the capital's
Each project can receive Certain Regard prize at downtown.
up to 20 million Mexican Cannes last year, said that And yet Mexico is among
Pesos ($1 million) or up to he plans to keep working the 20 countries with the
80% of the total cost of the in his native country. He biggest film production of
to-be-produced film, and won for "Las Hijas de Abril" the world, according to
up to 2 million Mexican pe- ("April's Daughter"), about the Mexican Film Institute
sos ($107,000) for distribu- a pregnant teen and the IMCINE. Film production in
tion. conflicts that arise with her Mexico increased to record
"Everything used to be a estranged mother. levels for its third consecu-
lot more concentrated in a "I am convinced there is no tive year in 2017, resulting
handful people. They were place where I can make in 176 feature films. State-
the ones with the support better films than Mexico," supported productions ac-
and now is much more de- Franco told the AP in 2017. counted for 55 percent of
mocratized," Ruizpalacios "I love my country very the films, receiving overall
said. "I believe that I, and much. It also hurts a lot to 800 million pesos (43 million
all my generation, got this see so many people not liv- dollars).
very clearly: We could not ing to the fullest in Mexico As for the triumph of Mexi-
have made the movies we for many reasons, because can directors at the Oscars,
when Del Toro accepted
the best director award for
"The Shape of Water" — his
lavish romance between
a mute woman and a sea
creature that was also
named best picture — he
dedicated it to young film-
makers around the world.
"Growing up in Mexico, I
thought this could never
happen," the Guadala-
jara-born artist said. "It
happens."q
