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FACETS EXCLUSIVES: MEXICAN CINEMA
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Latin American
AVENTURERA
Directed by Alberto Gout, 1950
One of the most popular Mexican films ever made and a cult sensation during its recent U.S. theatrical revival, Aventurera is the most famous example of the curious hybrid of film noir and musical films known as cabareteras that were wildly popular in Mexico in the 40's and 50's. Starring the immortal Ninon Sevilla, who Variety called "a cross between Rita Hayworth and Carmen Miranda," it follows the melodramatic rise and fall of a popular nightclub star with a dark past. Newly remastered, in Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Alberto Gout, 1950
One of the most popular Mexican films ever made and a cult sensation during its recent U.S. theatrical revival, Aventurera is the most famous example of the curious hybrid of film noir and musical films known as cabareteras that were wildly popular in Mexico in the 40's and 50's. Starring the immortal Ninon Sevilla, who Variety called "a cross between Rita Hayworth and Carmen Miranda," it follows the melodramatic rise and fall of a popular nightclub star with a dark past. Newly remastered, in Spanish with English subtitles.
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A BREAKFAST CHRONICLE
Directed by Benjamin Cann, 2000
In this searing examination of the modern Mexican family, a father returns home after a long absence to take his place as the head of a very dysfunctional family. The wayward family man is able to sweep his long-suffering wife of her feet, but his children are less than thrilled to see him. His daughter suffers from nervous stomach pains; one son harbors thoughts of patricide; while another dresses in yellow and sits in silence, fantasizing that he is a big yellow bird about to take flight. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Benjamin Cann, 2000
In this searing examination of the modern Mexican family, a father returns home after a long absence to take his place as the head of a very dysfunctional family. The wayward family man is able to sweep his long-suffering wife of her feet, but his children are less than thrilled to see him. His daughter suffers from nervous stomach pains; one son harbors thoughts of patricide; while another dresses in yellow and sits in silence, fantasizing that he is a big yellow bird about to take flight. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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THE BRUTE (El Bruto)
Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1953
Pedro Armendariz (Maria Candelaria; Three Godfathers) plays a physically strong but simple-minded slaughterhouse worker who is hired by a brutal landlord to evict unwanted tenants. His life is complicated when he falls for the slumlord's seductive wife, played by Ariel-winner Katy Jurado (Broken Lance; High Noon). In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1953
Pedro Armendariz (Maria Candelaria; Three Godfathers) plays a physically strong but simple-minded slaughterhouse worker who is hired by a brutal landlord to evict unwanted tenants. His life is complicated when he falls for the slumlord's seductive wife, played by Ariel-winner Katy Jurado (Broken Lance; High Noon). In Spanish with English subtitles.
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EL COMPADRE MENDOZA
Directed by Fernando de Fuentes & Juan Bustillo Oro, 1933
In this celebrated classic of Mexican cinema, venerable character actor Alfredo del Diestro excels as the title character, an opportunistic landowner who plays both sides against the middle during the Mexican Revolution. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Fernando de Fuentes & Juan Bustillo Oro, 1933
In this celebrated classic of Mexican cinema, venerable character actor Alfredo del Diestro excels as the title character, an opportunistic landowner who plays both sides against the middle during the Mexican Revolution. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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DANZÓN
Directed by Maria Novaro, 1991
