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17.8.04

Ismael Rodríguez (1917–2004)

Ismael Rodríguez, 2003An article (Le "cinéaste du peuple" est mort [The "people's director" has died], August 10) by Françoise Escarpit for L'Humanité notes the death of Mexican film director Ismael Rodríguez, on August 7 in Mexico City. His films in the late 40s and 50s are considered the best of the golden age of Mexican film, especially Nosotros los pobres (We the poor, 1948), its sequel, Ustedes los ricos (You the rich, 1948), and Pepe El Toro (1953), which are, I'm told, perfect portraits of Mexican life in that period. His movie Tizoc (1957), which tells the impossible love story of an Indian (Pedro Infante) and a grande dame of the Mexican upper class (the stunning María Félix), won the Golden Bear at the Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin. As you would expect, there are numerous tributes in Spanish around the Internet.

Sadly, you can't get any of these movies through Netflix. Before you think about asking Netflix to buy them, I already checked, and you can't get any of his movies on DVD. Anywhere. To whom do I write to complain?

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