At the Guadalajara Film Festival’s opening gala Saturday, March 3, Mayahuel awards were presented to three honored guests. Gabriel Retes accepted this year’s Mexican prize, Cuban-American actor Andy Garcia took the honors for Latin America, and English director Mike Leigh received the international award.
Several Mexican actors and filmmakers and other industry professionals in town for the festival also walked the red carpet to attend the near-capacity celebration at the Auditorio Telmex.
Retes, an actor-director from Mexico City with 24 directing credits to his name, expressed his appreciation and his long commitment to the festival. “It has been fundamental to my career. Since ’92, each movie I have made has premiered at the Guadalajara Festival.”
The still-suave Hollywood star Garcia gave a more energetic endorsement. “Arriba Guadalajara!” he exclaimed. “My journey through cinema in Mexico has been very important to me and I feel very proud to be sharing this with all of you.”
British Ambassador to Mexico Judith Macgregor, and the director of the British Council in Mexico Chris Rawlings, also took the stage to speak briefly about the cinema of Great Britain.
White beard, head cocking to the side and hands lifting in expressions of emphasis, the professor-like Leigh conveyed appropriate praise for his own prize. “This is much more than a great honor. This is the first time I have been to Mexico. I have heard for many years of the festival in Guadalajara, and for me it’s really great to be here and to receive this award.”
Leigh’s latest film, “Another Year,” then screened for the nearly 9,000 in attendance.
The honored guests also cropped up at various other functions over the opening weekend.
After a Saturday afternoon screening of his film, “The Lost City,” set during the tumultuous Cuban regime change of Fidel Castro, Andy Garcia sat for a public interview and Q-and-A session. Many of the questions were directed at his past work and his opinions of Hollywood and the industry, but he also provided comments on Mexico, saying that though he had not been to Guadalajara before, “Two summers ago I spent a lot of time in Mexico filming a movie [‘Cristiada’]. My experience in Mexico has always been wonderful.”
The 55-year-old actor also spoke of his next white whale, a project focusing on Ernest Hemingway’s last few years in Cuba and his friendship with Gregorio Fuentes and his influence on “The Old Man and the Sea.”
Leigh was so enthused to be here, he quietly showed up to the Friday afternoon screening of two of his films, “Bleak Moments” and “Naked” at the Cine Foro. He entertained the crowd with a chat for a few minutes, commenting on comparisons between his films and those of Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, the digital revolution and the unique slice-of-life quality of his works. “All of my films have to do with the journey of life, the meaning of them in the end has to do with how we live in the moment, because that’s something that doesn’t often happen in cinema.”
Later, at a Sunday afternoon Q-and-A session, he expounded on his unique style. “The only thing that I write is the general structure of the movie, a skeleton that can vary, although it may have some planned scenes.”
Several of Leigh’s films played during the festival this year in a retrospective of his career.
Demian Bichir also showed up to the festival on Monday, fresh off a trip to the Oscars as a Best Actor nominee for last year’s “A Better Life.” The Mexican actor spoke of scheduling complications for the play “Nadando con tiburones” (Swimming with Sharks) in which he stars and is being directed by his brother, Bruno. He also made mention of how the Oscar nod has complicated his affairs, but has opened up opportunities for him to work with new talent around the world.
Bichir then spoke of the state of Mexican cinema, calling it “a child, for many years in intensive therapy” that still isn’t even close to being an industry and is at a clear disadvantage against American productions.
Finally, the actor echoed the disenfranchised political spirit of many of his countrymen when he said “I have no political interest of any kind, but yes, I put down my signature and use my face when whenever it has been asked for … our back is already against the wall. We can’t take any more tests or chances.”
The Guadalajara Film Festival wraps up this weekend.