Why Is Mexico Turning Its Biggest Political Scandals Into Movies? Rafa Fernandez De Castro - Fusion
go to original January 11, 2016

In typical Hollywood fashion, Mexico seems to be coping with some of its worst scandals by turning them into movies. A trailer released last week for a low-budget film based on drug lord Chapo Guzman’s prison break quickly garnered social media attention and newspaper headlines.

The film, titled “Chapo: The Escape of the Century,” is scheduled to hit Mexican theaters on Jan. 15. The movie, made by a low-profile Mexican production company with a cast of mostly unknown actors, is already somewhat of a success for making it into theaters without going straight to DVD.



Another low budget flick released last year on the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa divided Mexicans over its depiction of events. The docudrama, “The Night of Iguala,” was criticized for remaining faithful to the government’s account of the massacre, which has been widely contradicted by activists and independent organizations.



Mexicans are also tackling sensitive social and political issues with artsy cinema. Recent Mexican films such as “The Golden Dream” and “600 Miles” have won audiences and awards at some of the world’s most renowned film festivals by depicting the plight of immigrants and the flow of illegal firearms across the U.S.-Mexico border.





Directors have also used their unique brand of Mexican humor to poke fun at the government. Last year, “The Perfect Dictatorship” (a term used to describe the PRI’s 71 years in power) satirized President Enrique Peña Nieto’s relationship with the country’s biggest media conglomerates, while mocking his broken English.



Read the whole story at Fusion

Related: Mexican Film Industry Reacts to Sean Penn-El Chapo Interview (Variety)

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