Revolutionary Francisco “Pancho” Villa entered Guadalajara in December 1914, forcing the city’s richest citizens to pay him a “tax,” which he immediately distributed to the poor.
Although this contributed to his popularity, he was soon driven out from the city, which returned to the control of the Constitutionalists.
Over the past four years, Villa and his followers have returned to Jalisco in the guise of actors taking part in the Disney-produced series, “Pancho Villa: el Centauro del Norte,” recently released on the Star network. Shot in multiple locations in the state, the 10-episode series used 700 local crew members and 4,125 extras, with the support of Filma Jalisco, the agency set up to entice productions here. Enthused Governor Enrique Alfaro last week: “This production will mark a before and after in the development of the film industry in our state.”
Jalisco is the second most favored location for film productions in Mexico. A stated goal of Filma Jalisco is to turn this state into the capital of cinema in Latin America.