The Mexican cinema had its heyday in the 1930s to 1950s. In this early phase the Mexican movie industry served their audience the usual clichés about Mexico; accompanied with Mariachi music, punch-ups and lots of feelings. First international recognition gained Luis Buñuel with his film LOS OLVIDADOS. In the 1950s, Hollywood productions conquered the Mexican market and ended the golden era. Only in the early 1990s a new Mexican cinema developed, which could take up the old successes – with directors such as Alfonso Arau, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro, Carlos Reygadas ánd Alfonso Cuarón.
In cooperation with the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) and the International Film Festival Guanajuato we cast a glance on new films of young and promising Mexican directors: with eight feature- and documentary films as well as two short-film programs – among them numerous international, European and German premieres.
The Mexican feature film is on the move: In A SEPARATE WIND two teenager start their 2,500 km way to Casa Grande, ONE FOR THE ROAD serves three pensioners as motto to fulfil the last wish of their friend, and GUTEN TAG, RAMÓN tells the story of a Mexican, whose sixth attempt to escape takes him to Wiesbaden. GÜEROS shows an urban odyssey of an old car in black and white, and in LOS ÁNGELES a family prepares their eldest son’s escape to the US. The tragicomedy THE HAMSTERS portrays a middle-class family, where everyone hides their secrets in front of the others. Less hidden, the documentary THE NAKED ROOM provides intimate insights into the lives of depressive children and in THE YEARS OF FIERRO we suffer with the Mexican incarcerated in a death cell in the US.
For the country-in-focus program Mexico we tinkered a colourful Piñata: a filled figurine made of papier mâché, in which many (filmic) surprises and guests from Mexico wait to be uncovered.
exground filmfest thanks the Mexican Consulate in Frankfurt/Main for supporting the program.
A SEPARATE WIND [VIENTO APARTE]
by Alejandro Gerber Bicecci
Mexico 2014 original version with English subtitles
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Short film program
GÜEROS
by Alonso Ruízpalacios
Mexico 2014 original version with English subtitles
GUTEN TAG, RAMÓN [BUEN DÍA]
by Jorge Ramírez-Suárez
Mexico/Germany 2013 Spanish-German original version with German subtitles
SHORT FICTION AND ANIMATION
Short film program
LOS ÁNGELES
by Damian John Harper
Germany 2014 Zapotect-Spanish original version with German subtitles
ONE FOR THE ROAD [EN EL ÚLTIMO TRAGO]
by Jack Zagha Kababie
Mexico 2014 original version with English subtitles
PANEL: FOCUS MEXICO
THE HAMSTERS [LOS HÁMSTERS]
by Gilberto González Penilla
Mexico 2014 original version with English subtitles
THE NAKED ROOM [EL CUARTO DESNUDO]
by Nuria Ibáñez
Mexico 2013 OmeU
THE YEARS OF FIERRO [LOS AÑOS DE FIERRO]
by Santiago Esteinou
Mexico 2013 Spanish-English original version with English subtitles
