The most recent films by Pedro Almodóvar, Michel Franco and Leos Caraxalong with other international award winners, such as Anorawhich obtained the Palme d’Or in Cannesthey reach 76 International Film Festival of the National Cinemathequewhich begins under a new administration.
Memory (Mexico-EU, 2023), Michel Franco’s film starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard opens the program of the exhibition, which will take place from November 7 to 13 at the Xoco headquarters and will then go to the Cineteca of the Arts, Cinemex and halls of the university circuit.
Another strong card of the program that includes 14 titles is The next room (Spain-EU, 2024), based on the novel by Sigrid Nunez What is your torment?with which Pedro Almodóvar made history by winning for the first time in September the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival.
To them are added Anoraby the American Sean Baker, winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes; the premiere in Mexico of close your eyesthe most recent film by Spanish director Víctor Erice, awarded this year in Mexico with the UNAM Film Archive Medal alongside the actor Mathieu Amalric; and the latest title to date from the cult French director, Leos Carax, It’s Not Mean autobiographical medium-length film.
At a press conference, Nelson Carro, director of Diffusion and Programming of the National Cinematheque, and Alehelí López Maldonado, coordinator of the Digital Restoration Laboratory, gave details of the productions that involve 15 countries from all continents, including three Mexican ones. .
López Maldonado explained the process that led to the restoration of Deep Crimson (Mexico-Spain-France, 1996), the classic of Arturo Ripstein which is presented with the director’s cut in this exhibition.
Without the presence of the general director Alejandro Pelayo, who will end his position that lasted two six-year terms this October 31 to be relieved by Marina Stavenhagen As of November 1, the 14 films were presented, which deal with memory, loss or forced displacement.
It will be the first Exhibition of the National Cinematheque under the administration of Stavenhagen, who was head of the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (Imcine) from 2007 to 2012 during the six-year term of Felipe Calderón, although its preparation was still in charge of the outgoing Pelayo administration.
Regarding the future challenges of the institution, Nelson Carro responded to reporters that, with three venues already open in Mexico City (Cineteca Nacional, Cineteca Nacional de las Artes and Cineteca Chapultepec) and 30 theaters together, the main challenge is management of a monster like the one created.
The 14 titles are: Memoryby Michel Franco; Deep Crimsonby Arturo Ripstein; The next roomby Pedro Almodóvar; The light we imagineby Payal Kapadia; land of brothersby Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi; simon of the mountainby Federico Luis Tachella; A trip in springby Peng Tzu-Hui and Wang Ping Wenes; The seed of the sacred fruitMahammad Rasoulof; close your eyesby Victor Erice; It’s Not Meby Leos Carax; Mercyby Alain Guiraudie; The regret of dreamsby Les Blank, documentary about the filming of Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo; Anoraby Sean Baker, and Memories of a snailan animation by Australian Adam Elliot.
The stories come from different geographies such as Mexico, Spain, France, the United States, Iran, the Netherlands, India, Luxembourg, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Germany, Taiwan and Australia.
PCL