Perdida

So, I finally watched Perdida (2009), a good ten years after it came out, and I'm honestly kicking myself for waiting. It all started last week when I introduced a friend to the Cine de luchadores genre, featuring the legendary 'El Santo.' We got to talking about how that style of film shaped Mexican cinema and how so many filmmakers just copied the same old stuff. That conversation led me to this documentary. After a quick search, I found it on MUBI, and now I can tell you this film is one of the best love letters to cinema I've ever seen.

The documentary is a masterpiece of research. It's full of details, precision, and a ton of ideas-political, social, and technical-all to tell the story of a family that gave everything for the movies. The director, Viviana Garcia Besne, takes you on a stunning visual and musical journey back in time, showing the ups and downs of the Calderon family. She's trying to make sense of her grandfather and great-uncles, whose work on some of Mexico's best and worst films gave the family a complicated reputation.

The tension, the mystery, the emotion, the pure joy-especially from the actresses in the 1970s sex comedies (cine de ficheras)-and the sheer difficulty of making this film are all just incredible. Every part of it is done with skill and genuine heart.

I have so much respect for Viviana García-Besné. Her determination and this complex work honored her family and gave so much back to the soul of Mexican cinema. I really think this film goes beyond a normal documentary. While watching, I kept thinking, "These are my people!" They were rebels who did everything they could to keep making films. It was a powerful and moving experience. Thank you for sharing their stories, Viviana!