Mexican film legend Maria Rojo stars in this delicately crafted drama as Julia, a single mother employed as a telephone operator. The high point of her week is to relax at the danzón, a weekly dance where dancing partners needn't be romantic partners. When Julia's regular partner -- an older man whose courtesy and politeness she values -- turns up missing, she travels to Veracruz to search for him. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Maria Novaro, 1991
Mexican film legend Maria Rojo stars in this delicately crafted drama as Julia, a single mother employed as a telephone operator. The high point of her week is to relax at the danzón, a weekly dance where dancing partners needn't be romantic partners. When Julia's regular partner -- an older man whose courtesy and politeness she values -- turns up missing, she travels to Veracruz to search for him. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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DIVINE
Directed by Arturo Ripstein, 1998
A doomsday cult called New Jerusalem takes its belief system from old biblical epics of the 1950s, particularly Cecil B. DeMille's Ten Commandments. As church elder Papa Basilio explains, "God created the world, movies also create the world... it's the same holy act." On an old abandoned soundstage, cult leader Mama Dorito addresses the congregation as Papa Basilio projects 16mm prints of his beloved movies. When Mama Dorito realizes she is dying, a replacement must be named. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Arturo Ripstein, 1998
A doomsday cult called New Jerusalem takes its belief system from old biblical epics of the 1950s, particularly Cecil B. DeMille's Ten Commandments. As church elder Papa Basilio explains, "God created the world, movies also create the world... it's the same holy act." On an old abandoned soundstage, cult leader Mama Dorito addresses the congregation as Papa Basilio projects 16mm prints of his beloved movies. When Mama Dorito realizes she is dying, a replacement must be named. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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DON'T FOOL WITH LOVE
Directed by Tomas Gutierrez Alea, Carlos Garcia Agraz &
Jose Luis Garcia Agraz, 1991
The short stories of Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez inspired this trilogy of torrid tales of passion and pantiless antics that are steeped in the style of Marquez's magic realism. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Tomas Gutierrez Alea, Carlos Garcia Agraz &
Jose Luis Garcia Agraz, 1991
The short stories of Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez inspired this trilogy of torrid tales of passion and pantiless antics that are steeped in the style of Marquez's magic realism. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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ERÉNDIRA IKIKUNARI
Directed by Juan Mora Catlett, 2007
The legend of Eréndira tells of a brave young Indian woman who took up arms against the Spanish conquistadors during their 16th century invasion of Latin America. Though about to be married, Eréndira stands up to the social conventions of her people, the Purepecha, so that she may fight the invading Spaniards. She steals a horse from the Spanish, learns to ride it and then uses her skill against her conquerors. In Purepecha with English subtitles.
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Directed by Juan Mora Catlett, 2007
The legend of Eréndira tells of a brave young Indian woman who took up arms against the Spanish conquistadors during their 16th century invasion of Latin America. Though about to be married, Eréndira stands up to the social conventions of her people, the Purepecha, so that she may fight the invading Spaniards. She steals a horse from the Spanish, learns to ride it and then uses her skill against her conquerors. In Purepecha with English subtitles.
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FERNANDO DE FUENTES: THE REVOLUTION TRILOGY
1933/1936
Described as "the Mexican John Ford" (New York Times), Fernando de Fuentes was by far the most talented filmmaker of early Mexican sound cinema. Includes: Prisoner 13 (1933, 76 mins.), El Compadre Mendoza (1933, 85 mins.) and Let's Go with Pancho Villa (1936, 92 mins.)
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1933/1936
Described as "the Mexican John Ford" (New York Times), Fernando de Fuentes was by far the most talented filmmaker of early Mexican sound cinema. Includes: Prisoner 13 (1933, 76 mins.), El Compadre Mendoza (1933, 85 mins.) and Let's Go with Pancho Villa (1936, 92 mins.)
