Sponsored by the Mexican Cultural Institute, the Film Series kick-off celebration will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Lowe Art Museum. Ticket prices are $6 per person and free for Lowe members, invited VIP guests, and children under four. This event is held in conjunction with Las Artes de Mexico exhibit, from the Collection of the Gilcrease Museum, which will be on view at the Lowe Art Museum from Jan. 31 to April 5.

Film Details and Schedule:

Saturday, February 28 – 1:00 p.m.

Short Film- DE TRIPAS A CORAZON (The Guts of the Heart) (1996)
Starring Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel) in his first film role. Garcia Bernal plays Martin, a young, shy milkboy who has little sexual experience.  In this coming-of-age story, Martin won’t be left behind when his cocky friends, Jesus and Roberto, decide to go to a brothel without him. (18 min. Color)

Feature Film (follows short film) – LOS OLVIDADOS (The Forgotten Ones) (1950)
Directed by Luis Buñuel while exiled from Spain, this gritty, urban street drama created controversy upon its release, posing questions about how Mexican national cinema might be defined… and who should lay claim to it. The film follows a group of boys living in the slums of Mexico City, focusing specifically on young Pedro.  He witnesses his friend commit a murder and swears to remain silent, but the guilt overcomes him and his secret finally unravels. With Los Olvidados, Buñuel helped launch the tradition of cinematic magic realism by weaving in several unforgettable dream sequences. (80 min. Black and White)

Sunday, March 22 – 5:00 p.m.

Short Film- CENTINELAS DEL SILENCIO (Sentinals of Silence) (1971)
This Academy Award-winning documentary short travels along the archeological ruins of Pre-Columbian Mayan civilization. Experience eighteen-minutes of stunning aerial cinematography as the camera glides over such sites as Teotihuacan, Monte Alban Tulum, Palenque, and Uxmal. The film was released in two versions, with Orson Welles providing the English-language narration and Ricardo Montalban contributing the Spanish-language narration. (18 min. Color)

Feature Film (follows short film) – CRONOS (1992)
In this debut feature film by Guillermo del Torro (director of Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy II), an elderly antiques dealer accidentally activates the Cronos Device. This extraordinary mechanism, built in 1535, grants eternal life--but at a very high price. Any person who uses the Cronos becomes a version of a vampire. An odd billionaire character, Mr. de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) and his chuckling nephew (Ron Perlman) will do anything to obtain the gadget in this witty, tragic, horror film. (95 min. Color)

Sunday, March 29 – 5:00 p.m.

Film- MACARIO (1959)
Directed by Roberto Gavaldón, Spanish with English subtitles. On the Day of the Dead, impoverished woodcutter Macario (Ignacio López Tarso) agrees to share the first decent meal he’s ever had with an apparition from the spirit world. His reward: a miraculous liquid that heals any illness, bringing him fame and fortune, but arousing the suspicions of the authorities.
(90 min. Black and White)

Las Artes de Mexico examines over three millennia of tradition and change across the broad spectrum of Mexican life. From the ancient to the contemporary, the arts of Mexico retain a unique perspective on the world. They resonate with both complexity and simplicity, with the old and the new. Las Artes de Mexico engages the viewer in a celebration of light and color.  It is a celebration of the past and the present, a celebration of the human experience. For more information about the Las Artes de Mexico Exhibit, visit: http://www6.miami.edu/lowe/

Courtesy of the Thomas Gilcrease Museum Association, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tour Development by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, Kansas City, Missouri.
Funded at the Lowe by the Cowles Charitable Trust, Instituto Cultural de México Miami,
SRE-Consuldado General de México en Miami, and the Mexican Tourism Board.