Leticia Neria PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText ...

ground in Mexico, the Golden Age and its stars were just a memory, and censorship had
demotivated critical and artistic filmmakers. 8
As discussed in chapter two, the Echeverría sexenio began with a divided society
and with low trust in the State. Seeking to gain the confidence of the population,
Echeverría established the apertura democrática, which included the arts and culture.
Furthermore, he sought to become a leader of the Third World: ‘regarding cinema as a
means to promote Mexico throughout the world, he set about supporting Mexican film
and seeking to raise it to international prominence once again’. 9 He called on
intellectuals to discuss topics without fear of censorship. His brother was a film actor
known in the industry as Rodolfo Landa, and the President named him as the president
of the Banco Cinematográfico, an institution in charge of funding film production and
distribution.
During his term, three state production companies were created: CONACINE,
CONACITE I and CONACITE II. These companies provided opportunities for young
filmmakers to release their work. The Grupo Nuevo Cine 10 launched important projects
which were successful not only in Mexico but beyond 11 such as En este pueblo no hay
ladrones, El Topo and Reed: México Insurgente. 12 Some films which addressed
controversial topics or were not attractive for commercial channels were supported by
the state through these companies, which helped improve the quality of Mexican
cinema. They benefited not simply the new artists, but even ‘some established directors
like [Alejandro] Galindo and [Luis] Alcoriza took advantage of this climate to also
8 Maciel, ‘Cinema and the State…’, p. 200.
9 Charles Ramírez Berg. Cinema of Solitude: A Critical Study of Mexican Film, 1967-1983 (Austin Texas:
University of Texas Press, 1992), p. 29.
10 According to Charles Ramírez Berg, it was Grupo Nuevo Cine which made this successful period
possible. Ibid.
11 Maciel in Hershfield, Mexico’s Cinema… p. 202.
12 Scott Baught, ‘Developing History/Historicizing Development in Mexico Nuevo Cine Manifestoes
around “la Crisis” ’, Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies, 34.2
(2004), 25-37 (p. 33) This article is a good reference for those interested in knowing more about Grupo
Nuevo Cine, their aims and their work.
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