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Restored Version of ILLUSION TRAVELS BY STREETCAR Cements FICM as a Hub for the History of Mexican Cinema

Omar Sosa

Illusion Travels by Streetcar (1954), the twelfth film directed by the Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel and shot in Mexico, was screened as part of the Restored Classics program presented at the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM). The event was introduced by Héctor Orozco, curator and researcher at the Televisa Foundation Collection and Archive.

“It's a movie that's deeply rooted in that era's film industry, a very funny comedy with some fantastic Buñuelian touches. For international audiences, it had some more exaggerated surrealist elements, but for those of us who have lived in and know Mexico City, we know that this kind of thing can happen at any moment,” Orozco commented.

This film’s restoration was made possible thanks to the work of the Televisa Foundation in collaboration with Mexico’s National Film Archive, which was responsible for digitizing the film, and the National Cinema Museum in Turin, which restored the sound and image.

“We thank the Morelia International Film Festival, which has supported the history of Mexican cinema, archival work, and restoration since its inception,” the researcher added. The Televisa Foundation has restored nearly 30 films, most of which have been made available to audiences thanks to FICM.

Illusion Travels by Streetcar tells the story of two drivers who, upon learning that their old streetcar has been taken out of service, decide to take it out of the parking lot for one last ride, which leads to a series of curious incidents involving the authorities, passengers, and their friends.