10 · 22 · 24 MARÍA CANDELARIA by Emilio Fernández Screened at the 22nd FICM Share with twitter Share with facebook Share with mail Copy to clipboard Daniel Hernández In partnership with Fundación Televisa, as part of the Clásicos Restaurados program, María Candelaria (1943), by Emilio “El Indio” Fernández, was screened at the 22nd edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).The film was presented by founder and general director of the festival, Daniela Michel, and Hector Orozco, curator at Fundación Televisa.In 1909, María Candelaria and Lorenzo Rafael are a native couple from Xochimilco. The townspeople harass María Candelaria for being the daughter of a prostitute and the couple must face the greed of the shopkeeper Don Damián, who secretly desires the young woman. When she falls ill with malaria, Lorenzo Rafael steals quinine and a dress from Don Damián's store, which triggers a tragedy. Héctor Orozco Daniela Michel explained the relevance of the film in Mexican cinema, since it was a film that participated in the Cannes festival in 1946 and, while it is not confirmed, it's said to have been awarded a Palme d'Or.As a curious fact about the film, Hector highlighted that this is considered to be Emilio Fernández's most important work. In addition, he mentioned that it's one of the first films Dolores del Río filmed after returning from her success in Hollywood.Orozco added that the film is influenced by the aesthetics of the Mexican school of painting of the time, due to the actress's closeness to the muralists. Thanks to this closeness and the film's relevance, Diego Rivera later painted the actress as her character, María Candelaria, on various occasions. Finally, Daniela Michel and Héctor Orozco agreed on the importance of the restoration programs that are carried out jointly between the festival and the foundation, as these promote Mexico's cinematographic heritage.
