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Restored Version of SANTA Presented at the 24th FICM: A Historic Rescue of Mexican Sound Cinema

Brisa Naomi R. L.

A screening of the emblematic film Santa (1931), by Antonio Moreno, was held as part of the activities of the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM). Moreno's movie is considered the cornerstone of sound cinema in Mexico and a fundamental milestone for the national film industry.

The event was attended by Daniela Michel, founder and director of FICM; Héctor Orozco, curator of the audiovisual archive at Fundación Televisa; and the founder of the Archivo Permanencia Voluntaria, Viviana García Besné, who shared with the public the details of an arduous reconstruction and restoration process that lasted eight years.

During the presentation, Héctor Orozco expressed his deep gratitude to the Morelia International Film Festival for providing a space and venue dedicated to the preservation and screening of historical archives of national cinema.

Based on the celebrated novel by Federico Gamboa, Santa, tells the tragic story of a young woman from a small town who, after being abandoned by her first love, a military man, finds herself marginalized and forced into prostitution at a brothel in Mexico City. There, she endures heartbreak, suffering, and the harsh realities of the era. The film holds the distinction of being the first sound feature film in Mexican cinema.

Directed by Carlos Navarro, with cinematography by Alex Phillips and sound by the Rodríguez brothers, Santa not only marked the birth of sound cinema in the country but also served as a magnet for major national and international talent. Furthermore, the film is notable for its unforgettable music by Agustín Lara and the performance of Lupita Tovar.

During the presentation, Viviana García Besné spoke of the fascinating journey to recover the most complete version of the film out there —a project motivated in part by the legacy of her great-grandfather, one of the film’s producers. After years of searching archives and storage facilities in different parts of the world, the definitive discovery happened when a 16mm copy, which had belonged to Lupita Tovar herself, was located in a private collection. This copy has previously unseen footage that was believed to be lost.