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EL GALLO DE ORO
Directed by Roberto Gavaldon, 1964
This recently remastered melodrama, based on a novel by Juan Rulfo with a screenplay by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Carlos Fuentes, is a classic of Mexican cinema. A poor man nurses an injured gamecock back to life and back into the ring with successful results. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Roberto Gavaldon, 1964
This recently remastered melodrama, based on a novel by Juan Rulfo with a screenplay by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Carlos Fuentes, is a classic of Mexican cinema. A poor man nurses an injured gamecock back to life and back into the ring with successful results. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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THE GUERRILLA & THE HOPE:
LUCIO CABAÑAS
Directed by Gerardo Tort, 2005
Teacher-turned-guerrilla leader Lucio Cabañas was beloved by the poor of South Mexico, scorned by his government, and clandestinely watched by U.S. covert agencies. In a seven-year campaign of robberies, kidnappings, and shootouts, Cabañas, acquired a mystique reminiscent of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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LUCIO CABAÑAS
Directed by Gerardo Tort, 2005
Teacher-turned-guerrilla leader Lucio Cabañas was beloved by the poor of South Mexico, scorned by his government, and clandestinely watched by U.S. covert agencies. In a seven-year campaign of robberies, kidnappings, and shootouts, Cabañas, acquired a mystique reminiscent of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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JOLTS OF THE HEART
Directed by Mitl Valdez, 1996
José, an aspiring novelist and Communist, lives in Mexico with Raquel, a prostitute and waitress. Raquel loves him deeply, but he carries a torch for Aurora. Trouble begins when Raquel's ex-lover, Nereidas, breaks out of prison seeking revenge on his former flame for turning him in to the authorities. The tension escalates when Jose is assigned to kill Aurora for betraying the Communist cause. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Mitl Valdez, 1996
José, an aspiring novelist and Communist, lives in Mexico with Raquel, a prostitute and waitress. Raquel loves him deeply, but he carries a torch for Aurora. Trouble begins when Raquel's ex-lover, Nereidas, breaks out of prison seeking revenge on his former flame for turning him in to the authorities. The tension escalates when Jose is assigned to kill Aurora for betraying the Communist cause. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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JUAN, I FORGOT I DON'T REMEMBER
Directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo, 1999
Director Juan Carlos Rulfo expanded his award-winning short El abuelo Cheno y otras historias (Grandfather Cheno and Other Stories) into this cutting-edge documentary about his legendary father, poet and novelist Juan Rulfo. The director abandons the conventional biographical documentary in favor of an artful reflection on the passing of time. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo, 1999
Director Juan Carlos Rulfo expanded his award-winning short El abuelo Cheno y otras historias (Grandfather Cheno and Other Stories) into this cutting-edge documentary about his legendary father, poet and novelist Juan Rulfo. The director abandons the conventional biographical documentary in favor of an artful reflection on the passing of time. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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LET'S GO WITH PANCHO VILLA
Directed by Fernando de Fuentes, 1936
Part of the director's "Revolutionary Trilogy," Vanamos con Pancho Villa follows the adventures of six young men who leave their rural homes to join Pancho Villa's army. Together, the men endure hardship, tragedy, and disillusionment -- all for the cause of the Mexican Revolution. In Spanish w/English subtitles.
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Directed by Fernando de Fuentes, 1936
Part of the director's "Revolutionary Trilogy," Vanamos con Pancho Villa follows the adventures of six young men who leave their rural homes to join Pancho Villa's army. Together, the men endure hardship, tragedy, and disillusionment -- all for the cause of the Mexican Revolution. In Spanish w/English subtitles.
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LOLA
Directed by Maria Novaro, 1989
LOLA marks the stunning feature debut of Mexico's leading female director, Maria Novaro, who offers a different perspective on motherhood, a prominent theme in Latin American cinema. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Maria Novaro, 1989
LOLA marks the stunning feature debut of Mexico's leading female director, Maria Novaro, who offers a different perspective on motherhood, a prominent theme in Latin American cinema. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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MÉXICO, THE FROZEN REVOLUTION
Directed by Raymundo Gleyzer, 1970
