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Daniela Michel Inaugurates "¡Viva México!" Program in Lyon

The “¡Viva México!” program began today at the Lumière Grand Lyon Film Festival. The program includes classic Mexican cinema organized in collaboration with FICM, which was made possible thanks to the support of the UNAM film archive, the Cineteca Nacional and Fundación Televisa.

According to David Río, of the Mexican news agency Notimex, Thierry Frémaux, director of the Lumiére Festival and general delegate of the Cannes Film Festival, described the films that are part of the program as “gold nuggets.” He said, “It is a return to the Golden Age of Mexican film which, between 1940 and 1960, experienced an exceptional period with a very important production that flooded the Latin American market and featured emerging directors like Roberto Gavaldón and Emilio Fernández.” Frémaux added that the program is part of an “invitation to film archives around the world to open a new section called archive treasures.”

Daniela Michel en la presentación de <em>Enamorada</em> (1946), de Emilio Fernández. Imagen de Notimex. Daniela Michel at the screening of Enamorada (1946) by Emilio Fernández. Image from Notimex.

“We are very pleased that such an important, delightful, carefully-managed festival – which to me is the jewel of all the festivals in the world – has focused on very important Mexican films, and that Mexico is present in such an emblematic year, the 120-year anniversary of the invention of cinema, is a great privilege,” Daniela Michel told Notimex. “For me it was a dream and a great honor to see Mexican films shown in this context. In the future, we hope to present other titles because Mexican cinematography is invaluable and has much to offer.”

The Lumière Grand Lyon Film Festival is characterized by promoting the rediscovery of cinema, exhibiting retrospectives and restored films that pay tribute to the seventh art. In addition, this year is particularly special because the 120-year anniversary of the birth of cinema will be celebrated in the city where it was born.

The Lumière Grand Lyon Film Festival began today and will end on October 18, 2015. Check the dates and times of the screenings of the classic Mexican film program: here.

* Article written with information and images from Notimex.