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Alva Brothers, pioneers in Mexican cinema

Doris Morales, translated by Cindy Hawes

The Alva brothers, who were from Morelia, Michoacán, are an integral part of the history of Mexican cinema.  Their images captured the fervor of the Mexican Revolution and have served as valuable research material.

Ferrer said this meeting between the Festival and the film archive helps to boost the preservation and dissemination of film.

For the past 50 years, the Filmoteca has kept approximately 7 hours of images of the Mexican Revolution, four of which were filmed by the Alva brothers. “We value this material and take great care of it since it belongs to the inception of national cinema,” she said.

During the tribute, a collection of images by the Alva brothers were shown, including those taken in Morelia; the interview between Mexican President Porfirio Díaz and U.S. President Taft, the first between the leaders of the two neighboring countries, Mexican and the United States; and scenes of daily life.

The screening of the images was accompanied by comments by historian Carlos Martínez Assad, who through his research identified the period that corresponded to the different images. A question and answer session followed.

 Francisco Gaytán, curator of the Filmoteca, praised the Festival for holding events like this, emphasizing that while the preservation of films is very important, so is the projection of the restored films. “Films are preserved so that they will be disseminated,” he said.

During the second part of the tribute, the first fiction film of the silent era in Mexico, El aniversario de la muerte de la suegra de Enhart, directed by the Alva brothers in 1912: was presented. It was accompanied by live music on the violin by Esteban Hernández from the Conservatorio de las Rosas.