The series begins with the Detroit premiere of TESOROS (TREASURES), an adventure for the whole family, and closes with music documentary CHAVELA
The Cine Mexico Now film series brings award-winning contemporary Mexican cinema to the heart of Detroit. Curated from the world’s top film festivals, Cine Mexico Now includes films that bring to life a rich portrait of the Mexican experience. The series takes place September 17 – October 25 exclusively at Cinema Detroit with the support of Mexican Consulate in Detroit.
The opening night reception after the screening of Tesoros (Treasures) on Sunday, September 17 includes a performance by El Autentico Mariachi Juvenil Detroit and refreshments from Axle Brewing Co., La Azteca Ice Cream, Los Galanes, La Gloria Bakery, and Hacienda Mexican Foods.
Director Ernesto Contreras will be at Cinema Detroit for an in-person Q & A after the screening of I Dream In Another Language on Saturday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. ONLY.
Additional selections include: The Untamed, Amat Escalante’s chilling sci-fi erotic drama for which he won the Best Director award at the 2016 Venice Film Festival; Tales of an Immoral Couple, a hilarious comedy of errors by filmmaker Manolo Caro (Elvira, I’d Give You My Life But I’m Using It); Chavela, a lovingly rendered portrait of legendary ranchera singer and LGBTQ icon Chavela Vargas; award-winning The Night Guard, a slow burning thriller; and a recent digital restoration of the 1946 noir classic, La otra (The Other One), staring Mexican screen legend Dolores del Rio.
Tickets to each screening are $10 each; $9 for students with ID and seniors 65 or better; $8 for Cinema Detroit members; and $7 for children under 12. Regular and member tickets are available online at bit.ly/CDTickets; discounted tickets are available at the Cinema Detroit box office only.
The entire Cine Mexico Now lineup is as follows:
Tesoros (Treasures)
Sun, Sep 17 at 5:00 p.m. – Includes post-screening reception
Wed, Sept 20 at 7:00 p.m.
Relocating to the small seaside village of Barra de Potosi on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, siblings Dylan and Andrea are welcomed by a tight-knit community and quickly make new friends. When Dylan learns about Sir Francis Drake and his buried pirate treasure somewhere off shore, he gathers the gang and they take off on an adventure to uncover the hidden treasure. Yet, what they discover is far more valuable than even gold. Filmmaker María Novaro (DANZÓN) crafts an enchanting film for the whole family, celebrating childhood imagination and the rich coastal culture of Mexico. Official Selection, 2017 Berlin and Miami film festivals. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
I Dream In Another Language – one night only
PLUS Q&A with director Ernesto Contreras IN PERSON
Sat, Sep 23 at 7:00 p.m. ONLY
An indigenous language is in peril as its last two speakers (Evaristo and Isauro) haven’t spoken to each other in over 50 years. Martín, a young linguist, will undertake the seemingly impossible task to bring the old friends back together so he can obtain a recorded registration of the language and study it. However, hidden in the past, in the heart of the jungle, lies a secret concealed by the language that makes it difficult to believe that the heart of Zikril will beat once again. An alluring multi-generational love story told with wit, heart, and a bit of magic by filmmaker Ernesto Contreras (THE OBSCURE SPRING, BLUE EYELIDS). Winner of the Audience Award, World Cinema – Dramatic, 2017 Sundance Film Festival. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Tales of an Immoral Couple (La vida inmoral de la pareja ideal)
Sun, Sept. 24 at 5:00
Wed, Sept. 27 at 7:00
Twenty-five years after their fiery high school romance, Lucio (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and Martina (Cecilia Suárez) have an unexpected reunion in San Miguel de Allende. Dormant feelings bubble to the surface as the two struggle to keep up false appearances and try to prove just how much they’ve moved on since their lusty teenage days. Yet their irresistible chemistry cannot be contained in this hilarious comedy of errors from filmmaker Manolo Caro (ELVIRA, I’D GIVE YOU MY LIFE IF I WASN’T USING IT). Featuring a blissful supporting performance by Paz Vega (SEX AND LUCIA). Official Selection, 2016 Morelia Film Festival. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
La Otra (The Other One)
Sun, Oct. 1 at 5:00
Wed, Oct. 4 at 7:00
After her success in Hollywood, Mexican screen siren Dolores Del Rio returned to Mexico to help usher in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. In this box office hit, she stars as twin sisters, one a wealthy man-eating housewife, the other a dowdy manicurist. But when jealousy turns to murder, family secrets are revealed. Filmmaker Roberto Galvadón partnered with writer José Revueltas to create this Mexican take on a classic noir trope: the evil twin. The film was so successful it was later remade in the United States as DEAD RINGER (1964), starring Bette Davis. In Spanish with English subtitles.
