By Hipolito Navarrete, Publisher/Managing Editor
How do storytellers like Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron, and that other guy that keeps winning the Oscar for Directing learn and polish their craft? How did Rodrigo Prieto and that other guy who keeps winning Oscars for Cinematography get their starts? The answer is not simple, but somehow some of them found themselves working together in a Mexican horror show called, “La Hora Marcada.” The show was produced by Carmen Admendariz, the daughter of the iconic Mexican Actor, Pedro Armendariz, and produced by Televisa from 1989 to 1990. Only 31 episodes were produced but it certainly gave enough time for the formation of those that are now transforming the look and the pace of “Hollywood.”
The program was influenced by the Twilight Zone and it focused on horror and science fiction. The show was very popular in Mexico but it never travelled past its borders to make a larger impact on the international media landscape. Televisa produced the show. Televisa is the Mexican production company where most Mexican TV/Filmmakers, and many others from Latino America went to take a chance in realizing their dreams outside of Hollywood. Many of them are now making their mark and opening doors for their compatriots.
One Director that has not really pursued his career in the US or may be he has not been given the opportunity is Juan Mora Catlett. He directed more episodes, 10, of the series but has stayed focused on his work in Mexico. His last film “Erendira la Indomable” was released in 2006 and focuses on the strangeness of the Europeans who have arrived at the New World.
This group of Mexican artists has a visual language that combines the mystic overtones of the land that saw them grow. The intrepid and urgent pacing fostered in an environment where many pleasures are only momentary and the constant anxiety of daily interactions makes others suspect, unless they are equally vulnerable.
Here is another wonderful film by Director Juan Mora Catlett… enjoy….
