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Hugo Villa and Viviana García present El fantasma del convento, restored version

Aranza Flores @Alvayeah

In the context of the 17th edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), director of the Filmoteca UNAM, Hugo Villa and founder of the Voluntary Permanence Archive of Tepoztlán, Viviana García, presented the public screening of the film El fantasma del convento by Fernando de Fuentes in its restored version.

During the presentation, Villa talked about the importance of revisiting Mexican cinema history: “It is essential to revisit Mexican cinema of the past to better understand current cinema, which is why we decided to present a restored copy of El fantasma del convento.”

In the same way, he stressed the relationship that filmmakers of early Mexican cinema had with the international context: “I am impressed by how connected Mexican directors and photographers of that time are to worldwide cinema today. In that cinema, there is a visual construction that tells you the story, and that is what finally turns cinema into cinema.”

On the other hand Viviana García, told the audience about the restoration process which involved a 1935 film, because the original is a film made of nitrate, delicate material and even considered as an explosive. “The day you find original nitrate there is no way that the film can look better. The public will note the difference between a nitrate roll and a 35 mm one.”

Although El fantasma del convento has been considered the first Mexican horror film, it is actually the second. The first Mexican horror film is La llorona, made in 1933 by Ramón Peón, also restored by the Filmoteca UNAM.

Regarding the presented film, García highlighted: “Photography plays an extraordinary role; it is the beginning of a reflective cinema that not only sought to entertain but also transmit the beauty that only a camera can transmit.”