Using rare newsreel footage of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, Gleyzer connected the betrayal of the 1910 Mexican Revolution with the failure of revolution in his own time. At risk to his own safety, he then exposed the PRI -- the party that governed Mexico for almost 70 years -- as corrupt. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Raymundo Gleyzer, 1970
Using rare newsreel footage of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, Gleyzer connected the betrayal of the 1910 Mexican Revolution with the failure of revolution in his own time. At risk to his own safety, he then exposed the PRI -- the party that governed Mexico for almost 70 years -- as corrupt. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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MY DEAR TOM MIX
Directed by Carlos Garcia Agraz, 1991
Joaquina has never married, but she makes up for it by going to the movies, where she lets her imagination run away with her. When her young nephew comes for a visit, she introduces him to her fantasy world, in which the actors easily become the characters they play, and vice versa. But, she takes her fantasies too far when she decides to do something about the marauding bandits that plague her small town. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Carlos Garcia Agraz, 1991
Joaquina has never married, but she makes up for it by going to the movies, where she lets her imagination run away with her. When her young nephew comes for a visit, she introduces him to her fantasy world, in which the actors easily become the characters they play, and vice versa. But, she takes her fantasies too far when she decides to do something about the marauding bandits that plague her small town. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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OVER AT THE BIG RANCH
(Allá en el Rancho Grande)
Directed by Fernando de Fuentes, 1936
One of the first box-office successes of Mexico's Golden Era was the film Over at the Big Ranch, a film hailed by historians as the vanguard of the Mexican "Charro"-movie genre which concentrated upon singing cowboys, golden-hearted bandits and fair señoritas. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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(Allá en el Rancho Grande)
Directed by Fernando de Fuentes, 1936
One of the first box-office successes of Mexico's Golden Era was the film Over at the Big Ranch, a film hailed by historians as the vanguard of the Mexican "Charro"-movie genre which concentrated upon singing cowboys, golden-hearted bandits and fair señoritas. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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PRESAGIO
Directed by Luis Alcoriza, 1974
When Mama Santos declares, "Something bad is going to happen," it becomes a bad omen and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Her provincial little town quickly transforms from a close-knit village to a virtual ghost town. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Luis Alcoriza, 1974
When Mama Santos declares, "Something bad is going to happen," it becomes a bad omen and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Her provincial little town quickly transforms from a close-knit village to a virtual ghost town. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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PRISONER 13
Directed by Fernando de Fuentes, 1933
Two stories unfold in Prisoner 13: a son who pays for his father's faults and a desperate mother who tries at any cost to save her son's life. De Fuentes' stories of ordinary people caught up in tumultuous events of their times, told with gentle humor and deep compassion, have led critics such as The New York Times' A.O. Scott to dub him "the Mexican John Ford." In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Fernando de Fuentes, 1933
Two stories unfold in Prisoner 13: a son who pays for his father's faults and a desperate mother who tries at any cost to save her son's life. De Fuentes' stories of ordinary people caught up in tumultuous events of their times, told with gentle humor and deep compassion, have led critics such as The New York Times' A.O. Scott to dub him "the Mexican John Ford." In Spanish with English subtitles.
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THE SKELETON OF MRS. MORALES
Directed by Rogelio A. González, 1960
This black comedy classis was adapted from horror master Arthuer Machen's story "The Inglinton Mystery" by screenwriter Luis Alcoriza, a frequent collaborator of Luis Buñuel. It tells the tale of quiet taxidermist Pablo Morales (former matinee idol Arturo de Cordova) who suffers the demands of his prudish and hypochandric wife Gloria. In Spanish with optional English subtitles.
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Directed by Rogelio A. González, 1960
This black comedy classis was adapted from horror master Arthuer Machen's story "The Inglinton Mystery" by screenwriter Luis Alcoriza, a frequent collaborator of Luis Buñuel. It tells the tale of quiet taxidermist Pablo Morales (former matinee idol Arturo de Cordova) who suffers the demands of his prudish and hypochandric wife Gloria. In Spanish with optional English subtitles.
