Dance of the 41 (film)
Dance of the 41 (Spanish: El baile de los 41) is a Mexican film directed by David Pablos, written by Monika Revilla and produced by Pablo Cruz and El Estudio. It portrayes the events leading up to and around a 1901 party of gay men, half of whom were dressed in drag, known as the Dance of the Forty-One (El baile de los cuarenta y uno).
Dance of the 41 | |
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Spanish | El baile de los 41 |
Directed by | David Pablos |
Produced by | Pablo Cruz |
Written by | Monika Revilla |
Starring | Alfonso Herrera |
Cinematography | Carolina Costa |
Production company | Canana Films El Estudio Bananeira Filmes |
Release date |
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Country | Mexico |
Language | Spanish |
It stars Alfonso Herrera as Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, the gay son-in-law of then-president of Mexico Porfirio Díaz, Mabel Cadena as Amada Díaz, his illegitimate daughter, and Emiliano Zurita (son of Christian Bach) as Ignacio’s fictional lover, Evaristo Rivas.[1][2][3]
Plot
Based on the Dance of the Forty-One which was a society scandal in early 20th-century Mexico. The incident revolved around an illegal police raid carried out in November 1901 in a private home in Mexico City. The scandal revolved around that that of the group of men who attended, 19 were dressed in women's clothing. Despite the government's efforts to hush the incident up, the press was keen to report the incident, since the participants belonged to the upper echelons of society (including the son-in-law of the incumbent President of Mexico). This scandal was unique in that it was the first time homosexuality was openly spoken about in the Mexican media and had a lasting impact on Mexican culture.
Cast
- Alfonso Herrera as Ignacio de la Torre y Mier
- Mabel Cadena as Amada Díaz
- Emiliano Zurita as Evaristo Rivas
- Fernando Becerril as Porfirio Díaz
- Paulina Álvarez Muñoz as Luz Díaz
Filming locations
The movie was filmed in Mexico City and Guadalajara at the end of 2019.[4] Some fiming locations include the Rivas Mercado House, the bar La Opera in Mexico City's historic center and many of the exteriors were filmed in the streets of Guadalajara.
The mansion used to represent the Ignacio de la Torre House is the Casa Rivas Mercado, in Colonia Guerrero, Mexico City, which represents similar eclectic late-19th-century architecture of urban mansions in the area and functions as a cultural center.[5] The actual Ignacio de la Torre mansion was located where the National Lottery building is now located at Paseo de la Reforma number 1. The Equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain, better known as "El Caballito", was located in front of the house at that time.[6]
Premiere and distribution
The movie's premiere was on November 1, 2020 at the closing event of the Morelia International Film Festival.[7][8]
The premiere for the general public was on November 19, 2020 at Cinépolis cinemas in Mexico.
In 2021 the film will be streamed on Netflix.
References
- “The Dance of the 41”, Al Día
- ""El baile de los 41": una película sobre Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, el yerno homosexual de Porfirio Díaz" (in Spanish). México Desconocido. January 7, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- "Llevan al cine la noche del deseo masculino" (in Spanish). El Universal. February 2, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- "Filman la escandalosa fiesta del Porfiriato" (in Spanish). El Informador. November 8, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- Casa Rivas Mercado
- La casa De la Torre y Mier / Díaz
- "18 FICM: ¿Cuál será la función de clausura del Festival de Cine de Morelia?" (in Spanish). El Heraldo. October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- de la Fuente, Anna Marie (November 2, 2020). "Sundance Audience Award Winner 'Identifying Features' Scoops Top Prizes at Mexico's Morelia Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2020.