THE NIGHT GUARD / El vigilante
Sun, Oct. 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Weds, Oct. 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Principled security guard Salvador works the night shift at a construction site on the fringes of Mexico City. After a brutal crime occurs on his watch, the police begin to ask questions, but Salvador’s partner refuses to corroborate his story. As he digs deeper into the incident, a larger conspiracy reveals itself over the course of one endless night. Blending suspense with dark comedy, the first feature from filmmaker Diego Ros is a slow burn thriller that questions how far we’ll go to protect our own morality. Remarkably shot, the film won the World Fiction Award at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival and Best Mexican Film and Best Actor at the prestigious Morelia Film Festival in 2016. In Spanish with English subtitles.
The Untamed / La region salvaje
Sun, Oct. 15 at 5:00 p.m.
Wed, Oct. 18 at 7:00
Provocative filmmaker Amat Escalante (HELI) won the Best Director prize at the 2016 Venice Film Festival with this boundary pushing, erotically charged, sci-fi family drama. Unhappily married with two children, Alejandra struggles to make peace of her uneventful life in Guanajuato. Her husband, Angel, is a traditional macho, unavailable and hiding a deep secret. Enter the mysterious Veronica, who introduces them to a cabin in the woods, where an otherworldly creature stokes their sexual appetites. Unleashing their darkest desires, their nuclear family begins to fall apart as the world around them unravels. Deeply shocking, Escalante masterfully blends social realism, artful horror, and a provoking commentary on modern Mexican society. Official Selection, 2016 AFI Fest, Toronto, San Sebastian, London, and Rio de Janeiro film festivals. In Spanish with English Subtitles.
Closing Night
CHAVELA
Sun, Oct. 22 at 5:00 p.m.
Wed, Oct. 25 at 7:00
Born in Costa Rica, the always rebellious Chavela Vargas ran away from her conservative, religious family to reinvent herself as a singer in Mexico City. By the 1950s, she had become a household name, delivering performances with a raw passion and unique voice. Just as influential were her cultural contributions; Chavela was a bold, rebellious, sexual pioneer who defied gender stereotypes at a time when being “out” was often dangerous. But as her star faded, she lost herself in alcoholism and retreated to rural Mexico. After 15 hard years out of the spotlight, Chavela made a roaring comeback, achieving international fame, earning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and becoming a muse to many, including Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. Filmmakers Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi boldly capture the iconoclast with this lovingly rendered portrait of one of Mexico’s greatest performing artists. Official Selection, 2017 Berlin Film Festival.
In Spanish with English subtitles.
About Cinema Detroit
CINEMA DETROIT is metro Detroit’s only truly independent cinema, delivering an eclectic, quirky and quality mix of contemporary, indie, cult, genre, and classic movies in the heart of the city. It is also the only first-run 7-day-a-week movie theater in Greater Downtown. Located at 4126 Third Street, 48201, Cinema Detroit features movies in a unique setting – a former furniture store – and freshly made popcorn, Faygo soda, and occasionally other locally-made treats. The theater was founded by Tim and Paula Guthat, two lifelong Detroiters with a deep love for film and their City. Cinema Detroit was recently named “Best Indie Cinema” in the WDIV Local 4 Vote 4 The Best poll for the third year in a row.
About Cinema Lamont
CINEMA LAMONT is a 501(c)3 non-profit that fosters cross-cultural understanding through the power of world cinema. Founded in March of 2017 by Josh Gardner, a former programmer at the American Film Institute, Cinema Lamont hosts pop-up screenings around the Metro Detroit region. Cinema Lamont’s programming ranges from the latest award-winner from the world’s top film festivals to groundbreaking classics of foreign films.