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SUCH IS LIFE
Directed by Arturo Ripstein, 2000
Poor and uneducated, Julia lives in a seedy barrio in Mexico City where she practices homeopathic medicine and performs abortions to support her family. When her husband abandons her for another woman, Julia's world crumbles. With the help of her godmother, she plans to take revenge on her low-life, opportunistic husband. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Arturo Ripstein, 2000
Poor and uneducated, Julia lives in a seedy barrio in Mexico City where she practices homeopathic medicine and performs abortions to support her family. When her husband abandons her for another woman, Julia's world crumbles. With the help of her godmother, she plans to take revenge on her low-life, opportunistic husband. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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SUSANA
Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1951
A delinquent girl escapes from a reformatory and hides out on a plantation. Once there, she uses her feminine wiles to tempt others and turns the orderly domestic lives of those around her into a frenzied chaos. This film, like many others by Buñuel, uses the power of eroticism to reveal the hypocrisies of modern society. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1951
A delinquent girl escapes from a reformatory and hides out on a plantation. Once there, she uses her feminine wiles to tempt others and turns the orderly domestic lives of those around her into a frenzied chaos. This film, like many others by Buñuel, uses the power of eroticism to reveal the hypocrisies of modern society. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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VERA
Directed by Francisco Athie, 2003
Juan, an older man of Mayan ancestry, falls victim to a mining accident and embarks on a hallucinatory journey in a Yucatan underground cave world. He is guided along by Vera, an attenuated blue spirit. Through an entirely unique series of visual transformations, Juan is catapulted at once into the realm of Mayan mysticism and visions of the future. In Mayan and Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Francisco Athie, 2003
Juan, an older man of Mayan ancestry, falls victim to a mining accident and embarks on a hallucinatory journey in a Yucatan underground cave world. He is guided along by Vera, an attenuated blue spirit. Through an entirely unique series of visual transformations, Juan is catapulted at once into the realm of Mayan mysticism and visions of the future. In Mayan and Spanish with English subtitles.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Directed by Paul Leduc, 1985
Award-winning filmmaker Paul Leduc (Frida; Reed: Insurgent Mexico; Barroco) directed this gritty musical drama about life in the ghettos of Mexico City during the 1980's. With a soundtrack of Mexican rock music, the camera takes the viewer through the streets, to rock concerts, and to the bars and clubs, where he exposes the hunger, repression, unhealthy conditions and violence in the marginal communities of Mexico's capital city. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Paul Leduc, 1985
Award-winning filmmaker Paul Leduc (Frida; Reed: Insurgent Mexico; Barroco) directed this gritty musical drama about life in the ghettos of Mexico City during the 1980's. With a soundtrack of Mexican rock music, the camera takes the viewer through the streets, to rock concerts, and to the bars and clubs, where he exposes the hunger, repression, unhealthy conditions and violence in the marginal communities of Mexico's capital city. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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WHO THE HELL IS JULIETTE?
Directed by Carlos Marcovich, 1997
In this stylish, impressionistic documentary that jumbles fact and fiction, Cuban teenager Juliette meets Mexican actress Fabiola on the set of a music video shot on location in Cuba. On the surface, the two seem to have a lot in common-youth, charisma, beauty, and family problems. However, Fabiola has a wonderful life of fame and fortune before her, while Juliette's checkered sexual history points her toward prostitution. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Carlos Marcovich, 1997
In this stylish, impressionistic documentary that jumbles fact and fiction, Cuban teenager Juliette meets Mexican actress Fabiola on the set of a music video shot on location in Cuba. On the surface, the two seem to have a lot in common-youth, charisma, beauty, and family problems. However, Fabiola has a wonderful life of fame and fortune before her, while Juliette's checkered sexual history points her toward prostitution. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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THE WOMAN OF THE PORT
Directed by Arcady Boytler, 1933
A dark and atmospheric melodrama and an all-time classic of Mexican cinema. Rosaria, a cabaret prostitute in Vera Cruz, is rescued one night by a handsome, lonely sailor. A romance begins to blossom between the two lost souls, but the revelation of a shocking secret shatters their only chance at happiness. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Arcady Boytler, 1933
A dark and atmospheric melodrama and an all-time classic of Mexican cinema. Rosaria, a cabaret prostitute in Vera Cruz, is rescued one night by a handsome, lonely sailor. A romance begins to blossom between the two lost souls, but the revelation of a shocking secret shatters their only chance at happiness. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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A WOMAN WITHOUT LOVE
Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1952
Based on the Guy de Maupassant novel "Pierre et Jean", Luis Buñuel's film tells the story of a woman married to an ailing antiques dealer who has an affair with a young engineer, but refuses to leave her husband even after finding out she is pregnant by the engineer. A quarter of a century after the tryst, one of the woman's sons inherits the riches of a mysterious and wealthy Argentinian. The seemingly happy bequeathing marks the beginning of the family's disintegration. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1952
Based on the Guy de Maupassant novel "Pierre et Jean", Luis Buñuel's film tells the story of a woman married to an ailing antiques dealer who has an affair with a young engineer, but refuses to leave her husband even after finding out she is pregnant by the engineer. A quarter of a century after the tryst, one of the woman's sons inherits the riches of a mysterious and wealthy Argentinian. The seemingly happy bequeathing marks the beginning of the family's disintegration. In Spanish with English subtitles.
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